John Hancock Observatory

John Hancock Observatory Review

Designed by the same team that designed the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill), this multiuse skyscraper is distinguished by its tapering shape and the enormous X braces, which help stabilize its 100 stories. Soon after it went up in 1970, it earned the nickname "Big John." No wonder: at a height of 1,127 feet (1,502 feet counting the antennae at the top), there's nothing little about it. Packed with retail space, parking, offices, a restaurant, and residences, it has been likened to a city within a city. Impressive from any angle, it offers mind-boggling views from a 94th-floor observatory (as with the Willis Tower, you can see to four states on clear days). For anyone afflicted with vertigo, a sensible option is a seat at the Lavazza Café or down a level in the bar of the 95th-floor Signature Room. The tab will be steep, but you don't pay the observatory fee and you'll be steady on your feet—maybe.