SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is different from other observatories in many ways. The lift climbs in 42 seconds to reach the 3 levels, 335 m high. Enter a large hall, all glass walls, panoramic windows and gigantic mirrors reflecting the sky, rivers and buildings from the moment you enter. It's as if you're walking on clouds or in a void. The panorama over the whole of Manhattan and its icons is the most spectacular of all the observatories, as it is the most complete and unobstructed.