Best views in New York City are from the Edge

The Edge ranks as my favorite observation deck anywhere in the world with just phenomenal views; you're outdoors with plenty of room to explore a virtually 360 degree panorama of Manhattan

Completed in 2014, One World Trade Center dominates the skyline of lower Manhattan and is the tallest building in the country and the 6th tallest in the world; the name Freedom Tower is mainly used by non-New Yorkers

This observation deck, at 1,100 ft, opened in March 2020 and is the 2nd highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere, after Toronto's CN Tower SkyTerrace at 1,122 ft

I enjoyed a great view of the Edge (far right) from my hotel room on 41st Street; the Edge is on the 100th and 101st floors of this 103 story skyscraper (only the 6th tallest building in the city)

The Edge is located at 30 Hudson Yards with major tenants TimeWarner, KKR, Facebook and Wells Fargo; the building is at the northernmost end of the High Line, a 1.5 mile long elevated park that has become one of the city's biggest attractions

The easiest way to access the Edge was to enter from the Hudson River side of the building where the Vessel sits; you then enter a mall with the Edge entrance located on the 4th floor (can you tell it took me forever to find the entrance?)

View of Madison Square Garden and the Empire State Building; it's still amazing that the Empire State Building was the world's tallest building from its completion in 1931 until the World Trade Center was built in 1972

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were easily visible as was the 42 story Goldman Sachs Tower in Jersey City designed by Cesar Pelli; completed in 2004, the Tower was the tallest building in NJ for 14 years until a nearby skyscraper dethroned it

Central Park (aka Nordstrom) Tower has the highest roof height of any building in the US at 1550 ft, surpassing Willis Tower in Chicago by 100 ft; completed in 2019, it is the tallest residential building in the world

Little Island is a new 2.4 acre park built on 132 tulip-shaped pillars in the Hudson River; the park, largely funded by Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenburg, has been very popular so online reservations are required if visiting after noon

The Edge is conveniently located at the end of the 7 subway line at Hudson Yards; the 7 train stopped next to my hotel in Times Square before continuing on out to Flushing, Queens and the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center

There are great views of The Edge all along the west side of Manhattan, such as this shot from Little Island; the Edge has variable pricing on its tickets with general admission running about $40

Jersey City; TimeWarner has studios for Anderson Cooper 360, CNN Newsroom, Cuomo Prime Time, Fareed Zakaria GPS, Outfront with Erin Burnett, CNN Tonight and Reliable Sources in the building