Everything you need to know about visiting the Vessel (20 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001).
New York’s ever-changing skyline has acquired another sky-high attraction for Gothamites to climb: Vessel. The 60-ton sculpture, located at sleek cultural destination Hudson Yards, resembles a honeycomb, although some New Yorkers say it looks like a waste can. Others say the larger-than-life art installation designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick is New York’s version of the Eiffel Tour. As for what we say? It looks like a good excuse to exercise and Instagram.
We climbed the spiral staircase made up of 154 interconnecting staircases, almost 2,500 individual steps and 80 landings, and while the current sight of construction is less than ideal (the attraction just opened to the public on March 15), the various outlook points offer sweeping views of the Hudson River that will appear mighty dreamy at sunset.
Know before you go
Visiting and climbing Hudson Yards’ new jungle gym is free, but you must reserve a time slot and get tickets in advance. At the moment, tickets for the next two weeks are fully reserved, but every morning at 8am, additional same-day tickets are up for grabs. Vessel does have an elevator and is handicap accessible.
While Vessel, Snark Park and New York’s luxe shopping mall called The Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards are patron-ready, some of the area’s sights are still in development. The Shed (a multimedia cultural center) opens April 5, 2019, and the Edge (NYC’s highest observation deck) won’t be open to the public until 2020.