Anyone who has been to London knows that the London Eye is a must-do attraction. It gives one an astonishing view of the city of London at a calm and lengthy pace, and is a memorable experience. The London Eye has become a symbolic landmark of London, giving tourists and locals a birds-eye view of the city. Described as having the same effect the Eiffel Tower had on Paris, the London Eye has been a tremendous success. Now something resembling a wheel is coming to New York City. The New York Wheel.
As the London Eye sits at 394 feet, the New York Wheel will be almost doubled that, as it will sit at 630 feet. The wheel is currently being built in Staten Island, and will give passengers quite the view of not only New York City, but some of the boroughs as well.
The attraction seems exciting and will be something new for tourists and New Yorkers, but unfortunately, we will have to wait. Originally scheduled to open in late 2017, the wheel is now scheduled to open in April of 2018. The reason being is for more testing on the safety of the wheel. The wheel already dates back to 2012, when it was announced that one would even be built.
This is considered to be a ‘trend setting’ project, which usually takes more time, given the popularity it could potentially have. The wheel is expected to be visited by thousands, and it’s safety and structure is very critical in order to have a successful attraction. The wheel is expected to cost $580 million.
The wheel will be seated next to the St. George Ferry terminal in a former parking lot. It has seen a lot of bumps and snags along the way, with not only extra safety testing, but also like all major projects, money being an issue as well, as it went over $300 million.
The wheel will consist of 36 pods, and can hold up to 40 people in one of them. The ride will last roughly 38 minutes, and will cost one $35 for the ride. It has high hopes to not only make another attraction for New Yorkers but to raise tourism in Staten Island.
Featured Image via Wikimedia
