New York City is famous for its many notable landmarks. The Vessel, a 16-story honeycomb-like structure, is a crucial tourist attraction contributing to the city’s livelihood at Hudson Yards. With a ride on the 7 train to its southern end at 34 Street, visitors can climb up and capture memorable photos of the structure that opened in March 2019. With the Vessel having recently been reopened, let’s take a look back at what the structure has been through and how well it does (or does not) carry out its purpose today. 

I visited the Vessel twice during its first year of being open to the public and no issues in particular crossed my mind during my time there. I captured the stunning views on each of the different floors of the structure as I had intended to, and it seemed that everyone around me was doing just the same. 

What could possibly go wrong? Well, nothing did until February 1, 2020, when a 19-year-old man leaped over the railing on the sixth floor of the structure and tragically lost his life, the first such incident involving the Vessel. Unfortunately, no further action was taken at the time as this was regarded as an isolated incident that wasn’t likely to happen again. A month later, the Vessel shut down anyways along with the rest of the attractions at Hudson Yards as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic hitting New York City. In the summer of 2020, the Covid-19 restrictions began to ease and the Vessel reopened following newly-placed safety measures that were aimed at preventing the spread of the virus rather than preventing suicides. It became quite clear that officials had not considered the mental health crises that had arisen throughout the beginning months of the pandemic as a result of many having to make drastic changes in their lifestyle. As a result, a 24-year-old woman also jumped from the structure and died just before Christmas 2020. Just under a month later, on January 11, 2021, a 21-year-old man took his life after jumping off the Vessel. Following this third tragic incident, the structure was finally closed to allow experts to consider how changes must be made to prevent future incidents. 

At the end of May 2021, the Vessel reopened with no physical changes having been made, but it became mandatory for visitors to travel in groups of at least two people and all visitors over the age of five were charged $10 in order to fund future safety upgrades for the structure. I found myself feeling a bit skeptical about this, because it was still physically possible for an individual to leap over the railings on the Vessel with the others in their group being fully unaware of their intentions. Indeed, just two months later, on July 29, 2021, a 14-year-old boy jumped to his death while visiting with his family, leaving them devastated. After this fourth death, the question of whether or not the Vessel should remain open was widely debated. Some considered how protection should be increased with the addition of barriers of some sort, while others even wondered whether or not the structure should be removed entirely. In late 2021, the Vessel reopened for free, but visitors could now only walk through the very bottom of the structure—the stairs were walled off with doors that only staff could go beyond.

At this stage, I believed along with the majority of others that the Vessel would be closed permanently and that visitors would only be allowed to take photos from the bottom floor for the foreseeable future. At least the phenomenal views from different floors would always be in everyone’s memories, including my own. However, the Vessel recently reopened yet again with its original purpose in some sort on October 21, 2024. As added measures of safety, steel mesh nets were installed on the upper floors of the structure to prevent tragic suicides from occurring again. The top floor will remain closed for the foreseeable future, since the steel mesh barriers are physically impossible to install there. With the steel mesh barriers being see-through, visitors are still able to enjoy the views and picturesque scenes of the surrounding areas that the Vessel has to offer, as originally intended when built. 

After observing how well the Vessel does with its newly added safety measures, I believe that it is crucial to keep it as an entertaining, unique-looking landmark. Akin to how aspects of an individual’s personality contribute to their unique individuality, Hudson Yards wouldn’t be the same without the Vessel. While the unfortunate incidents served as a reminder of the need for increased protection, they also greatly raised awareness of how crucial a societal focus on mental health is. The next time you’re on the 7 train heading towards Hudson Yards for the day, or really going anywhere to spend quality time with your loved ones, think about the positive aspects of your life. When you look in the mirror, instead of seeing what you feel is wrong, try to see more of what’s right, because that is everything you need to remind yourself that your loved ones need you and the world needs you. When you see or feel that others are in need, reach out and listen. Even if you don’t think it’ll help them much, you’ll feel more confident in yourself knowing that connection can have a large impact. While it may not make a widespread difference at once, it can make an important difference to individuals who truly need it, one step at a time.

If you’re struggling, know that MSE has a robust mental health support system for you to utilize. Please speak with Ms. Patterson or Ms. Barnewold or stop by The Wellness Center (right by the first floor entrance), where our on-site counselor, Ms. Dylan Clay-Delvin, is there to help.