Opening Day of One World Observatory

Looking uptown from One World Observatory

Today is Opening Day at One World Observatory atop the new World Trade Center Tower One!

As a volunteer tour guide with the 9/11 Tribute Center, I visited the observatory earlier this month. The whole experience is beautifully done, from the ground, up in the elevator, and finally at the top. I haven’t seen those views since early 2001, when James and I went up to the former observation deck with his sister Judy and our nephew Adrian. If it weren’t for their first visit to New York, we probably never would have gone up to the top of the tower.

I feel like “spectacular” sounds a bit trite to describe what they’ve rebuilt at the top of the new Tower One. But there really are few other words to describe it.

The elevator, or sky pod, ride is amazing – be sure to look all around you. The New York Times released a video of the ride that will give you an idea of what it’s like. It’s amazing how little time the original Twin Towers had to be a part of our skyline. The few seconds of the South Tower in the sky pod video is really the only hint of 9/11 that I saw. That was a little surprising to me, but the idea behind the new observatory is looking forward. All you have to do is look down on the Memorial Plaza to be reminded about how and why you came to be standing up in the sky again in a bright new observatory.

You will see innovative and interactive features, as well as several dining spots, all under the name, One, a cafe, a cocktail bar, and a fine restaurant.

But all you really need know is that the views are truly spectacular.

~Karen Seiger, Markets of New York City