The Vessel, New York

I flew into Newark last evening and unusually, we are staying in Manhattan instead of our normal New Jersey suburb.

So today I decided to visit the Vessel - a new piece of art and tourist attraction in the newly developed neighbourhood of Hudson Yards on the West side. It was designed by British designer Thomas Heatherwick and only opened in March of this year. It is free to visit but you have to get a timed ticket in advance. Thankfully it wasn’t so busy today and I was able to get a ticket when I arrived.

I LOVED it! 16 stories, 154 flights of stairs, 2500 steps and 80 ‘landings’. There’s no set way to get up to the top of this honeycomb-like structure, and no, it doesn’t require climbing ALL of those steps! Everywhere you go the views are amazing - up, down, across - and the copper surface provides all sorts of reflections. There is even an elevator which is reserved for those who really can’t manage the stairs.

Hudson Yards is comprised of offices, a small shopping mall, restaurants, hotels, a new, and a not yet opened art gallery. Alongside the area is the northern end of the stunning linear park (1.45 miles, 2.33 km) called The Highline, once the elevated cargo railway line.

This is definitely a place to visit if you ever find yourself in New York!

See Extras for several more views!