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Midtown: what’s worth it?

Times Square, Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center and the big viewing decks.

Grand Central — photo by Arzu 143

Worth itReality 86 +211Grand Central★ 4.8Midtown · LandmarkBeaux-Arts rail terminal with a celestial ceiling, Whispering Gallery and dining concourse

Roosevelt Island Tram — photo by Miriam Gutiérrez

Worth itReality 81 +372Roosevelt Island Tram★ 4.7Midtown · ViewpointCommuter aerial tram over the East River, 250 ft up, for the price of a subway fare

St. Patrick's — photo by Lysa

Worth itReality 81 +123St. Patrick's★ 4.8Midtown · Sacred siteNeo-Gothic Catholic cathedral from 1879 on Fifth Avenue, opposite Rockefeller Center

Intrepid Museum — photo by Gans Krown

Worth itReality 75 +44Intrepid Museum★ 4.7Midtown · MuseumWWII aircraft carrier on the Hudson with the Space Shuttle Enterprise, a sub and a Concorde

Flatiron Building — photo by Nils Scharfenberg

Worth itReality 71 +245Flatiron Building★ 4.5Midtown · LandmarkDaniel Burnham's 1902 triangular skyscraper at Fifth Ave and Broadway, now being converted to condos

MoMA — photo by ___C___

Worth it if…Reality 69 −16MoMA★ 4.6Midtown · MuseumMidtown's modern art heavyweight: Starry Night, Monet's Water Lilies, Warhol and a sculpture garden

TKTS — photo by lauren gavlin

Worth it if…Reality 65 +417TKTS★ 4.5Midtown · ShowNonprofit TDF booth under Times Square's red steps selling same-day Broadway seats at up to 50% off

SUMMIT — photo by FurY

Worth it if…Reality 64 08SUMMIT★ 4.7Midtown · ViewpointMirrored art-installation observatory atop One Vanderbilt, beside Grand Central

Top of the Rock — photo by Jakub Peller

Worth it if…Reality 64 −149Top of the Rock★ 4.7Midtown · ViewpointThree-level deck at 30 Rock facing the Empire State Building and Central Park

Edge — photo by Camila H.

Worth it if…Reality 59 −210Edge★ 4.6Midtown · ViewpointOpen-air sky deck jutting from 30 Hudson Yards on the 100th floor, with a glass floor

Empire State Building — photo by Cale O'Day

Worth it if…Reality 58 −2611Empire State Building★ 4.7Midtown · Viewpoint1931 Art Deco tower with exhibits, an open-air 86th-floor deck and an enclosed 102nd

Rockefeller Center — photo by Matthias Müller

Worth it if…Reality 56 −3412Rockefeller Center★ 4.7Midtown · LandmarkArt Deco complex with a free plaza, the seasonal ice rink, Christmas tree and Top of the Rock

Times Square — photo by Ηλίας Σιδηρόπουλος

Worth it if…Reality 50 −4413Times Square★ 4.7Midtown · LandmarkNeon-lit Midtown crossroads of giant screens, pedestrian plazas and Broadway theaters

M&M's Times Square — photo by Nicolas Frenette

Skip itReality 39 −2114M&M's Times Square★ 4.4Midtown · ShoppingThree-floor M&M's flagship on Broadway with candy walls, merch and a personalisation printer

Vessel — photo by Sáfár Cintia

Skip itReality 39 −1915Vessel★ 4.6Midtown · LandmarkHeatherwick's 150-ft honeycomb stair sculpture at Hudson Yards, now wrapped in safety mesh

The numbers

#	Place	Verdict	Hype	Reality	Gap	Google
1	Grand Central	Worth it	65	86	+21 · Underrated	★ 4.8 (34,888)
2	Roosevelt Island Tram	Worth it	44	81	+37 · Underrated	★ 4.7 (10,095)
3	St. Patrick's	Worth it	69	81	+12 · Underrated	★ 4.8 (43,279)
4	Intrepid Museum	Worth it	71	75	+4 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.7 (47,627)
5	Flatiron Building	Worth it	47	71	+24 · Underrated	★ 4.5 (15,866)
6	MoMA	Worth it if…	70	69	−1 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.6 (61,502)
7	TKTS	Worth it if…	24	65	+41 · Underrated	★ 4.5 (3,611)
8	SUMMIT	Worth it if…	64	64	0 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.7 (37,518)
9	Top of the Rock	Worth it if…	78	64	−14 · Overhyped	★ 4.7 (93,002)
10	Edge	Worth it if…	61	59	−2 · Lives up to the hype	★ 4.6 (34,088)
11	Empire State Building	Worth it if…	84	58	−26 · Overhyped	★ 4.7 (130,581)
12	Rockefeller Center	Worth it if…	90	56	−34 · Overhyped	★ 4.7 (202,716)
13	Times Square	Worth it if…	94	50	−44 · Overhyped	★ 4.7 (249,420)
14	M&M's Times Square	Skip it	60	39	−21 · Overhyped	★ 4.4 (42,156)
15	Vessel	Skip it	58	39	−19 · Overhyped	★ 4.6 (29,211)