I wish I could give you a firsthand experience of the new Skyslide in Los Angeles but the truth is, we never tried it or even saw it for that matter. After a long day spent in Los Angeles, this was the last thing we wanted to investigate. Our GPS got us to the building but finding a parking space wasn’t easy. Or should I say finding a cheap parking space wasn’t easy.
We had spent most of the day visiting the Adamson House in Malibu, Olvera Street, and Chinatown so maybe if we weren’t so tired, we would have paid a few bucks and made the trek to the 70th floor of the US Bank Building. Our motivation and energy level was too low so it will have to be an excursion for another rime.
It was however, interesting to see the US Bank Building standing tall at 1,018 feet high and in fact it is currently the tallest building west of the Mississippi.
On the 70th floor they have an observation deck where you get panoramic views of the city and coastline beyond. Through my telephoto I could see the observation deck tower from the spot where we pulled our car over but we couldn’t see the slide.
What slide you ask? There is a glass slide were you sit on a mat while plummeting down one story on the outside of the building. The trip takes you from the 70th floor to the 69th on a quick exhilarating ride far above the city streets below.
Don’t worry though; they say the slide is strong enough to hold a school bus full of people. The US Bank building and the OUE Skyspace are becoming one of the premier tourist attractions in L.A. It does cost to go up to the Skyspace observation deck and an additional fee for the slide. I hear it is anywhere from $27-$33.
The slide and observation deck are part of a $50 million makeover for the U.S. Bank Tower, overseen by architecture firm Gensler.
The new facilities will include a redesigned lobby for the public to access Skyspace and the Skyslide. There will also be a café, plus a restaurant and bar on the 71st floor.
As the day was coming to an end and the moon was rising right next to the US Bank building, we were okay with not trying it this time. There will be plenty of opportunities as Los Angeles isn’t that far away.
However, if you are in town, it might be something you would want to try. Flying down a transparent slide that is hanging on the side of a building some 1,000 feet from ground level, sounds both fun and scary. We at the very least wanted to tell you about it in case you hadn’t heard.
We never did see the slide on the building as we tried to maneuver around the one way streets to get a better view. We managed to go through the jewelry district and the garment district during this half an hour period. If shopping for either of those is your thing, this is the place to be.
After a packed day of experiencing a few touristy things in Los Angeles, it was time to say goodbye, and hello to the Interstate freeway to go back home.
Los Angeles has so much to do and visiting the US Bank Tower might be one you would want to put on your list.
Story and Photo: Debbie Colwell
.
Staycations California 