Kept by Wendy Choi
An independent city guide, not affiliated with any attraction or its operator.
An independent city guide, not affiliated with any attraction or its operator.
The tower
The lift takes about fifty-eight seconds. People count. I used to tell them to look at the floor indicator instead, because counting makes the ride feel longer than it is.
Main deck, 346 metres
This is the view people came for: the grid, the lake, the islands as a dark bar. On a clear weekday you can pick out streets. That is the photograph on the phone.
Glass floor
A panel underfoot, the ground a long way down. The queue for it is often longer than the look. If someone in the party hates heights, skip the panel and stay at the rail.
Upper level
A little higher, a little quieter, more sky than street. I send people here when the main deck is shoulder to shoulder and they still want a minute without elbows.
Sunset slots
The sky goes copper, then the city lights take over. Those timed windows fill first. If the forecast says haze, a sunset slot is just an expensive dusk.
What I tell people after they come down
Fog turns the whole thing into a grey nothing, and you still paid for a full ticket. The restaurant is a celebration price, not a practical meal. On Saturdays the lift feels like a crush: strollers, tour groups, and a line that does not match the photograph on the brochure.
If the air is clean and you have the time, go. If the lake is a white wall, spend the afternoon on one of the other views instead. How I sort a day is on the planning note.