The Vessel and the Shops at the Hudson

Recently I made a trip out to see the Vessel, one of the newest attractions in the ever evolving NYC architectural roster. I finally made it out to see it with a girlfriend and if you follow my stories or watch my Vessel highlight on Instagram, you’ll know we walked all the way to the top.

It was of course crowded during the day, but less so in the evening. I remember walking The High Line and seeing the beginnings of construction on the Vessel, Shops at the Hudson and The Shed and wondering what they would look like. So I was intrigued to see what it was all about.

What is it?

The Vessel is a life size sculpture of sorts. Its copper reflective mirror exterior is an eye catcher for sure. I personally appreciate the color and its reflective façade, bouncing back the images of people as they look up at it. Make it a mission to walk to the top to see the view of the Hudson and lower Manhattan.

Quick facts–

• Designed by Thomas Heatherwick
• 16 floors
• 154 flights of stairs around 2,500 steps

How much is it?

Its FREE people! And who knows if or when that will change. So seize the day and book your timeslot. Which is an hour long. The timeslots, I’m guessing are for crowd control, I chose late afternoon on a Saturday, and there was barely a line. Once our hour was done and we excited the line was long.

Hours– Open daily 10am-7pm

Can everyone visit?

Yes! I saw families with small kids, and it has an elevator if you don’t want to walk to the top.

The Shed– The Shed is an event space that will be rotating open to the public shows and exhibitions, prices begin at $10 to enter. We stopped in to look around, but I haven’t seen an exhibition there yet.

The Shops at Hudson Yards– Once you’re done walking The Vessel and Shed take a walk around the Shops at Hudson Yards. A mall with both mid-tier and high-end stores, health center, restaurants and the well awaited Mercado Little Spain. Created by world renowned Chef José Andrés and the Adría Brothers this is the Spanish version of Eataly, the Italian food wonderland. In similar form Mercado Little Spain encompasses restaurants, bars, grocery goods and more. Located on the lower level this is a food paradise for those who are familiar with Spanish cuisine and those who are just being introduced to it. As I have been to Spain, I was excited to see what it had in store. While there we ate at Bar Manolo, where I had dishes I had never tasted before and to finish off our night, we stopped by the Pasteles bar (cake) to have a scrumptious raspberry crunch bar.

While at the Shops at Hudson Yards check out Beyond the Edge on the 4th floor to shop souvenirs if you wish. Have you visited these yet? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments and on social media.- T.S.