Tourists who flocked to Hudson Yards for the Vessel’s reopening on Monday were bummed out about new security measures that they said defeats the purpose of the sightseeing attraction.
The 16-story honeycomb-shaped structure opened to the public for the first time in three years after several people jumped from it to their deaths in 2021 — with added floor-to-ceiling netting to prevent future tragedies.
“We paid $10 and we were restricted in where we could go – the nets were in the way, and we couldn’t even go all the way up to the top,” Cristina Martres, who was visiting from Argentina with her family, said in an interview in Spanish.
“I don’t think it was worth it,” added her husband, Javier Martres.
The full 360-degree path on the two lowest levels of the massive spiral staircase remain open without netting, according to a spokesperson for Related Companies, the real estate developer behind The Vessel.
But only the south-facing side of the upper tiers is accessible to the public, having been outfitted with steel mesh designed to “withstand outdoor elements,” the rep said.
As mesh netting “is not possible on the top level of Vessel, that level will remain closed to the public,” the spokesperson added.
A team of its engineers and designers “worked closely” with the original Vessel architect team to “devise and test the solution you see today,” the rep said.
Connor Hamilton, 27, who was in town from San Diego, Calif. to visit family, was also disappointed when he realized so much of the $200 million-plus project was netted off.
“The front half is closed off so you can’t get to it at all,” he told The Post. “You still get a lot of the good views but not being able to access the whole thing takes away from the experience a little bit.
“It’s literally just a series of stairs but it makes an impact and you get great views,” Hamilton added. “It feels selfish to be like ‘oh this sucks that people killed themselves so now it’s closed off,’ … it limited some of the attraction.”
Ticket prices for the attraction remain at its 2019 price point, and proceeds are used to support operations, pay staff and “maintain the structure so that it can be preserved as an iconic experience for New York City,” the Related spokesperson said.
New York City residents can enter for free on Thursdays by reserving tickets online.
Valerie Burgos, 32, of Lakeland, Fla., told The Post that, since “it’s only $10, it’s worth it for the view.”
Claudia Ospina, 52, who made her second visit to the Vessel with her family on Monday and had been excited that the glitzy sculpture reopened, said she was less thrilled with the experience.
Ospina, who was visiting from Miami with her family, wished they could have seen unobstructed views all around.
“I understand the safety concerns and why the nets are there, but they make you feel enclosed,” she said, “and the point of the Vessel is that it’s supposed to be open air.”
