Exclusive sneak peek of Philly from the Top: City's tallest observation deck

Alicia Vitarelli Image
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
VIDEO: View of Philly from the Top
Alicia Viteralli takes you on a tour of of Philly from the Top.

CENTER CITY (WPVI) -- There are a few spots like City Hall for instance where you can get a beautiful bird's eye view of Philadelphia and beyond.

But this fall, a brand new tourist attraction is taking us up even higher to a special, scenic spot in the sky.

Only 6abc got an exclusive sneak peek and the first tour of what will soon be the city's tallest observation deck.

57 stories above ground, this fall the One Liberty observation deck will officially be Philadelphia's tallest standing attraction.

It is known as Philly from the Top and they call it our city's answer to the Empire State Building.

"Every other major metropolitan city on the planet has observation decks, so like New York has three, we are finally putting one in Philadelphia," General Manager Evan Evans said.

We got a first, exclusive look as construction just gets underway.

Those views of the city and our neighboring states, so sweeping it almost takes your breath away.

"We call it a 360 degree view so you have every view, it's uninterrupted and it's spectacular," Evans said.

You can see City Hall and the Ben Franklin Bridge, turn the corner and look right down into Rittenhouse Square, shoot over to a unique view of University City, whisk on over for an overhead of Wilmington, then look across the Delaware to the USS New Jersey.

French based Montparnasse 56, the global tourism company behind observation decks in Paris, Chicago and other major cities, also gave us a first, exclusive peek at the preliminary renderings and as you can see the design is a real celebration of the city of brotherly love and its rich history.

It will also feature interactive exhibits to explore every nook and cranny.

"We are going to have a set of chairs and when you sit in one of those chairs, it's going to tell you some of the iconic Philadelphia sports stories," Evans said.

But there's one juicy detail they can't divulge just yet.

"Hang on. Be ready for a little bit of an adrenaline push," Evans said.

Philly from the Top is expected to be open in October.