Observation Decks for All New Yorkers

Of all the movie scenes set in New York City, my favorite is from “The Muppets Take Manhattan.” About to give up on his New York dream, Kermit takes a trip up to the observation deck of the Empire State Building — where he has a change of heart. I’m staying!” he shouts to the city below: “You hear that New York? The Frog is staying!” 

So many New Yorkers know what it’s like to feel down, out and hopeless, but to draw the inspiration you need from the city. You might get that inspiration from a friend, a neighbor, a stranger on the subway … or you might get it from the top of the Empire State Building.

I don’t know what income bracket the frog falls in, but could Kermit even afford to visit the top of Empire State today? Or would he take a look at the admission charge, swallow hard and pack his bags to head back to the swamp?

When the Empire State Building opened in 1931, a ticket up to the observation deck cost a dollar. By 1984 (when “The Muppets Take Manhattan” came out), it was up to $2.75. Today that’s a little more than half the cost of the $5 add-on transaction fee. The cheapest ticket itself is $44, an increase over five times the rate of inflation since Kermit made his trip. And it’s not just the Empire State Building — the other large observation decks, from the World Trade to Hudson Yards to Rockefeller Center, have comparable prices. 

Mayor Mamdani got elected largely on promises to address four key areas of expense for large numbers of New Yorkers: rent, food, transportation and childcare. The focus on these is admirable, and vitally necessary if New York is going to stay a leading global metropolis.

But New Yorkers also deserve to enjoy their city, not just be content with putting food on the table and a roof over their head. Things that used to be an occasional treat for a typical family — a ballgame, a show, a trip to the top of the Empire State — have become increasingly out of reach. 

Mamdani’s focus on things like the cost of World Cup tickets or having a beer at Yankee Stadium demonstrates that he understands this basic dynamic. But while it’s harder to see what city government can do to bring down the price of an international event in a New Jersey Stadium, the City does play an enormous role in making sure that New Yorkers have places of wonder and relaxation, pride and comfort, open and available to all.  

Upon appointing a new parks commissioner, Mamdani recently noted that, “In a city where almost everything costs something, our parks are … the rare corner of our city that are truly accessible and affordable to each and every person who calls the city home.” This is because our parks are municipally owned. 

Most other examples of these corners of accessibility and affordability are also due to the public sector. For instance, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “pay what you want” policy (although now only offered to New York State residents) is largely the result of the leverage the City holds as owner of the land that it sits on. Where costs have grown prohibitive is where the public sector isn’t involved. Despite four large observation decks opening in the last 20 years, and one more (1 Times Square) soon to come, admission charges continue to skyrocket. 

No, I’m not about to argue that City Hall should take over the Empire State Building. Rather, we should use creative approaches to create free access to observation decks for all, taking the chances we have to add to these rare corners. My organization, Regional Plan Association, looks at ways, big and small, to improve the quality of life for everyone in the tristate area. We first proposed a free public observation deck in our 2017 Fourth Regional Plan, a long-term vision for improving equity, health, sustainability and prosperity in the region. 

Here’s three ways we could go about it.

First, we can leverage our land-use authority. The most illustrative example of this is offered by our neighbors across the pond. London, a city no less expensive than New York, has managed to open three free observation decks with views to rival those from its tallest building, the Shard. Reservations need to be made in advance, but they are free, open to all and generally available with a little planning ahead. 

The formula was simple: New skyscrapers needed planning permission to be built, and the City asked for these decks as a condition of that approval. According to Peter Rees, the former City Planning Officer for the City of London, “we made it clear we expected freely-accessible public facilities at the base and apex of the new towers. The result was a group of buildings that have free public sky-gardens or viewing platforms at the top.” In New York, where new skyscrapers also often need some kind of municipal approval, a similar bargain could easily be struck. 

Second, we could negotiate with one of the existing observation decks to provide free access. We already provide free or discounted tickets and membership to 27 different New York cultural institutions through IDNYC — how about for one (or more) of our observation decks too?

Lastly, the City itself owns several buildings. None of them feature the spectacular vistas of an Empire State Building, but all are still great options that would provide unique and inspiring views. The Municipal Building, whose deck has been open before on special occasions like Open House New York, is the best and most likely candidate. Or we could go even bigger — why not do a bridge climb of one of the East River Bridges, similar to the Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb? 

If there is one thing we’ve learned from the most recent election, it’s that we don’t have to be content in our ambitions when it comes to a more affordable New York City. “For too long in our city, freedom has belonged only to those who can afford to buy it,” Mayor Mamdani said in his inaugural address. “Our City Hall will change that.” The sky’s the limit.