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Top 8 Awesome Facts About 30 Hudson Yards

One of the most fascinating skyscrapers in the world is one of the newest and most astounding additions to the New York City skyline.

Let’s take a closer look at some fun and interesting facts about 30 Hudson Yards, one of New York’s most amazing landmark buildings!

1. It’s located near a famous neighborhood in Manhattan’s West Side

30 Hudson Yards is a huge skyscraper located on the West Side of Manhattan in the Hudson Yards neighborhood of the city. This area is bounded by 30th Street on the south and 43rd Street on the north.

This neighborhood is located near the iconic Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in Chelsea, once a relatively impoverished area inhabited by Irish immigrants. Since the 1980s, this area has been transformed into a trendy neighborhood, especially popular with the LGBTQ community.

The Pennsylvania Railway Station is situated at about 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles) to the southeast of the tower, while other famous landmarks in the city such as Times Square and the Empire State Building are situated about double this distance to the northeast and southeast respectively.

By New York standards, this is pretty much walking distance away!

30 Hudson Yards West Side Manhattan
Part of the West Side of Manhattan / Karen Green / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

2. It’s the centerpiece of a much larger redevelopment project

The skyscraper is one of the multiple towers built in the area as part of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project. It was part of the first phase of the project which was completed in 2019. The second phase is estimated to be completed in 2024.

One of the most remarkable facts about 30 Hudson Yards is that 13 of the 16 structures that were built in the West Side of Midtown South were constructed on an enormous platform that was built over the West Side Yard, covering most of the Eastern Rail Yard.

Due to its proximity to the Hudson River, this platform sits on enormous caissons, a watertight retaining structure that is often used during the construction of bridges. This project alone cost a whopping USD 510 million!

Hudson Yard Redevelopment Project
Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project in 2017 / Tdorante10 / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

3. One of New York’s most amazing attractions stands right next to it


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The main developers and owners of the structures are two real estate development companies called “Related Companies” and “Oxford Properties.” Apart from towering skyscrapers, Related also developed a tourist attraction right in between some of the tallest structures in the area.

This attraction is called “Vessel” and is basically a climbable honeycomb-like sculpture that allows visitors to discover the area on a total of 80 platforms that are interlinked with over 2,500 steps.

The structure stands 46 meters (150 feet) tall and is located just west of 30 Hudson Yards in a strategic position to provide astounding views of Hudson Yards and surrounding neighborhoods.

Vessel New York landmarks
Vessel next to 30 Hudson Yards / Pixabay

4. It’s one of the tallest buildings in the city

The building ended up becoming one of the tallest buildings in the city with a total of 103 floors and a height of 387 meters (1,270 feet). This makes it the 6th-tallest skyscraper in New York City at the time of writing (May 2021).

Most of the floors are offices that are occupied by some of the biggest companies in the world, including Facebook. There are also several television studios inside the building from the television network CNN.

30 Hudson Yards street view
View from the street / Greaper37 / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

5. It was designed by one of New York’s leading architectural firms

The tower was designed by the American architectural firm “Kohn Pedersen Fox,” one of the leading firms in New York City and the United States. They have been involved in numerous high-level projects all across the world.

Some of their most notable projects abroad are the renovation of the “Tour First” skyscraper in Paris, which turned it into the second-tallest building in the city after the Eiffel Tower, the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea, and the fascinating Shanghai World Financial Center in Beijing, China.

Closer to home, they also have been involved in some of the most prolific structures in New York, including One Vanderbilt, the 4th-tallest building in the city, and the planned 5 World Trade Center, which will become the shorter brother of One World Trade Center.

one vanderbilt august 2020
One Vanderbilt / Gaiusahala / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

6. The construction of the tower spanned a period of 6.5 years

The construction of the supporting platform on which multiple towers of the project have been built started as early as December 4, 2012, which was the day that the groundbreaking ceremony took place.

The real start of the construction of 30 Hudson Yards was in mid-2015 when the developers managed to secure a USD 690 million loan from various banks to fund the project.

The first floors started to rise in January of 2016 and by April 2018, construction of the observation deck near the top of the tower had started. The building eventually officially opened on March 15, 2019, as part of one of the biggest development projects in the city since Rockefeller Center in the 1930s!

30 Hudson Yards under construction in 2017
Under construction in 2017 / Godsfriendchuck / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

7. The observation deck sticks out of the 100th floor of the building

One of the most amazing features of the building is the observation deck referred to as “The Edge.” This observation platform is situated at a height of 340 meters (1,100 feet) on the 100th floor of the tower.

The most fascinating fact about this deck is that it features a cantilevered outdoor platform that sticks 24 meters (80 feet) out of the tower in a southward direction.

For daredevils who aren’t afraid of heights, one section of this platform features a glass triangle on the floor. This section covers an area of 20.9 square meters (225 square feet), allowing you to directly stare at the street and rooftops blow!

30 Hudson Yards observation deck the edge
The Edge observation deck sticking out / Rhododendrites / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

8. The Edge provides stunning views of New York City

One of the most astounding facts about 30 Hudson Yards and “The Edge” is that it’s the second-highest outdoor observation platform in the Western Hemisphere.

Only the outdoor “Sky Terrace” of Toronto’s CN Tower is slightly higher at 342 meters (1,122 feet), which means that this amazing platform offers some of the most astounding views of New York City (especially watching south).

This definitely makes The Edge a must-do attraction in the city!

30 Hudson Yards the edge view
View from The Edge / Hypnotoad78 / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en