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On Saturday, a glass
observatory deck will open on the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building
that will offer 360-degree views of the city.
The opening marks the beginning of what
designers call the “Observatory Experience,” the result of four years and
$165 million in renovations aimed at solving nagging complaints — long lines,
big crowds, congestion — about the building’s exhibit space and observatory
decks, and making the visit more engaging.
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After entering the
building, now through 34th Street instead of Fifth Avenue, visitors pass by
enthralling art deco architecture and a 24-foot model of the building
before entering into the 10,000-square-foot exhibit space.
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The digitally driven,
dynamic exhibition helps usher visitors toward elevators that transport
them, in 55 seconds, to the 86th-floor deck.
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Visitors can go to the
102nd floor by paying an additional $20 on top of the package cost for the
exhibit and trip to the 86th floor. An assortment of perks, like private
tours and skip-the-line passes, are also available in packages that cost up
to $460.
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The changes are likely to make the
revamped observatory a "must-see even for native New Yorkers".
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“It is, simply, a
sight unmatched,” Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Empire State Realty
Trust, the company that owns the building, said on Thursday as he stood
next to a window pane on the 102nd-floor observatory.
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“We are the pin on
the map that holds this city together,” he added. “There’s a lot of
meaning here. The height isn’t the marker; it’s about the iconic status
of this place.”
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The perch on 102nd
floor will offer groups of about 55 people a chance to view New York
from the highest 360-degree panorama in the city.
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The observatory is
completely transparent. Those who dare can look directly down to the
streets below.
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But really, the best
views are straight ahead. Observers can see each of the boroughs and the
surrounding areas.
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