Biggest Ferris wheel coming to New York

New York’s mayor says the city will wheel out the world’s biggest Ferris wheel in 2015, overtaking the current record holder in Singapore and leaving the London Eye in the dust. The 625 foot (190 meter) high wheel is planned for the Big Apple’s least developed borough, Staten Island, across the water from Manhattan’s Financial District. It will be able to carry 1,440 people at a time. Construction should finish in 2014, with rides starting the following year, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday. “The New York Wheel will be an attraction unlike any other in New York City — even unlike any other on the planet. It will offer unparalleled and breathtaking views, and is sure to become one of the premier attractions in New York City,” he said. The current record holder is the Singapore Flyer at 541 feet (165 meters). Even the High Roller, being built in Les Vegas, will lose out. It is planned for just 552 feet (168 meters).