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The Biggest Wheel in the World Coming to NYC

New York City is one-upping the London Eye, with the development of The New York Wheel, a 60-story Ferris wheel with crowning views of New York Harbor that will be the biggest wheel in the world. Sited on Staten Island’s St. George waterfront, The New York Wheel will offer unparalleled perspectives on the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and the Verrazano Bridge. The ride will last roughly 40 minutes, giving passengers the chance to soak in the scenery in all its glory. This will be a high-volume attraction, with each pod capable of holding 40 people, allowing thousands of visitors to ride each day. The target opening date is April, 2018.

Empire Outlets Rendering

Empire Outlets Rendering/BFC Partners

Alongside The New York Wheel, developer BFC Partners is also building Empire Outlets, a 350,000-square-foot shopping center, complete with its own artisanal food market, The Marketplace, slated to open in November of 2017. BFC is partnering with the creative team behind Gansevoort Market on the eatery, with over 40 different food and beverage options. The architects behind the Barclays Center are designing the center. Over 100 global retailers will be available at the center (high-end designer Dennis Basso will be opening his first-ever outlet location here). There will also be a new boutique hotel with stunning Manhattan views.

For years, NYC visitors have flocked to the Staten Island Ferry and the free ride the route provides through New York Harbor, with spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan skyline (joined in recent years by towering skyscrapers on the Brooklyn and New Jersey shores). Once visitors arrived on Staten Island, however, many simply turned around and grabbed the next ferry back. With the emergence of "Destination St. George," the area at the ferry terminus will overflow with opportunities for New York tourists.

A rooftop beer garden will do double duty as a concert venue, with room for up to 5,000 fans. Already there is one of the most beautiful baseball stadiums in the country, Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George, which hosts the Staten Island Yankees, the New York–Penn League affiliate of the Bronx Bombers. (The team will be changing its name for the 2017 season, with the new moniker chosen in part by fans.)The stadium is located directly adjacent to the ferry terminal. Completing Destination St. George are the historic St. George Theatre, the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden, the mixed-use Lighthouse Point, and the National Lighthouse Museum. There is also a small, but moving, 9/11 Memorial, the first constructed after the attacks of September 11th, located along the shore near the baseball stadium.

staten island 9/11 memorial

The Postcards memorial to the 275 Staten Islanders lost on September 11, 2001

In addition to access from the ferry, 1,200 parking spaces are being built, and a second boat option will be available in the form of a water taxi, ferrying visitors from midtown directly to St. George.

For more information, visit empireoutletsnyc.com or destinationstgeorge.com.

About the Author

Linda Sheridan is the Managing Editor for City Guide. She is a lifelong New Yorker, has written for the New York Daily News, and loves travel, writing, music, and space.

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