New York’s Freedom Tower

Those who have traveled all the way to the top of the Freedom Tower know of its impressive views over the Big Apple. From its observation deck, at a height of 381.25 meters, you’ll have Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey, and even the Empire State and the Statue of Liberty at your feet. Today, the One World Trade Center is a dizzying lookout right in New York’s ground zero that, along with the 9/11 Memorial reminds us of the cruel September 11^th attack on the Twin Towers.

Since its construction, it has changed the New York skyline, which was already altered, and dramatically so, on 9/11. Now, the Freedom Tower is New York’s tallest and most photographed building because of what it stands for. It carries a high symbolic load, which is easily perceived when standing there, as this skyscraper that crowns the Big Apple is a tribute to the more than 3000 victims of the attack, and a point of pride for all New Yorkers. The building is a must see and the views are just breathtaking.

The creators of the One World Trade Center have invested no more and no less than 85 million dollars into this dizzying lookout. And we are talking about the tallest building in the Western hemisphere; the tallest building in New York, leaving the Empire State below; and the fourth tallest building in the world after Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, Shangai’s Tower, and the Abraj Al Bait Towers in Saudi Arabia. Curiously, it stands at a height of 542 meters (1776 feet), a number that refers to the year in which the signing of the US Declaration of Independence took place.

Weather conditions allowing, and if fog doesn’t get in the way, I guarantee it will be an unsurmountable experience: with up to 80 km visibility, and even further when standing at the 100^th floor. You’ll believe you are in the clouds. And its elevator only takes 47 seconds to reach the top: a record time. Just so you get the idea, it feels as if you are being launched upwards.

Once you come down, don’t forget to visit the 9/11 Memorial: two waterfalls flowing into two huge pools corresponding to the two holes left behind when the towers fell. And on the walls, each and every one of the names of the victims that fell on that fateful day. It is all part of history now, and as such, it has become one of the most visited tourist destinations in New York.

And watch out because despite its young age, the Freedom Tower is featured in numerous movies, TV series, and videogames: in “Men in Black III”, “Click”, “The Avengers”, and even in “Madagascar III”. The tower also appears in an episode of “Fringe” and “Alphas”, and of course, we can also see it in several scenes of the popular videogame “Call of Duty”. And I’m sure we’ll keep seeing it more and more.

Twitter: @DianaRPretel