The New York City skyline is one of the most recognizable in the world, and has featured in countless songs, movies, and photographs. It towers over the surrounding landscape with its majestic presence, the skyscrapers and landmarks making a pretty picture along the horizon. Within New York City, Manhattan as an island offers the best skyline views, which are from the other side of the waters that surround it, which would be from Queens, Brooklyn and even New Jersey.
The New York City skyline is as striking during the day as it is at night, so it is a must do any which way you can fit it into your schedule.
Lets take a closer look at 8 of the best viewing spots to experience the New York skyline, the most convenient ways to get there via public transportation, some notable buildings that paint the New York skyline with their unique designs, and some pictures of the Manhattan skyline from over the years.
Table of Contents
8 Best Places to See the New York City Skyline View
Manhattan offers a number of vantage points to soak in the New York City Skyline View. Here are some of my favorites.
1. Observation Decks in Manhattan
Manhattan, also called the Big Apple, offers a lot of different options for observation decks to experience the New York City skyline view. The one advantage of experiencing the New York City skyline is that you can do it from within Manhattan, so you do not need to venture off the island for the view. The downside of the observation decks is that you can’t see the building you are in, which is likely to be a significant landmark in the skyline, and the cost of tickets which can add up, especially if you are a family. Also, if you or someone in your group does not like heights, you can skip ahead to the other options in this section as most can be experienced from the ground level from public parks.
The main observation decks in Manhattan are –
Top of the Rock Observation Deck.
Located in the Rockefeller Center, the Top of the Rock offers an unrivaled, unobstructed view of Manhattan’s skyline. This three-tiered observation deck allows visitors to see the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, and the Central Park all in one breathtaking 360-degree view.
Empire State Building
An iconic symbol of New York, the Empire State Building provides visitors with two observation decks—one on the 86th floor and another on the 102nd floor, and you can see up to 5 states on a clear day from it.
One World Observatory
Located in the Freedom Tower, or the World Trade Center, it takes 47 seconds to get to this observatory which is located on the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors to get a fabulous 360 degree view of the City and the water that surrounds it.
The Edge
Located on the 100th Floor in Hudson Yards, the Edge is the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. It has amazing views of Manhattan, and even a glass floor section that you can walk across.
Summit One Vanderbilt
Located right next to Grand Central Station, Summit One Vanderbilt is located on the 91st through 93rd Floor of One Vanderbilt, and offers a unique art experience built into the observation deck, as well as glass skyboxes and an all glass elevator as add on options.
2. Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City, Queens
Gantry Plaza State Park is located in Long Island City in Queens, which is right across the East River. This is very easy to access by subway, and is located on the first stop in Queens – Vernon Jackson Boulevard – when you leave Manhattan on the 7 subway train. It provides sweeping views of the midtown Manhattan skyline, and is a great place to catch the 4th of July fireworks.
Gantry Plaza State Park is a 12 acre park that used to once be gantries that were used to load and unload barges and rail car floats, and is home to the giant Pepsi Cola sign that has been designated a landmark.
3. Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn
Brooklyn Bridge Park spans 1.3 miles of Brooklyn’s waterfront in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), and has amazing views of Brooklyn Bridge, which it is located under, and of the downtown Manhattan skyline.
Brooklyn Bridge Park is home to Jane’s Carousel, as well as Public Art exhibits, and has the Time Out food market that offers a wide array of food options to make a day – or night – visit to catch the skyline from here.
There are a number of subway lines that you can take to Brooklyn Bridge Park depending on where you are traveling from, including A, C, F, 2 and 3 trains.
4. Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg in Brooklyn has a lot of options to view the New York City skyline, which include waterfront parks, as well as hotels with rooftop lounges that offer a sweeping view of downtown and midtown Manhattan.
The parks, which have been developed in recent years and offer a great place to spend time, include Domino Park and Bushwick Inlet Park. The Bushwick Inlet Park also has a Smorgasburg, which is a food market in the summer with some of the best food options that New York has to offer, making for an amazing visit while taking in the Manhattan skyline.
Williamsburg Hotels, such as the Wythe and William Vale, have made the most of the Manhattan skyline with restaurants and rooftop bars that offer unparalleled views if you prefer to soak in the view in the comfort of air-conditioning, especially in the summer.
The L subway train is usually the most convenient option to travel to Williamsburg, though it is common to have service changes over the weekend on this line.
5. Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is on the other side of the Hudson River, and offers sweeping views of the New York City skyline. This tends to be off the beaten track for visitors as you are going to a different state, though it is easy enough to do if you happen to be at the World Trade Center as you can see the skyline from Exchange Place, which is the first stop on the PATH train from there. The waterfront is very well developed, and you can take a long walk while soaking in the Manhattan skyline from the other side of the Hudson River.
Public transport options include the ferry or the PATH train to get here from Manhattan.
6. Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry has an amazing view of the lower Manhattan skyline, and actually crosses the Statue of Liberty on its way, making for an amazing experience from the water which is special.
Best of all, the Staten Island Ferry is absolutely free, making it a must do whether or not you are on a budget on your trip to NYC.
7. New York City Ferry Tour
One of the best ways to experience the Manhattan skyline is from the water that surrounds the island. Luckily, there are many different options of ferry tours that are offered from different parts of Manhattan by day and by night to experience the magic of the New York City skyline from the water.
8. New York Skyline From Up In The Air
One of the best ways to get a birds eye view of the New York skyline is if you are lucky enough to catch it when you are landing or taking off from one of the three NYC airports. The other option, which can be pricey, is to take a helicopter tour that flies around Manhattan, which gives you great perspective of this concrete jungle that is also the crossroads of the world.
Notable Buildings on the NYC Skyline:
The NYC skyline boasts a large number of remarkable buildings, but some of the most notable ones you can spot include:
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building, named after the nickname for New York, which is Empire State, is a defining feature of the NYC skyline. It is an 102-story Art Deco skyscraper that was the world’s tallest building for 40 years from 1931 – 1971, and was recently called the most famous building in the world based on an analysis of millions of photographs. It is especially recognizable at night for the different colors of its Tower Lights that celebrate, acknowledge and remember notable events, holidays and people.
One World Trade Center
One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, stands as a powerful testament to the resilience of New York City after the 9/11 attacks. It is a defining landmark of the NYC skyline in more ways than one, and its towering presence is visible as a part of the Downtown Manhattan skyline by day and by night.
Chrysler Building
Chrysler Building is an Art Deco masterpiece that is an elegant presence in the Manhattan skyline with its distinctive spire and terraced crown. It shines bright on 42nd Street, holding its own in the backdrop of the Empire State Building which is a few streets away from it.
One Vanderbilt
One Vanderbilt is a more recent addition to the New York skyline on 42nd Street, and is very recognizable by its colored lights, especially at night.
New York Skyline at Night
Experiencing the New York City skyline at night is a wondrous thing, and it is definitely worth finding a way to fit this into your schedule.
One of the best ways to experience the New York skyline by night is to actually plan a place where you can take the skyline in by evening, sunset, and then by night as all three are amazing to see. The Obervation Decks are all open late if you plan to visit one for the view of the New York City skyline at night.
It is important to keep in mind that the sunset time varies significantly based on the season, so this would be relative to the length of the day when you are visiting.
Closing Thoughts on the New York City Skyline
The NYC skyline is more than just a collection of buildings as it represents the spirit and vibrancy of the city that never sleeps, and the people that make it so. There are many options for viewing the skyline, both from within observation decks in Manhattan, or from outside Manhattan where you can soak in the entirety of the Big Apple, and public transportation makes it easy to get to any of these locations. Many of these views are available for the cost of a subway ride to get there, and are definitely recommended on a visit to New York, by day, dusk, and by night.
