Travel Which Way Decision: Is it worth going to high observation decks?

Featured image above: View from the Shanghai Tower.

High observation decks abound in many cities: New York and Shanghai have at least 4 each, Tokyo has the Skytree, and Toronto the iconic CN Tower but this post isn’t meant to be a compendium of such places. I don’t recall any of such places being low cost – some of them can be quite exorbitant. The question is should one partake?

Pros of going up: 

• See the city from a different perspective
• Views could be stunning
• Cheaper than chartering a helicopter 😆 

Cons: 

• Usually pricy
• Weather-dependent

Let me describe the best case scenario: 

1. The place has a beautiful skyline (e.g. Hong Kong, London)

2. One appreciates such views and enjoys identifying landmarks

3. The weather is good (i.e. good visibility) 

4. The cost in money and time (getting there, lining up, ticket price) is quite affordable

Even if the answers to the 4 questions above are all yes, there’s one final check – is there an alternative to these highly commercial attractions? A hill that one can get to with a cheap taxi? A restaurant or a bar high up that one can nurse the undoubted expensive drink that nevertheless should still be cheaper than the deck ticket? Indeed, often the very same buildings with the observation decks have bars that might be a few insignificant floors lower.  

If the answer to one or more of the questions is “no” – then it depends. The weather in particular can be a deal breaker. There’s little point in going up in inclement weather unless someone has an affinity for seeing fog.

Here’s how I went about deciding on a 2021 trip to New York. First, browsing the online reviews gave a good indication that, in general, the views were impressive. The websites of all the candidates^[1] One World Observatory, Empire State Building, the Edge and Top of the Rock spelled out the pricing (of note, there are various prepaid passes that bundle different attractions so modest discounts could be had) and more importantly, an idea of the specific views. Having determined that the views were worth it, I chose the Rockefeller because I could see the iconic Empire State Building (which is not really viewable from its own deck) and because I could see both downtown and uptown. After checking the weather forecast, I purchased a late afternoon entry and saw the marvelous Manhattan skyline with Liberty Island off in the distance in one direction and the oasis of Central Park in the other. Hung around for an hour reading then saw the scene transformed as it turns to night. Both day and night views are worthwhile and seeing both made my day.

Recommendation: I would say the answer is a qualified “yes” to going up high to see the city unless one is quite tight on budget.

^[1] Now there’s also Summit One Vanderbilt which opened in late 2021