Before your first glimpse of the skyline, there’s a hum. A vibration. A familiar lyric looping in your head: one of those timeless songs about New York City that seem to live in the air itself. Music written in and about New York isn’t separate from the city. Rather, it’s woven into it. At SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, that sonic history takes on a new shape, climbing into the clouds where sound, light, and emotion meet.
Few tracks capture the electricity of ambition like Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ modern classic. Bold and unapologetic, it celebrates the grind and the dreams that reach for the sky. That same energy pulses through SUMMIT from the moment you rise.
Step into Transcendence, one of the mirrored rooms in Air — the immersive installation by Kenzo Digital at the heart of SUMMIT — and the city surrounds you, then stretches beyond what you thought possible. Mirrored floors stretch the skyline in every direction. Standing there, 1,100 feet above Madison Avenue, you’re not watching New York. You’re becoming part of it. This is the New York City soundtrack made visible, tangible, and wide open.
“Welcome to New York” — A Pop Reintroduction
Taylor Swift’s bright, beat-driven arrival track throws the door open. It’s a reminder that New York belongs to everyone, especially those who’ve just arrived. That spirit of warm welcome is built into SUMMIT — one of the most unique NYC experiences you can have above the skyline.
In Unity, your own image floats in digital clouds. As part of over 30,000 square feet of mirrored design, this space reflects you back in unexpected ways by placing you inside the ever-changing New York story. For first-timers or long-timers rediscovering their city, this moment reframes what it means to see yourself here.
Exploring New York through music leads naturally to SUMMIT, where your voice finds a place in the chorus
Frank Sinatra’s definitive ode swings with elegance and confidence. In New York, success isn’t complete without style. As the sun fades, the city turns cinematic. The view from the terrace shimmers. Lights from the Chrysler Building flicker into the mirrored space like sequins on a jazz club jacket.
SUMMIT becomes a living reflection of the city’s vintage charm and timeless dazzle — a nod to the best songs about New York City, wrapped in glass and atmosphere. As a bonus, visitors can see Hoboken, legendary singer Frank Sinatra’s birthplace, from SUMMIT.
“No Sleep Till Brooklyn” — The Grit Beneath the Glitz
The Beastie Boys’ anthem captures the raw, relentless pace of NYC at street level. And while SUMMIT floats far above it all, that kinetic energy is part of the view. The endless yellow taxis, the rhythmic flow of people, the unfiltered edge of a city that never quiets down.
From the glass Levitation skyboxes, you watch the motion unfold below. Even suspended in air, you can feel the heartbeat of the music scene NYC made famous: jazz, hip-hop, punk, and poetry all running through the veins of the city below
Whether your soundtrack is big-band bravado, gritty verses, pop hooks, or dreamy synths, there’s a place for it at SUMMIT. Because here, you don’t just look at New York. You feel it. Every mirror, every skyline frame, every floor-to-ceiling pane pulses with the same emotion that’s inspired generations of music.
Create your own playlist. Walk through the sky. Hear the city in stereo.
Pair your visit with the tracks that inspired this journey through the sky. Here’s a curated list to take you through each moment:
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45 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017
Entrance located on the Main Concourse of Grand Central Terminal |
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