ArchGuy1 wrote:

Aaron747 wrote:

Observation towers do well when there’s interesting things to see out the window. This is Ft. Worth...come on now

I actually have a good idea as a lot of people thought the London Eye would not work for London, but had become the most visited paid tourist attraction in Britain.

You can't compare Fort Worth and London, the London Eye gives a fantastic view over most of a historically important city, the only other observation tower in the city with as good a view is the now closed Post Office Tower.

I've missed these threads of fantasy, it's been a while.

Without looking it up (I can't be bothered right now), is the London Eye really the most visited attraction/landmark in Britain? I mean, we have so many better things to go look at and experience just in London alone before you start looking at the great stuff elsewhere in the country.

BlueberryWheats wrote:

I've missed these threads of fantasy, it's been a while.

Without looking it up (I can't be bothered right now), is the London Eye really the most visited attraction/landmark in Britain? I mean, we have so many better things to go look at and experience just in London alone before you start looking at the great stuff elsewhere in the country.

That would be a negative - depending on the year and source, it seems the winners are either the Tower of London, British Museum, or the Royal Botanical Gardens

First thing Fort Worth can do is to increase development density and attract people building something interesting there, I guess?

Aaron747 wrote:

BlueberryWheats wrote:

I've missed these threads of fantasy, it's been a while.

Without looking it up (I can't be bothered right now), is the London Eye really the most visited attraction/landmark in Britain? I mean, we have so many better things to go look at and experience just in London alone before you start looking at the great stuff elsewhere in the country.

That would be a negative - depending on the year and source, it seems the winners are either the Tower of London, British Museum, or the Royal Botanical Gardens

It's the most visited Ferris Wheel on the banks of the Thames in London...

I think the OP should read up on the historical significance of the Gateway Arch. It isn't just an observation deck.

Well, if the Panther Island boondoggle is ever completed, there would be a development project masquerading as a flood control project with a healthy dose of nepotism thrown in to observe. I suspect it will resemble a drainage canal though.

On October 21, a new observation deck called Summitt One Vanderbilt was opened near the top of One Vanderbilt in New York City with a number of important officials in attendance. This unique attraction includes a multimedia immersive experience called Air and thrill experiences like Levitation and Ascent. There are also mirrored ceilings and floors, along with floor to ceiling glass windows. Levitation consists of two glass boxes that extends out from the building and look down toward Madison Avenue. Ascent is a pair of glass elevators that take visitors even higher than a standard experience, up to 1,210 feet (368 meters). This is an observation deck that is like nothing seen anywhere else and poised to become one of New York City's most popular attractions.
https://rew-online.com/summit-observato ... anderbilt/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.afar.c ... in-nyc/amp

Not a chance in a billion, you’re catching me up there. Heights are terrifying.

The mirrors are a bit much, but the photo of the kids in the box glass is pretty cool. Still not very inspiring compared to the Grand Canyon walk.

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

Not a chance in a billion, you’re catching me up there. Heights are terrifying.

Have you been up any tall structures and if so, what were they like?

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

Not a chance in a billion, you’re catching me up there. Heights are terrifying.

You must be petrified every time you fly.

double post deleted

Kiwirob wrote:

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

Not a chance in a billion, you’re catching me up there. Heights are terrifying.

You must be petrified every time you fly.

I'm the same way. I'm afraid of heights but being on a plane doesn't bother me in the least. My brother (a retired DL CAPT) is also like that. He says it isn't so much a fear of heights, as a fear of falling. I think that makes sense. On a related note, I took a cruise out of NYC a few weeks ago and was surprised (and disappointed) that the Empire State Building no longer stood out on the skyline.

johns624 wrote:

Kiwirob wrote:

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

Not a chance in a billion, you’re catching me up there. Heights are terrifying.

You must be petrified every time you fly.

I'm the same way. I'm afraid of heights but being on a plane doesn't bother me in the least. My brother (a retired DL CAPT) is also like that. He says it isn't so much a fear of heights, as a fear of falling. I think that makes sense. On a related note, I took a cruise out of NYC a few weeks ago and was surprised (and disappointed) that the Empire State Building no longer stood out on the skyline.

Have you personally been to the top of any iconic structures yourself?

johns624 wrote:

Kiwirob wrote:

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

Not a chance in a billion, you’re catching me up there. Heights are terrifying.

You must be petrified every time you fly.

I'm the same way. I'm afraid of heights but being on a plane doesn't bother me in the least. My brother (a retired DL CAPT) is also like that. He says it isn't so much a fear of heights, as a fear of falling. I think that makes sense. On a related note, I took a cruise out of NYC a few weeks ago and was surprised (and disappointed) that the Empire State Building no longer stood out on the skyline.

More to the point, the fear of jumping into the abyss. Petrifying and very compelling.

On Tuesday, a modification to the antenna increased the height of the Eiffel Tower from 1,063 feet (324 meters) to 1,083 feet (330 meters). This is an integral part of advancing science and the new antenna peice was hoisted by helicopter. The tower was 1,024 feet (312 meters) when it opened in 1889. It is a really big development for the famous tower and a great example of the use of bragging rights.
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wi ... a-83457868

ArchGuy1 wrote:

On Tuesday, a modification to the antenna increased the height of the Eiffel Tower from 1,063 feet (324 meters) to 1,083 feet (330 meters). This is an integral part of advancing science and the new antenna peice was hoisted by helicopter. The tower was 1,024 feet (312 meters) when it opened in 1889. It is a really big development for the famous tower and a great example of the use of bragging rights.
https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wi ... a-83457868

Not really, the actual tower is still 300meters tall and the rest is just the antenna. Giving a tall building a slightly taller antenna then the previous one isn't really a big development.

On September 10, 2021, a 180 foot tall ferris wheel was opened at the Grandscape development in The Colony, which is a suburb of Dallas. The wheel is 180 feet tall and features 42 gondolas, each seating up to 8 people. Very exciting attraction for The Colony and the DFW area.
https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-enterta ... he-colony/

The iconic Carew Tower in Cincinnati, Ohio has been sold after months of delays and a foreclosure lawsuit with the previous owner. The iconic building was built in 1930 and was the tallest building in the city until 2010. The future plans are uncertain, though hopefully, the 49th floor observation deck that has been closed since March 2020 due to COVID-19 will be reopened to the public regardless of what happens. Really hope the tower has a good future and the observation deck will be turned into a big time tourist attraction and made wheelchair accessible.
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2 ... 415578007/
https://cincinnatiusa.com/things-to-do/ ... ation-deck
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_ ... _Ohio.html

Truly an Art Deco gem if you’ve ever been inside. Hopefully good things to come as downtown Cincinnati continues to revitalize.

Definitely want to see the observation deck made into a real tourist attraction like the Skydeck Chicago at the Sears Tower in Chicago or the Empire State Building in New York City. However, the admission fee should be at most $15-$20 so that working and lower middle class families can still visit affordabily. There should also be a glass barrier installed to prevent suicide jumpers like what is seen at Top of the Rock in New York City so the view will be better than what is seen at the Empire State Building. There, a tall fence was installed to prevent jumpers from heading to their deaths. Another thing I would like to see is the observation deck made wheelchair accessible.

flyguy89 wrote:

Truly an Art Deco gem if you’ve ever been inside. Hopefully good things to come as downtown Cincinnati continues to revitalize.

Have you personally been to the observation deck of the Carew Tower?

Kiwirob wrote:

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

Not a chance in a billion, you’re catching me up there. Heights are terrifying.

You must be petrified every time you fly.

Two different things. I hate tall buildings, going up in a glass elevator or something like that and then standing up on the CN Tower - terrifying for me - getting me close to a window is darn near impossible. Flying though, totally different thing - no fear at all, one of my happy places - can't get me away from a window lol.

ACDC8 wrote:

Kiwirob wrote:

GalaxyFlyer wrote:

Not a chance in a billion, you’re catching me up there. Heights are terrifying.

You must be petrified every time you fly.

Two different things. I hate tall buildings, going up in a glass elevator or something like that and then standing up on the CN Tower - terrifying for me - getting me close to a window is darn near impossible. Flying though, totally different thing - no fear at all, one of my happy places - can't get me away from a window lol.

I'm exactly the same.

ArchGuy1 wrote:

Definitely want to see the observation deck made into a real tourist attraction like the Skydeck Chicago at the Sears Tower in Chicago or the Empire State Building in New York City. However, the admission fee should be at most $15-$20 so that working and lower middle class families can still visit affordabily. There should also be a glass barrier installed to prevent suicide jumpers like what is seen at Top of the Rock in New York City so the view will be better than what is seen at the Empire State Building. There, a tall fence was installed to prevent jumpers from heading to their deaths. Another thing I would like to see is the observation deck made wheelchair accessible.

Surely you price an attraction to the market, including any discounts for locals (and many towers worldwide discount for locals), rather than setting a nominal fee. Surely its a business?

I've never been to OH, and have no upcoming plans, but I love skyscraper history and enjoy towers, so would def visit Carew if ever there.

ArchGuy1 wrote:

flyguy89 wrote:

Truly an Art Deco gem if you’ve ever been inside. Hopefully good things to come as downtown Cincinnati continues to revitalize.

Have you personally been to the observation deck of the Carew Tower?

A few times, yes, it is a pretty neat experience. IIRC the deck is open-air, not really much there in the way of suicide prevention (although such incidents there are exceedingly rare). No ground level-to-top floor elevator…very old school, have to change elevators once or twice and the elevators get smaller the higher up you go.

flyguy89 wrote:

ArchGuy1 wrote:

flyguy89 wrote:

Truly an Art Deco gem if you’ve ever been inside. Hopefully good things to come as downtown Cincinnati continues to revitalize.

Have you personally been to the observation deck of the Carew Tower?

A few times, yes, it is a pretty neat experience. IIRC the deck is open-air, not really much there in the way of suicide prevention (although such incidents there are exceedingly rare). No ground level-to-top floor elevator…very old school, have to change elevators once or twice and the elevators get smaller the higher up you go.

You also have to take a flight of stairs to reach the 49th floor observation deck after the second small elevator. In March 2020, right before closing for COVID-19, the admission fee was only $6, which is pretty cheap nowadays. This should definitely be reopened and the observation deck should certainly be made wheelchair accessible.

On Tuesday, the crown of the Statue of Liberty has been reopened to the public after being closed since March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Liberty Island was reopened in July 2020 with the Statue of Liberty Museum and Ellis Island, including the Immigration Museum reopening a month later. The pedestal of the Statue of Liberty was reopened on July 1, 2021, but the crown remained closed until today. That is some very good news after being closed for more than two and a half years.
https://www.npr.org/2022/10/11/11279856 ... rown-opens
https://www.travelpulse.com/news/destin ... eopen.html

We need her more than ever.

LCDFlight wrote:

We need her more than ever.

I certainly agree and we are fortunate to have a very big symbol open again.

That spiral staircase to the top is a blast to climb, pretty cool.

The observation deck of the Prudential Tower will be reopening next spring with a whole new experience. The observation deck will occupy the 50th, 51st, and 52nd floors of the building in the space previously occupied by the Skywalk Observatory and the Top of the Hub Restaurant, which occupied the space since the building opened in the mid 1960's. A bistro, along with an outdoor space and an interactive exhibition helping people plan itinearies will be included in the experience. Will be interesting to see what the admission prices will be.
https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/n...tion-deck.html