It's rock!
Rockefeller Center's new 360-degree Skyline attraction is guaranteed to be a step, or maybe hundreds, above the rest.
Top of the Rock has unveiled its brand new Skylift ride, a spectacular ascending circular platform that propels up to 13 riders 900 feet in the air. The attraction, which opened Tuesday atop the 70th floor observation deck, gently rotates and offers unparalleled clear views of the Big Apple and beyond.
Riders enter a 6-foot-tall glass panel enclosure and sit atop a stand that features a colorful LED light show. The housing slowly rises and rotates skyward on a stepped stand, giving it the appearance of a telescope opening. The ride time is 3 and a half minutes.
Skylift is available for an additional $35 on top of regular admission ($75-$96). It's also included in the attraction's $190 VIP package. Photos and videos can be purchased for an additional $40.
British residents Jason and Arlene Williams got married in the Big Apple on Tuesday, and the smiling newlyweds were among those who tried to ride the Skylift online when it opened.
“I can't wait,” the tuxedo-wearing groom told the Post.
Nathalie Mary, a French tourist who is a loyal Top of the Rock patron and has visited the Top of the Rock on all six of her trips to New York, said this ride is a one-of-a-kind ride. He praised the view as being able to enjoy the view at the top.
“Instead of walking around different areas of the observation deck, you can just go around once and see everything,” she told the Post. “I can take all your photos.” [Skylift] and i love it. ”
The Parisian also noticed that looking north gives him a better view of Central Park. Rockefeller Center representatives said the skylift can also be seen from the ground from Sheep Meadow in the park.
Skylift is one story taller than its sister attraction, Beam, which has been open for 10 months. The Beam is an outdoor winding ride that lifts people atop steel girders, like the iconic 1932 photo “Lunch on the Top of a Skyscraper.”
But if the Beam is more of a thrill ride, think of the Skylift as a merry-go-round that plays pop music.
head in the clouds
Skylift is a smooth ride, but with a little bit of drama. During the 900-foot climb, passengers can look down through the see-through floor.
There's some sway as it spins, and wind blows through the gaps in the glass panels, but it's not enough to break a sweat. First-time rider Holcomb Hardin, an 11-year-old from Tennessee, agreed, although he was initially concerned about his height.
“It was very cool…and I definitely felt safe up there,” he told the Post.
“It was also a lot of fun to walk around following the movement of the platform. You should do it if you get the chance.”
Elizabeth Hardin, 37, the tween's excited mother, praised the ride, calling it a whirlwind experience in the sky.
Top of the Rock had some stiff competition as we had visited the Empire State Building the day before.
“You can see everything in the Empire State Building, but not all at the same time,” Hardin told the Post.
“It's rare to see such an unobstructed view.”
