File this one under “things to do when travel is safe again.” A new attraction at New York City’s Hudson Yards rises over 1,100 feet in the air, officially making it the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. Suspended in mid-air 100 floors above street level, “Edge” grants visitors unprecedented views of the city, Western New Jersey, and New York State spanning up to 80 miles.

The open-air observation platform aims to take visitors “out of their comfort zone,” not only by virtue of its sheer height, but also through a partial glass floor and angled glass walls. Designed by architecture firm KPF/Kohn Pederson Fox, along with the rest of the 30 Hudson Yards skyscraper, the deck can be accessed through the shops and restaurants within Hudson Yards’ indoor shopping mall.

Visitors entering the complex are treated to a multimedia “arrival experience” designed by LAB at Rockwell Group before zooming up to the outdoor viewing area via a 52-second elevator ride. The deck itself extends nearly 80 feet from the building, spiking out in an angular shape, with the glass floor set at the very edge. Daredevils can lean against the deck’s nine-foot-tall glass walls to enjoy what’s probably the closest to a bird’s eye perspective of New York City you can get without a parachute.

In a recent press release, Hudson Yards stated that “a champagne bar, located on the 100th Floor, will offer a glass of champagne or signature cocktail and light bites to enjoy indoors or outdoors on the sky deck. The champagne bar will be operated by London-based rhubarb hospitality group. Rhubarb will also operate Peak, the restaurant, bar, café, and event space located on the 101st Floor. Peak will serve lunch and dinner offering a one-of-a-kind dining and social experience.”

“Designed by William Pedersen and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) and extending out 80 feet from the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards, Edge redefines the New York skyline. A marvel of modern engineering and structural design, the 765,000-pound observation deck is comprised of 15 sections, each weighing between 35,000 and 100,000 pounds, all bolted together and anchored to the east and south sides of the building. The 7,500-square-foot outdoor viewing area is surrounded by 79 glass panels, each weighing 1,400 pounds, manufactured in Germany and finished in Italy. [The] interiors of Edge and Peak are being designed by Rockwell Group.”

“Edge will be a major focal point of Hudson Yards, the 28-acre neighborhood on Manhattan’s West Side that brings together fashion, dining, and cultural experiences along with the headquarters of dozens of leading corporations, thousands of residences, 14 acres of public parks and open space, and interactive public landmarks including Vessel designed by Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio.”

“Edge” was open for a mere two days before temporarily closing to visitors on Friday, March 13th due to COVID-19, but those thrilling views aren’t going anywhere. You can get more info and reserve tickets for the reopening at EdgeNYC.com.

The platform is the latest tourist attraction to open at the new $25 billion complex Hudson Yards. “Vessel” by architect Thomas Heatherwick is a beehive-shaped public sculpture full of virtually endless staircases to nowhere in particular, with over 2,000 individual steps and 80 landings.