If you’re ready for one of the best views of NYC and beyond, look no further than The Edge at Hudson Yards. Edge has the highest sky deck in the western hemisphere, with a 360 degree view. Recently I decided to revisit Edge at sunset. Come along with me and see the phenomenal views!

Today we approached Hudson Yards after a stroll on the High Line. Below is a photo of Edge (left), The Shops at Hudson Yards, and 10 Hudson Yards.

You can enter through The Shops entrance, and wander the mall up to the fourth floor, where you enter The Edge. I’m not a huge shopper, but the stores at Hudson Yards are real eye candy.

The Edge offers an entertaining visual show while you wait in line for the elevators up.

The Observation Deck

One of the things that draws people to Edge is the way the deck juts out from the building. It feels like you’re hanging out over the city instead of just at the top of a solid building – and you are!

The triangular platform offers two corners where the glass slants out, and you can literally lean out over the city.

The glass is over 2 inches thick and 9′ tall. It was made in Germany and finished in Italy.

The Glass Floor

The glass floor is 1,131 feet over the city. It’s not to be missed! It’s actually bigger than it looks in the photo below, which I took from street level.

There will be a line to get your photo here, but it’s worth the short wait. With this view from everywhere you stand, what’s the rush? There is no time limit for your stay at Edge.

The glass on the floor is 2.5 inches thick. That’s all that separates you from 1,131 feet below…

The View

Up here you’re 100 floors over New York and New Jersey. Pretty cool! For anyone who enjoys the architecture of the city (yours truly), its heaven up here.

Obviously, the Empire State Building is the star of the show. NYC’s most recognizable landmark, it gives people a feel for what direction they’re looking in (east). Edge is on the corner of 10th Ave and 34th Street, so it’s a clear line down 34th to the ESB.

Zooming in on the iconic 204 foot antenna of the Empire State Building.

Views North and East

Looking due north, below is 50 Hudson Yards (2022) and Hell’s Kitchen. Beyond is the Upper West Side, covered in summer’s haze.

Zooming in below you can see the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, and the construction of the Port Authority Bus Terminal Replacement Project. It’s a massive project, expected to be completed in 2040. If you’re interested, you can read about it here: New York YIMBY

Turn a little east and you see Hell’s Kitchen, Central Park, and a bit of Midtown at right. The crane was the construction of neighbor 50 Hudson Yards back in 2020.

Looking towards Billionaires’ Row, 57th Street, in 2020. The Steinway Tower (center) wasn’t yet finished at that time.

Turning more east towards the heart of Midtown. The just-finished 270 Park Avenue dominates the sky. It’s an amazing building and I’ll be putting up a post on it shortly.

A closer look at two giants in the sky: 270 Park Avenue (2025) and One Vanderbilt (2020).

The drama in this photo really shows you how Manhattan stands out on our planet.

The Garment District

The Garment District stretches between 6th Avenue to 9th Avenue, from 34th Street to 40th street. It’s easy to see where the Theater District/Times Square begins.

Views towards Brooklyn

Below is a zoom all the way southeast to the gold-tipped Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse in lower Manhattan. In the background is Brooklyn’s Pier 2 in Brooklyn Heights, and all the way to the Gowanus Canal.

Another big zoom, this one is the Lower East Side, with the Manhattan Bridge at right. Across the water is Brooklyn. If you zoom in you can see the length of Rockaway Beach, across Jamaica Bay. Gotta love a zoom lens!

South Views

The southern views are my favorite. I’m a downtown girl at heart and it makes me happy to look down across the length of Manhattan.

The Financial District, dominates the southern end of Manhattan. In front of that stretch the West Village, Hudson Square, and TriBeCa.

Right next door is 10 Hudson Yards, completed in 2016. It’s a pretty cool building, sometimes known as the South Tower. It’s home to over 7,000 employees of Coach, Tapestry, Inc., L’Oreal USA and many more. Beyond are the London Terrace Towers, built in 1929 to be the largest apartment buildings in the world.

The Hudson River and New Jersey

One of the good things about Edge is it’s proximity to the Hudson. You really get a chance to look deep into New Jersey (trust me, it’s OK).

Look at the wonderful view you get to Liberty Island and the Statue of Liberty, Governor’s Island, and Jersey City:

A humid August view of West New York and Weehawken Township, New Jersey. Beyond is West New York and then the Hackensack River.

I love 15 Hudson Yards, luxury condos built in 2019. Directly across the Hudson River is Weehawken, NJ.

Golden Hour at The Edge

The angle of the sun has changed. It’s golden hour, and the energy of the crowd has changed. Many folks have paid extra to be here for the sunset, in hopes of a magical view.

The sun hangs low across the Hudson River into New Jersey as a seaplane glides by. I took this photo by the restrooms, where even there you have a fantastic view.

The day of our visit was hazy and humid, but it was still glorious. The angle of the sun changed everything, creating dramatic flashes of gold.

The Lights Come On

My favorite part of the view was watching the lights come on across Manhattan. Each skyscraper lit up like a little firework, yet I never saw the exact moment the lights came on.

The Empire State Building starts to twinkle like it’s got diamonds on it…

Looking northeast across midtown, you can see the lights over the East River towards Randall’s Island.

It’s a process, and a delightful one. Lights are on at new 270 Park Ave, the Met Life Building, One Vanderbilt, and the Chrysler Building

Look how far you can see, all the way past Brooklyn into Long Island! Madison Square Garden is in the lower right.

Behind us is the peak of Edge, and rows of stairs you can sit on to get an even higher view.

Night on The Edge

Once it’s dark the energy of the crowd gets a little louder. Being on top of NYC at night is a party! And the music playing from the restaurant sets the beat. The video below contains music I added via YouTube, which felt more like my beat.

And this video is the actual beat at Edge. Which do you prefer?

On Aug. 15, the Empire State Building lit its world-famous tower lights in green, white, and orange to celebrate the 79th annual India Day.

I’ve read that you can see the lights of Times Square from space. It’s easy to believe!

Looking straight down at the intersection of 33rd Street and 10th Avenue. Madison Square Garden peeks out in between One and Two Manhattan West.

A few random notes…

My first trip to Edge was in November 2020 when it opened. The lines were long, even for 2020. For my trip this month I splurged on the Priority Access, which was $88 versus $34. Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY. We were escorted to the head of the elevator line going up and down. And when it’s 9:45PM and everyone has to leave, it’s a very long line. It also included a glass of champagne on the observation deck!

Getting to The Edge

Edge is the heart of Hudson Yards. The 7 train runs 24 hours/7 days and stops across the street at 34th St./Hudson Yards station.
On foot, the High Line north flows right into Hudson Yards.

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