Feature Photo: Mariusz Lopusiewicz / Shutterstock.com
If you are looking for the New York City skyscraper where visitors can step into transparent glass boxes suspended high above Midtown Manhattan, the answer is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt.
Located near the top of the 1,401-foot One Vanderbilt tower beside Grand Central Terminal, SUMMIT includes an attraction called Levitation. Two transparent glass ledges extend beyond the building on the 92nd floor, allowing visitors to look directly down toward Madison Avenue from roughly 1,100 feet above the street.
Levitation is only one part of SUMMIT. The attraction occupies three observation levels on the 91st through 93rd floors and combines panoramic views with immersive art, mirrored rooms, interactive installations, an outdoor terrace, food and drinks, and the optional Ascent exterior glass elevator.
What Is the NYC Skyscraper With the Glass Boxes?
The building is One Vanderbilt, and the attraction at the top is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt.
The glass-box experience is called Levitation. It consists of two transparent glass ledges projecting beyond the exterior wall of the building. They are located on SUMMIT’s 92nd-floor observation level.
SUMMIT’s current Levitation information places the ledges at approximately 1,070 feet above Madison Avenue, while other official SUMMIT visitor pages describe the experience more generally as being about 1,100 feet above the street. Either way, this is a very different experience from simply looking through an observation-deck window. Visitors can stand on the transparent floor and look almost straight down toward Midtown traffic and pedestrians below.
Where Is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt?
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is located at 45 East 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, immediately beside Grand Central Terminal.
There are three official ways to enter SUMMIT: through the Transit Hall at Vanderbilt Avenue and 43rd Street, through the street-level entrance at 45 East 42nd Street, or through the Main Concourse level of Grand Central Terminal.
Grand Central-42 St is served by the 4, 5, 6, 7, and 42nd Street Shuttle subway services under normal service patterns. Visitors should check current MTA service before traveling because weekend construction and service changes can alter subway operations.
What Is Levitation?
Levitation is one of the signature experiences at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt. After moving through the second level of Kenzo Digital’s Air installation, visitors reach two glass-bottomed ledges that project out from the 92nd floor.
The attraction creates the sensation of leaving the building even though visitors remain enclosed by structural glass. The floor beneath you is transparent, the walls are transparent, and the Manhattan street grid appears directly below.
Levitation is included with regular SUMMIT admission, so visitors do not need a separate ticket for the glass ledges.
How Tall Is One Vanderbilt?
One Vanderbilt stands 1,401 feet tall. The Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed skyscraper topped out in 2019 and officially opened in September 2020.
The building was developed by SL Green as a major East Midtown office tower with direct connections to the Grand Central transportation complex. SUMMIT One Vanderbilt opened to the public on October 21, 2021, adding a 65,000-square-foot observation and immersive art experience to the upper portion of the skyscraper.
What Else Is Inside SUMMIT One Vanderbilt?
SUMMIT is much more than a conventional observation deck. Its three main visitor levels combine views of New York with art, reflection, sound, movement, and interactive technology.
Air by Kenzo Digital
The largest part of the experience is Air, a multi-level installation created by artist Kenzo Digital. The mirrored interiors multiply the Manhattan skyline across walls, floors, and ceilings, creating the illusion that the city continues in every direction.
The experience includes Transcendence 1 on the 91st floor and Transcendence 2 on the 92nd floor, where visitors see the mirrored environment from different elevations.
Affinity
Affinity is an interactive part of Air filled with reflective floating orbs. Visitors move through and interact with the installation while the silver surfaces reflect the surrounding room and skyline.
Reflect
The 91st-floor experience also includes Reflect, an installation by artist Yayoi Kusama.
Ascent: The Exterior Glass Elevator
Visitors who want to go higher can add Ascent, SUMMIT’s exterior all-glass elevator experience.
Ascent travels along the outside of One Vanderbilt and climbs an additional 12 stories from the SUMMIT levels. The fully enclosed glass elevator reaches more than 1,200 feet above New York City near the base of the tower’s spire.
Ascent is not included with standard SUMMIT admission. Visitors can purchase a ticket package that includes it or, when available, add the experience while inside SUMMIT.
Après and the Outdoor Terrace
The 93rd floor contains Après, SUMMIT’s Nordic-inspired café and cocktail space, along with a wraparound outdoor terrace.
The terrace provides an open-air alternative to the mirrored interior spaces and offers broad views across Manhattan and the surrounding region. On exceptionally clear days, SUMMIT advertises sightlines extending as far as 80 miles.
What Should You Wear to SUMMIT One Vanderbilt?
The unusual floors and reflective surfaces make clothing and footwear more important here than at most New York attractions.
SUMMIT recommends pants, shorts, or tights because many of the floors are mirrored. Comfortable, non-marking shoes are also recommended. Stiletto heels, work boots, cleats, and other footwear that could damage the flooring are not permitted.
Sunglasses are another good idea during bright daytime visits. Sunlight reflecting from the mirrors and glass can make parts of the experience extremely bright.
Is Levitation Included With a SUMMIT Ticket?
Yes. Levitation is included with regular SUMMIT admission.
Ascent is different. The exterior glass elevator requires an upgraded ticket or separate add-on, subject to availability.
Is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Connected to Grand Central Terminal?
Yes. One of SUMMIT’s greatest advantages is its location beside and directly connected with Grand Central Terminal.
Visitors can enter from the Grand Central Main Concourse level, from the One Vanderbilt Transit Hall at Vanderbilt Avenue and 43rd Street, or from the 45 East 42nd Street entrance.
That makes SUMMIT one of the easiest major New York observation attractions to reach by public transportation.
How Does SUMMIT Compare With Edge?
SUMMIT and Edge both let visitors look down through transparent flooring, but the experiences are designed very differently.
SUMMIT’s Levitation consists of two enclosed glass ledges projecting from One Vanderbilt. Edge, at Hudson Yards, has a glass-floor section built into its large outdoor observation deck on the 100th floor.
Edge currently describes its outdoor deck as rising 1,131 feet above the city. SUMMIT’s glass ledges sit at roughly 1,100 feet, while the optional Ascent elevator takes visitors above 1,200 feet.
SUMMIT emphasizes immersive art, mirrors, enclosed glass ledges, and an exterior elevator. Edge emphasizes a large open-air platform, angled glass walls, a walk-on glass floor, and expansive west-side views.
Does Top of the Rock Have a Glass Attraction?
Yes, and this is an important change from older comparisons of New York observation decks.
Top of the Rock now offers SKYLIFT, an open-air rotating glass platform that rises 30 feet above the 70th-floor observation deck. The regular Top of the Rock deck sits approximately 850 feet above Midtown, while SKYLIFT raises visitors higher for an unobstructed 360-degree view.
That means it is no longer accurate to say that only SUMMIT and Edge have major glass-based thrill features among New York’s best-known observation attractions.
What About the Empire State Building and One World Observatory?
The Empire State Building offers two major observation levels. Its famous open-air 86th-floor deck is 1,050 feet above the street, while the enclosed 102nd-floor observatory reaches 1,250 feet. The 102nd-floor experience includes a glass elevator ride, but it does not use a Levitation-style transparent floor projecting over the side of the building.
One World Observatory occupies the 100th through 102nd floors of One World Trade Center. It is an indoor observatory with panoramic windows and interactive experiences including Sky Portal, rather than an exterior transparent skybox like Levitation.
Is SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Worth Visiting?
SUMMIT is particularly well suited to visitors who want more than a traditional observation deck.
The attraction combines one of Midtown’s highest publicly accessible viewpoints with immersive art, mirrored architecture, the Levitation glass ledges, an outdoor terrace, and the optional Ascent elevator. Visitors who primarily want an open-air platform may prefer Edge or Top of the Rock, while those looking for a highly designed visual experience may find SUMMIT more distinctive.
For anyone specifically searching for the New York skyscraper with the transparent glass boxes extending over the street, however, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is the place they are looking for.
More New York City Skyscraper and Midtown History
Readers interested in the neighborhood surrounding SUMMIT can continue with our history of Grand Central Terminal. For more on New York observation landmarks, see our history of the Empire State Building and our history and attractions of Top of the Rock.
Sources
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt – Official Levitation and Visitor Information
SL Green Realty Corp. – SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Opening and Development History
One Vanderbilt – Official Building Information
Edge NYC – Official Observation Deck Information
Empire State Building – Official Observatory Information
Rockefeller Center – Top of the Rock and SKYLIFT
One World Observatory – Official Visitor Information
NYC Observation Deck Comparison
| Observation Attraction | Location | Signature Glass or View Feature | Approximate Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUMMIT One Vanderbilt | Midtown East | Levitation glass ledges; optional exterior glass-bottomed Ascent elevator | Levitation about 1,100 ft; Ascent over 1,200 ft |
| Edge | Hudson Yards | Walk-on glass floor within a large open-air deck | About 1,131 ft |
| Empire State Building | Midtown | Open-air 86th floor; enclosed 102nd floor reached by glass elevator | 1,050 ft and 1,250 ft |
| One World Observatory | Lower Manhattan | Indoor panoramic observatory with Sky Portal interactive experience | Floors 100-102 |
| Top of the Rock | Rockefeller Center | Open-air decks plus optional rotating glass SKYLIFT platform | 70th floor about 850 ft; SKYLIFT rises 30 ft higher |
Published August 13, 2026.
Which NYC Skyscraper Has Glass Boxes? SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Guide article published on ClassicNewYorkHistory.com © 2026
