Dizzy heights in New York
Georgia Humphreys lives the high life in the Big Apple
Iam on an open-air platform 1,271 feet above the ground, near the top of skyscraper 30 Hudson Yards – on Manhattan’s West Side – as part of New York’s newest attraction, City Climb (tickets are $185/£137.90).
Below, I can see people visiting Edge, the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. Slowly, my palms start to feel less clammy – it’s like I’m acclimatising to being so high up and exposed. Next up, though, is the biggest challenge.
I take a deep breath and squat down into my harness at the edge of the platform. Pushing with my feet, I lean back, and fling my arms out into the air, the Empire State Building glimmering behind me in the November sunshine. It’s only for a few seconds, but I’ve never felt anything like it, knowing you’re higher than anyone in New York. In many ways, the sounds, smells and sights of New York are just the same as when I last visited 12 years ago. I revel in hearing yellow taxis tooting their horns, I’m mesmerised by the colours of Central Park’s trees as I cycle among the morning joggers, and find insanely tasty bagels once again (try one oozing with crispy bacon, egg, and American-style cheese from Finn’s Bagels on 10th Ave, £7.80).
But there’s no doubt that postCovid, NYC feels quieter – more reserved, even. At Bryant Park’s seasonal Winter Village, a few teenagers are whizzing around the free ice-skating rink, while young professionals sit at the scattered outdoor tables, drinking coffee. One place where you can feel a real sense of New York’s energy and pace returning is Hudson Yards, where I’m staying at the Pendry Manhattan West. There’s a buzz about the neighbourhood, which boasts the mind-bending new spiral staircase and public artwork Vessel, immersive arts centre The Shed, and a seven-storey mall.
That evening, I head to secret garden-themed rooftop Gallow Green, at the McKittrick Hotel, where I order the shaved brussels sprouts, served with bacon, parmesan, parsley and Caesar dressing (£14.15), and the fried calamari (£14.15). I wash it down with a signature Sleep No More (£13.42) cocktail of vodka, elderflower, butterfly-pea flowers, citrus and cider. Any hints of a hangover the next day are banished with a walk on the High Line, the must-see attraction which doesn’t require a brave appetite for heights. An elevated public park that’s free to visit, it runs for 1.45 miles along Manhattan’s West Side. It’s built on a freight rail line that was in operation from 1934 to 1980.
Time it right and you can stroll – down to the other end, at Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District – towards the sunset, an orange glow burning through the hazy sky over the Hudson River.
How to plan your trip
Virgin Atlantic (virginatlantic.com; 0344 8747 747) flies direct between London Heathrow and New York JFK from £358.72 per person. Rooms at the Pendry Manhattan West (pendry.com/manhattanwest; +1 212 933 7000) start from $625/£465 plus tax per night.