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New 1 WTC Observatory Elevator Offers Virtual Flight Over Lower Manhattan
By
Jen Chung
Published May 11, 2015
Modified Mar 28, 2018
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 11, 2015
Modified Mar 28, 2018
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The new observatory at 1 World Trade Center allows visitors to see the emergence and building of lower Manhattan—including a sadly fleeting Twin Towers—during the elevator ride up to the 100th-102nd floor space. Now, when they exit, visitors will virtually fly over the southern tip of Manhattan.
The NY Times got the advance look at the animation on the descent: "During the descent, the glass-walled cab seems to slip out of 1 World Trade Center entirely and float earthward in a great arc before re-entering the building through windows that slide open to receive it." Those with motion sickness, you might need a Dramamine first.
The Times also points out a problem with the time-lapse animation on the elevator's up ride:
The Times’s astute readers were... quick to quibble. They were particularly upset to find the Brooklyn Bridge rising in the early 1820s, 60 years ahead of schedule.
A spokeswoman for Legends said the company appreciated the popular interest in pinpoint accuracy but believed that most visitors would understand the need for some artistic license when using 35,000 images to portray 2,000 historical milestones across five centuries — in less than a minute.
Here's that historically inaccurate time-lapse:
The new observatory will open on May 29—tickets are $32.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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