The View From Atop One World Trade Center

One World Trade Center from below

One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the western hemisphere at 1,776 feet (as in the date of the American Independence), and the sixth tallest in the world. And the observation deck, as the site says, really does provide a unique view of New York City and beyond.

On our recent trip to the city, my wife and I splurged (because it honestly isn’t cheap) and went up to the top. I did have some trepidation about it, truthfully, after what happened all those years ago. It’s not like I thought that we’d be attacked or anything while I was up on the observation decks. People in the World Trade Centers didn’t think that at the time, though, either.

The World Trade Center Memorial

Instead, it just felt a little odd for it to be more of a happy and fun tourist attraction as opposed to a solemn one that is below. And after seeing the memorial, I just wasn’t sure how I felt about going up top.

It was worth the trip, though, and the cost. I was stunned by how far we could see – so far and so high up that it was possible to see a subtle curve in the horizon. The trip happened fast, too. In less time than it takes to hit a favorite drive thru the elevator launched us to the top with a really cool timelapse video of New York City being built up all around us through the years. (Note: there’s a different video on the way down.)

The view from atop One World Trade Center

And speaking of down, the view down to the streets below was just as fantastic as the one uptown or over to New Jersey or Brooklyn or the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was quite the dichotomy, actually, as we experienced so much hustle and bustle on street level, as everyone does in the city, only to have it appear so serene beneath us only seconds later.

Looking down from atop One World Trade Center