Where to Find the Best Views in New York City
TPG Contributor Mitch Berman has lived all his adult life in Manhattan, and his son, TPG Teen Contributor Kofi Lee-Berman, was born there. Here, they share their love of heights and their vertical hometown, with text by Mitch and pictures by both of them. Visit Mitch and Kofi’s photo blog and Kofi’s travel blog for more.
As a California kid from a suburb full of ranch houses, when I first looked up at Manhattan, I fell in love. At some level I'd resolved then and there to move to New York, only I just didn't realize it at the time.
Though I've now spent most of my life in Manhattan, I still look up sometimes and feel that same old sense of amazement wash over me. It's a great city for a great many reasons — one of them is it just doesn't look remotely like anyplace else. Here's a look at some of my favorite places to find the best views in the Big Apple.
The Met's Roof Garden Café and Martini Bar
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a fantastic resource for New Yorkers and visitors alike. While most people stay inside to see all the magnificent works or art, you shouldn't miss another — the rooftop's nearly 360-degree views of Fifth Avenue and Central Park, stretching downtown all the way from 83rd to 59th Street, and across all the way to Central Park West.
The Met's rooftop also features revolving art exhibits like Cornelia Parker's Psychobarn, pictured below, and a thriving bar that fills up for cocktail hour.
The High Line
While the High Line might be a relatively new park — most of its length opened only in 2011 — it was an immediate sensation. Built on a long-disused rail line, it's a 1.45-mile biopsy of Manhattan, offering a brand new perspective on the city. Nowadays the park is listed in just about every travel guide, and there are usually so many visitors that it can be hard to maneuver.
I was trapped up there during a recent storm, when the rain started coming down in sheets. Without an umbrella, I had no choice but to wait it out and it ended up being a blessing in disguise — I soon discovered everyone else had cleared out and the High Line was mine!
The Bar at 230 Fifth
You can get great views of both the Empire State Building and Madison Square Park from the top of 230 Fifth, a bar that bills itself as the largest outdoor rooftop garden in New York. And it must be — there's space for hundreds of people, with full views on three sides.
Several excellent buildings stand alongside Madison Square, the original location of Madison Square Garden.
First, you'll see the narrow, campanile-like Metropolitan Life Clock Tower. At exactly 700 feet, it was the world's tallest building when it opened in 1909.
One of my favorite buildings is right next door, and is now known as Eleven Madison Avenue. Begun in the 1920s as the Metropolitan Life North Building, it was originally supposed to attain a height nearly double that of the Metropolitan Life Clock Tower. But the grandiose project was hard-hit by the Great Depression, and construction ground to a halt in 1933. The 29-story stump of what would have been the world's tallest building was finished only in 1950.
A somewhat more successful construction project went up in 1931. The Empire State Building became a worldwide icon when King Kong fell off the top only two years later. It would reign as the world's tallest building for nearly four decades, surpassed only by the World Trade Center in 1970. After September 11, 2001, the Empire State Building was once again New York's tallest building, until One World Trade Center opened in 2014.
One World Observatory
The new highest building in the western hemisphere, One World Trade Center has an observatory 1,254 feet in the air, just 522 feet lower than its top. That's quite high enough.
The observatory has windows on all sides (but it's not open air, unfortunately), and you can look toward Brooklyn and its famous bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge Area
The walk from the Brooklyn Heights promenade over the Brooklyn Bridge toward Manhattan yields some of the best views of the city. This is no undiscovered treasure, however — the bridge is crowded with what seems like shore-to-shore selfie-takers. And deadly speeding bicyclists. Stay in the pedestrian lane, no matter how crowded it gets!
Back on the Brooklyn side, admire the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn Bridge Park.
If all this walking has helped you work up an appetite, stop by Grimaldi's in Fulton Landing (on the Brooklyn side), serving whole pizzas only (no slices) in a glorious building at One Front Street. For dessert, treat yourself to a delicious sundae with hot fudge and a mountain of roasted almond slivers at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.
And if You're Lucky, From the Air
This view of the 2015 winter snowstorm and deep freeze was snapped, appropriately enough for The Points Guy, from a plane window.
It's a treat whenever we fly this close over our hometown, but last winter was special because so many parts of Queens and Central Park were snowed over, and ice floes formed over the shallower surfaces of the East River. New York was truly transformed, and by luck we got to see it all from above.
What's your favorite view in New York City?
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.