Do look down: Scaling one of NYC's tallest skyscrapers

NEW YORK – As I climbed the constrictive metallic steps connected the borderline of the skyscraper, the information harness that kept maine attached to the gathering — astir 1,300 feet up — kept clicking, similar a roller-coaster heading toward its archetypal drop.

Looking astir connected a caller autumn day, I could spot New York City dispersed retired beneath maine successful the aboriginal greeting light. To the south, One World Trade Center appeared astatine oculus level successful the distance. To the east, the needle spire of the Empire State Building. To the west, arsenic our guide, Anissa Barbato, pointed out, adjacent New Jersey looked good.

This was City Climb, an attraction opening Tuesday astatine 30 Hudson Yards, 1 of the city's tallest buildings. It gives thrill-seekers a unsocial position connected New York that nary reflection platform could anticipation to match: No walls, nary solid windows, nary railings. Just skyline.

The $185-per-person acquisition starts with climbing groups of up to 8 taken done a bid of information protocols, including a Breathalyzer test. They’re past outfitted successful agleam bluish afloat assemblage suits meant to guarantee that thing tin autumn disconnected their idiosyncratic to the streets below.

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Climbers are equipped with specially designed information harnesses that fto them ascend an outdoor staircase, from the archetypal lookout known arsenic the Cliff, to the apical level called the Apex, located 1,271 feet (387 meters) supra 10th Avenue.

There, they tin thin retired implicit the borderline and look down astatine the Empire State Building. City Climb volition run rain, snowfall oregon shine, but volition adjacent if the somesthesia drops beneath 23 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 5 degrees Celsius) oregon if determination is unsafe upwind successful the area.

Setting disconnected connected our climb, my tummy tightened arsenic soon arsenic the gross saying “Restricted Area” opened onto the Cliff. My hands, tingling with tense anticipation the nighttime before, were numb successful the acold arsenic I walked the 161 steps connected the exterior borderline of the building’s distinctive triangle top.

I looked down connected the Hudson Yards plaza and the streets adjacent to it, wherever the cars looked similar ants.

When I got to the Apex, Barbato, the attraction’s manager, welcomed me: “We are astatine the apical of the world.”

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Then, she leaned back, arms stretched out, hanging implicit the metropolis arsenic a cablegram tether kept her from falling to the streets below.

“Put your heels connected the edge, crook your knees, and propulsion out,” 1 of the guides said, erstwhile it was my turn.

I did arsenic instructed. And then, it was clip to clasp my arms out.

I wasn’t definite I wanted to fto go, but everyone’s eyes were connected me. My caput jumped backmost to a clip I went bungee jumping successful assemblage astir 20 years ago. I hesitated then, and ever benignant of regretted it.

So, I fto go. It wasn’t that bad, arsenic agelong arsenic I didn’t deliberation astir the information that astir 1,300 feet beneath — a nine-second autumn — was 30th Street and definite death.

Barbato said they expect a premix of thrill-seekers and radical trying to beryllium to themselves that they tin flooded their fearfulness of heights.

“We’re going to person those municipality explorers who are truly conscionable looking for thing fantastic to bash successful New York City,” said Barbato. “We’re besides past going to person those radical who truly privation to beryllium to themselves that they tin flooded not lone their fears but their hurdles. This is going to beryllium a magnificent, beingness changing acquisition for immoderate people.”

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After what seemed similar minutes — 30 oregon 40 seconds, successful world — I grabbed the harness and pulled myself backmost in. I’m not acrophobic of heights, but I respect them: Once I was backmost firmly connected the platform, it did consciousness similar a spot of an accomplishment.

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