Where can I go for a great view of the New York (Manhattan) skyline?

August 30, 2010 1:47 PM

Where can I go for a great view of the New York (Manhattan) skyline?

I'm looking for a free, not too loud, hopefully not too touristy place to relax with a couple friends or my girlfriend at night. It doesn't have to be a phenomenal view or anything--just someplace with a clear, unobstructed view.

posted by thelatermonths to travel & transportation around New York, NY (19 answers total)

The Promenade in Brooklyn Heights.
posted by ocherdraco at 1:51 PM on August 30, 2010 [3 favorites]

The Jersey City waterfront
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 1:56 PM on August 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

5th Street pier in Williamsburg is pretty good, too.
posted by The Straightener at 1:56 PM on August 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

The rooftop garden of the Metropolitan Museum of art on Friday or Saturday (when it stays open until 9pm).
posted by gum at 1:58 PM on August 30, 2010

SI ferry.
posted by cestmoi15 at 2:00 PM on August 30, 2010

Long Island City's Gantry State Park is pretty darn nice for this.
posted by jangie at 2:04 PM on August 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

Hamilton Park in Weehawken. Here's a video of the view.
posted by JulianDay at 2:04 PM on August 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Nthing Staten Island ferry. It's free and the view is nice both ways -- and you can buy (admittedly cheap and crappy) beer and (decent) pretzels.
posted by shamash at 2:06 PM on August 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Williamsburg or Greenpoint waterfront.
posted by greta simone at 2:07 PM on August 30, 2010

Statue of Liberty Island
posted by R. Mutt at 2:20 PM on August 30, 2010

+1 on the Jersey City waterfront. Where are you coming from, and is this weekday or weekend?

On weekdays, I really like the ferry from World Financial Center to Colgate/Paulus Hook. That puts you right on the Hudson River waterfront walkway, which is a very nice wide brick walkway with benches, etc.

Cheaper alternative is to take the PATH train from WTC 1 stop to Exchange Place. Comes out right near where the Paulus Hook ferry terminal is.

Near the Exchange Place stop is a pier that sticks out into the waterfront near the Hyatt, has lots of picnic tables and so forth, but it's usually really busy. You can walk out to the end of the Hyatt and there's a nice area out at the end of that, as well.

Going further north, just past the apartment buildings one pier up, there's a little area with trees and granite seats that I really like. The waterfront walkway runs all the way north into hoboken - and then continues north from Hoboken into Weehawken.

If you take the PATH into Hoboken (or walk up from Jersey City), there's a large pier with a park on it (Frank Sinantra Park??) which also very nice.
posted by lyra4 at 2:46 PM on August 30, 2010

The new Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1 and/or the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.
posted by andrewraff at 2:50 PM on August 30, 2010

Ditto Williamsburg/Greenpoint waterfront. The Promenade only gives you a view of downtown Manhattan, not the entire skyline. Also driving on the BQE around Williamsburg/Greenpoint is a great view, especially from the Kosciusco (sp?) bridge.
posted by kenzi23 at 3:14 PM on August 30, 2010

The center of the Pulaski Bridge, which can be reached by going north on McGuinness Boulevard from Greenpoint, Brooklyn to Long Island City, Queens. It is my favorite walk. It is my favorite place in the whole city. I love it so much. Try it.
posted by millipede at 3:20 PM on August 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Stevens Institute in Hoboken, or the high point on Staten Island (can't remember the name of the hill -- help me green). Both share the distinct characteristic of being higher than ground level -- which makes a dramatic difference in the view.
posted by LonnieK at 4:19 PM on August 30, 2010

Nthing Weehawken, especially most of Boulevard East as it is up on a cliff yet still basically on the waterfront. I see the skyline every day on my way to school :)
posted by ultrapotato at 4:44 PM on August 30, 2010

Another vote for the Staten Island ferry.
posted by SisterHavana at 4:55 PM on August 30, 2010

You're all lovely, lovely people. Thank you so much for all these answers! I now have a lot of exploring to do...:)
posted by thelatermonths at 4:57 PM on August 30, 2010

Staten Island Ferry is awesome. I have been to Manhattan once visiting, we went across Brooklyn Bridge and went down next to the river and that view of Manhattan is really pretty at night.
posted by sandyp at 5:21 PM on August 30, 2010