A lifeline for commuters, a perpetual filming location, and a popular free activity for tourists,…read morethe Central-Mid-Levels escalator is the longest (covered) outdoor escalator system in the world. It's also one of my favorite places to get away from the urban hustle and bustle of Central and a great way to people watch while admiring the city.
After debuting 30 years ago, the escalator has recently been undergoing renovations to meet the demand that seemingly grows each year. There are 18 escalators in total, with moving walkways that are at a slight incline. From start to finish, it's about 20 minutes and covers just about 2,600 ft with a vertical climb of 443 ft.
On the outside it looks like a one-way continuous escalator, but there are multiple bisections where folks can join in from different streets or hop off along the way. The most important thing to note is that the escalators run downhill in the mornings between 6AM-10AM and then uphill from then till midnight. One serious drag is that it's not wheelchair accessible, and has stairs for people to pass or reverse direction.
There are several stops along the way, which are connected to bars, restaurants, and attractions. It's always recommended to stand on the right to let folks on the right pass. It's not uncommon to see sections of it closed for maintenance and it's a great way to stay out of inclement weather.