# The 21 Best Places to See the New York City Skyline

> Waterfront lawns, rooftop decks and a ferry deck, each with its own angle on the same skyline. Which one gives the view you would send a visitor to?

*By YPB Team · Published October 3, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-21-best-places-to-see-the-new-york-city-skyline*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Brooklyn Bridge Park** — score 1000/1000
   Waterfront park below the Brooklyn Bridge with a Lower Manhattan skyline view.
2. **Socrates Sculpture Park** — score 706/1000
   Astoria outdoor sculpture park on the East River with a Manhattan backdrop.
3. **Queensbridge Park** — score 706/1000
   Queens riverside park beneath the Queensboro Bridge, facing Roosevelt Island.
4. **DUMBO Washington Street** — score 680/1000
   Cobblestone street that frames the Manhattan Bridge with the Empire State Building.
5. **Top of the Rock** — score 611/1000
   Rockefeller Center observation deck with a clear view of Central Park and the Empire State Building.
6. **Staten Island Ferry** — score 611/1000
   Free ferry ride past the Statue of Liberty with the Lower Manhattan skyline behind it.
7. **Astoria Park** — score 611/1000
   Queens park beneath the Hell Gate and Triborough bridges with a Midtown view.
8. **Governors Island** — score 611/1000
   Car-free island in New York Harbor with hammock groves and a harbor skyline view.
9. **Hoboken Pier A Park** — score 611/1000
   Hoboken pier park with an across-the-Hudson view of Lower Manhattan.
10. **One World Observatory** — score 529/1000
   Observation deck on floors 100 to 102 of One World Trade Center.
11. **Central Park Bow Bridge** — score 529/1000
   Cast-iron footbridge in Central Park that frames the San Remo and Midtown towers.
12. **Roosevelt Island Four Freedoms Park** — score 433/1000
   Memorial park at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island facing the East River.
13. **The High Line** — score 433/1000
   Elevated park on a former rail line with views along the Hudson and Chelsea.
14. **Little Island** — score 433/1000
   Pier-based park on the Hudson with tulip-shaped pots and river views.
15. **Domino Park** — score 317/1000
   Williamsburg riverside park on the old Domino Sugar refinery site.
16. **Empire State Building** — score 317/1000
   Art Deco skyscraper whose 86th and 102nd floor decks look over all five boroughs.
17. **Hunter's Point South Park** — score 317/1000
   Long Island City waterfront park with a Midtown and United Nations view.
18. **Brooklyn Heights Promenade** — score 317/1000
   Elevated esplanade above the BQE looking across at Lower Manhattan.
19. **Weehawken Waterfront** — score 317/1000
   New Jersey Hudson riverfront with a head-on view of Midtown Manhattan.
20. **Gantry Plaza State Park** — score 0/1000
   Long Island City waterfront park with restored gantries and the Pepsi-Cola sign, facing Midtown.
21. **Summit One Vanderbilt** — score 0/1000
   Mirrored observation experience on top of One Vanderbilt beside Grand Central.

Tags: travel, new-york, skylines, viewpoints, nyc