Times Square Ferris wheel becomes latest NYC tourist attraction
New York, Aug 25 (EFE).- New York City on Wednesday launched a new tourist attraction – a Ferris wheel that rises 33 meters (110 feet) in the air and for a limited time will offer views of the Big Apple’s iconic Times Square.
Intended to give a boost to tourism numbers that plunged due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ride will be open until Sept. 12 and bring “even more energy and excitement to a place that’s already synonymous with energy and excitement,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press conference.
“It’s time for us to stop dreaming and to start doing,” Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris said for his part. “This Ferris wheel is one symbol of doing things again … An empty Times Square was symbolic of New York City’s shutdown, and now we want to be a symbol of resilience and recovery.”
Tourists and curious passers-by gathered starting at noon at this new Manhattan attraction.
Tickets for the Ferris wheel range from between $15 and $35, but 100 people per day will be allowed to ride for free by showing proof they received a Covid-19 vaccine dose between Aug. 1 and Sept. 12.
The Times Square Wheel “is destined to be the world’s No. 1 attraction for selfies!!” the ride’s official website says, inviting people to “experience sensory overload by billions of pixels as you soar 110 feet through a canyon of spectacular billboards.”
“Come and share this spectacular experience with friends and family all over the world.”
New York City has invested a record $30 million on a tourism marketing push aimed at boosting the city’s economy after a months-long, coronavirus-triggered shutdown.
One of the focal points of that campaign is the scheduled September reopening of Broadway theaters, which are clustered around Times Square and are one of Manhattan’s primary tourist draws. EFE
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