I have to confess that the main focus for my gluttonous side was the highest restaurant in the Western Hemisphere, One Dine. However, before I could indulge that side I had to work off some of the calories that I would later be putting in!
We had very kindly been offered entry tickets for the One World Observatory which is built on the site of the Twin Towers, on the very bedrock of New York City called the “Manhattan Schism”. Dialogue from the team that conceived and ultimately bore to fruition this massive project is displayed in an audio exhibition that you listen to whilst making your way to the lifts that take you up to the top of the Observatory.
Talking of the lifts, there are a couple of facts worth noting; they carry you up the 100 floors in a mere 48 seconds, so fast that our ears actually popped! Coming down is a slightly more sedate pace; it takes 53 seconds to descend (so not that much more sedate!). As you step into the lift and begin to ascend there is a timeline visual of the development of New York’s skyline block-by-bock, and district-by-district.
It is a totally unique experience, one we haven’t had before. The observation deck affords you the most breath-taking views across the city; we could see the Empire State Building and way beyond it into the distance.
All the staff members were incredibly friendly from the moment we walked through the doors to the moment we left One Dine after our meal.
When in New York, the One World Observatory has got to be on your list of things to do; just along the way is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum which is also well worth a visit.
