You just can’t keep a good tourist attraction down.
Some attractions in New York City have thrilled visitors for decades. This best way to see the Statue of Liberty (for free!), tours of Rockefeller Center, and walks through Central Park have been a part of many tourists’ bucket lists for generations.
Other attractions are significantly younger, albeit no less loved. Eating (a VERY expensive) Breakfast at Tiffany’s, getting a photo with the Fearless Girl statue, and going to NYC’s only shopping outlet are newer things tourists want to do in NYC.
Another popular NYC location in just the past few years is Hudson Yards. A 28-acre real estate development in the Chelsea and Hudson Yards neighborhoods of Manhattan, it’s a mixed-use tract of land that, by the time it’s completed, will include residences, shops, restaurants and other things for both locals and tourists to enjoy.
One of those “other things” is called Vessel.
PC: VesselNYC.com
From Hudson Yards New York:
The extraordinary centerpiece of Hudson Yards is its spiral staircase, a soaring new landmark meant to be climbed. This interactive artwork was imagined by Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio as a focal point where people can enjoy new perspectives of the city and one another from different heights, angles and vantage points.
Comprised of 154 intricately interconnecting flights of stairs — almost 2,500 individual steps and 80 landings — the vertical climb offers remarkable views of the city, the river and beyond.
Unfortunately, when you build a structure that’s 150 feet high, besides inviting tourists who want good views, it also invites “jumpers.” Tragically, three people committed suicide by jumping from Vessel between February 2020 and January 2021.
Following the third death, the property’s developer, Related Companies, closed the structure indefinitely while they consulted with experts to figure out how to prevent future suicides.
The attraction reopened in May 2021, albeit with some unusual rules for a tourist attraction. Developers decided that making taller barriers that people couldn’t climb over (they were initially only chest high) wouldn’t be necessary. Instead, they added more security, began “screening procedures” intended “to detect high-risk behavior,” and included a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline message at the entrance of and on the tickets for the attraction (because now you had to buy $10 tickets to enter the Vessel. It wasn’t free anymore). Oh, and since every “jumper” had entered the Vessel alone, visitors could only gain entry in groups of two or more.
They thought they had solved their problem.
Tragically, it only took 2 months for them to learn they hadn’t.
The New York Times reported that in July of 2021, a 14-year-old boy, part of a group of five, committed suicide by jumping from Vessel.
The attraction closed immediately while a “full investigation” was conducted by Hudson Yards (and while they figured out what to do next).
It took over 3 years, but in the spring of 2024, we reported that plans had been made and Vessel was going to reopen later this year.
This past Monday, Vessel is once again one for visitors.
PC: VesselNYC.com
There are no special rules anymore, as the 150-foot tall climbable artwork, with zigzagging stairways, is enclosed with floor-to-ceiling mesh barriers on all the walkable sections.
“We’ve installed a steel mesh from floor to ceiling on each level that will make sure everyone is safe and protected,” said Andy Rosen, Chief Operating Officer of Hudson Yards.
Only the upper-level sections fitted with mesh will reopen. The top level will remain closed to the public.
Officials say the mesh was designed to not compromise the Vessel’s iconic design and views.
“We’ve really looked at the best practices around the world for safety measures and we’re confident we delivered a result,” Rosen said.
The mesh is just flexible enough that visitors can stick out their phones but not their bodies.
The Vessel is open seven days a week, from 10am until 9pm. General Admission tickets cost $10 ($15 for a flexible date if you’re not sure when you’ll be there), and you can click here for more information. New York City residents can get in for free on Thursdays.
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