The Best Things to do at Hudson Yards

Hudson Yards in Manhattan is the newest neighborhood in the city. It’s pretty much a new city within the city once this project is completed in a few years. The view of the Manhattan skyline has changed since 2012. What’s used to be an area known for prostitution and drug businesses has been developed into a luxury multi-million-dollar complex full of new apartment buildings, The Shops at Hudson Yards, the Shed, New York’s The Vessel and the newest observation deck Edge in New York City.

How to get to Hudson Yards?

There are multiple ways to go to Hudson Yards. The 7 Train takes you from Midtown (Grand Central, 5th Ave or 42nd Street Times Square) right to Hudson Yards. If you’re heading there from NJ you could also take the ferry to Pier 83 on the West Side. Or you just walk to the Hudson Yards on the High Line which is now connected to the area as well.

Top 5 things to do in Hudson Yards

Top 5 Sights

  • 1 – The Vessel: Designed by Thomas Heatherwick (Designer of the”Rolling Bridge” and the UK Pavilions at the World  Expo 2010) “The Vessel” is challenging its visitors to climb 2.500 steps to the top to enjoy a great aerial view of the Hudson Yards (Hudson Yards, Subway 7).
  • 2 – The Shops at Hudson Yards: New York’s super mall at Hudson Yards is the new retail mecca in Midtown Manhattan with 7 levels of high-end shops and restaurants (Hudson Yards, Subway 7).
  • 3 – Mercardo Little Spain Foodmarket: Enjoy the taste and lifestyle of Spain at this food market at Hudson Yards with farm stands, food stalls, bars and grocery stores (Hudson Yards, Subway 7).
  • 4 – Edge at Hudson Yards: Feel the thrill of New York from the highest outdoor sky deck in the entire Western Hemisphere. (Hudson Yards, Subway 7).
  • 5 – The Shed Event Center: They call it the new center of Arts in New York City. Come here to enjoy many cultural events like performances, films, design, food, fashion and lots of Arts of course (Hudson Yards, Subway 7).

Hudson Yards location, development & apartments

As of today, there are 5 towers at Hudson Yards. They are all located in the same area in Midtown Manhattan. Hudson Yards was developed very close to the West Side Highway by the Hudson River. The Hudson Yards towers are impressively looking. It’s a modern, confident and proud New York that was built here. The costs of $25 Billion caused a lot of criticism in the local community. Some would call it a “fake, luxury world”, that’s not needed and only changes the skyline to the worst.

Steve Ross, the developer of Hudson Yards, is chasing exactly the idea of creating a new fancy, golden looking city within the city of New York. A place where wealthy people feel comfortable spending their time.  A place to live, shop and dine all at the same time. If you own or rent an apartment at Hudson Yards, you don’t have to leave the place to get anything you want. That’s the idea.

If you wondering what kind of companies are having their headquarters at Hudson Yards: Companies and people like marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk’s VaynerMedia, CNN, SAP, Warner Bros., and L’Oreal are having their offices at Hudson Yards now.

Future Hudson Yards Towers

Within the next couple of years, there will be 16 high rise buildings at Hudson Yards. According to the plan of the developers, 2024 Hudson Yards will be finished. By then there will be 20.000 housing units, two million square feet (190,000 m2) of hotel space, a 750-seat public school, one million square feet (93,000 m2) of retail and more than 20 acres (8 ha) of public open space that covers an entire avenue and stretches four city blocks.

By 2024, when Hudson Yards is scheduled to be completed, it is expected to have around 125.000 daily residents, visitors, and office workers. That’s a tremendous amount of visitors every day for the newly developed area in  Midtown West.

Highlights at Hudson Yards

The Vessel at Hudson Yards

Vessel in den Hudson Yards Tour
The Vessel is the newest attraction in the city and offers its visitors a climb of 154 interconnecting flights of stairs. Standing 150 feet tall the structure designed by Thomas Heatherwick offers views of the Hudson Yards area, Midtown Manhattan and the Hudson River facing New Jersey.

If you want to visit the Vessel, advance tickets to enter it are available online for free. But since the Vessel is the hotspot in the city right now, lines are long and the two-week reservation window is often booked. You can try to get your tickets the same day, which is being released each morning at 9:30. Read more about the Vessel in New York here.

Walking tours at Hudson Yards

The Hudson Yards is up and coming. If you don’t want to miss anything in the newest neighborhood consider taking one of the great walking tours at Hudson Yards.
High Line & Hudson Yards Walking Tour

During this 2 hours guided tour, you’ll explore everything from the High Line Park to Hudson Yards. Find out interesting insights about the construction of Hudson Yards and what makes it so special for New York City.

More information

Secrets of the High Line
Start this tour at 20 Hudson Yards for a stroll on the High Line to Chelsea Market. There’s so much to see in the area from stunning art installations to iconic buildings both old and new.

More information

The Shops at Hudson Yards

Im Inneren der Hudson Yards Mall

The Shops at Hudson Yards is a fancy 1 million square feet retail space / Shopping Mall at Hudson Yards. You can find a brand new Neiman Marcus, Cartier, Forty-Five Ten, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Dior and a Piaget store right next to many more luxury stores. But there’s also a Sephora, Lululemon, Tumi, and H&M for the mainstream customers. Here’s an overview of all shops at the Hudson Yards Mall. 

Food Market: Mercado Little Spain

Mercado Little Spain NYC

Mercado Little Spain, the Colossal José Andrés Hudson Yards Food Hall inside the Shops at Hudson Yards is your place to go when you like to enjoy a little bit of the European Spanish culture and traditions.
Created by José Andrés and Ferran and Albert Adrià, three superstar chefs considered to be some of the most highly influential figures in Spanish cuisine Mercado Little Spain is our insider tip at Hudson Yards. Find out more about the newest food market in  New York City here.

The Shed at Hudson Yards

The Shed Hudson YardsDesigned by Diller Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with Rockwell Group, the $475 million arts center is awaited to host great events like the New York Fashion Week and will be used as a theater and a gallery space. The Shed is one of a kind when it comes to its design and is created to be a new cultural institution in New York City. In case you’re interested in one of the events happening at the Shed, make sure to check out their website to secure your tickets in advance online.

The observation deck at Hudson Yards: The Edge

Views Edge Hudson Yards The observation deck at Hudson Yards Edge is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere, with a very special design and we went on opening day to check it out. Edge is the main highlight at Hudson Yards in New York City.

It’s suspended in mid-air which will give the visitors the feeling of floating in the sky with 360-degree views you can’t experience anywhere else in the city. If you’re brave enough to do so, you can look 100 stories down from the impressive glass floor. Or just lean out over the city on angled glass walls and sip champagne in the sky. Sounds fancy? We sure it will be. Reserve your tickets today.

There are two different types of tickets available. You can purchase a regular admission ticket, where you have to enter Edge at a specific date and time, or you can purchase flex tickets to be able to go at a specific date but are flexible with the time. 

Edge Tickets

The High Line Park

Now connected to Hudson Yards the beloved High Line is a 1.45-mile-long elevated linear park, greenway and rail trail. Famous for its amazing views of the sunset, the park that was created on a former New York Central Railroad spur on the west side is a must-do while visiting Hudson Yards. Take a stroll down to the Meatpacking District and enjoy the views of the city.

Shopping at Hudson Yards

The Shops Hudson Yards Mall Eingang

With the new massive mall, Hudson Yards has become the new shopping destination in Midtown. The 7 level mall “The Shops at Hudson Yards as well as the food market Mercado Little Spain offer a variety of shopping options at Hudson Yards.

We are sure that in the near future there will be even more shopping options for the Hudson Yards visitors and residents since the area is still a work in progress.

Once you head over to the High Line Park, there’s a lot of local artists that are selling all different kinds of products along the elevated railroads.

Restaurants, Bars and Coffee Shops at Hudson Yards

Inside the mall “The Shops at Hudson Yards” there are a lot of well-selected restaurants, bars and coffee shops. The dining options at Hudson Yards are endless. Check out restaurants acclaimed chefs like Thomas Keller, David Chang, Estiatorio Milos, and more, alongside Chef José Andrés’ Mercado Little Spain, a 35,000-square-foot Spanish food hall.

The Hudson Yards Buildings

10 Hudson Yards

This office building, located above the High Line, is 270 meters high and serves world-renowned corporations such as L’Oréal USA, SAP and Boston Consulting Group as its headquarters. The special feature of this building is that it’s integrated into the High Line!

15 Hudson Yards

This addition to the New York skyline will be completed later this year. The building is almost 920 feet high and is a new housing complex with 88 floors.

30 Hudson Yards

Towering at about 1300 feet, this skyscraper will become New York’s second-highest office building and home to America’s largest broadcasting corporations such as HBO, CNN, and Turner Broadcasting. The building will also come with the Western Hemisphere’s tallest and the world’s 5th tallest outdoor observation deck. The building should be completed by 2019.

50 Hudson Yards

The Tower 50 Hudson Yards is scheduled to be completed in 2022 and becomes the fourth largest commercial skyscraper in New York. There will be space for office buildings on the northwest corner of 1oth Avenue and will have direct access to Hudson Park and the 7 Train that stops at 34th Street-Hudson Yards station.

Key Points for the Hudson Yards New York Project

  • Hudson Yards New York is the largest private property development in US history.
  • It’s the biggest project since the Rockefeller Center.
  • The area of Hudson Yards New York will consist nearly 412 acres.
  • Overall, there will be more than 100 shops, including the first Neiman Marcus in New York City.
  • There are more than 4000 apartments.
  • The construction of about 12.3 acres of green areas which will include 3 new parks is being planned.
  • A public school will be created for 750 students.
  • The construction of Hudson Yards is estimated to create about 23,000 jobs in the construction industry.

Nearby neighborhoods

Did you like exploring Hudson Yards? Then take a look at Midtown, Lower Manhattan and The Meatpacking District. Read about them below.

Profilbild Steffen Kneist
About the author

I'm a true New York fan! Not only have I visited the city over 25 times but also have I spent several months here at a time. On my blog I show you the best and most beautiful spots of the city, so that you have a really good time! You can also find lots of insider tips in our New York travel guide. Also check out my hotel finder for New York!

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