Immortalised in innumerable films and TV shows, New York City (NYC) is the city of dreams, pulsating with boundless energy that’s hard to define but undoubtedly palpable when you are there. It can be rough around the edges, gritty, and overwhelming, but amidst its hustle and bustle, there are beautiful places in New York City that will delight and surprise you.
NYC is diverse, creative and alive and is as big as it gets with more options for entertainment, family fun, dining, drinking and things to do than anywhere else on earth. Making a choice might be harder than you think, so here’s our selection to get you started.
Stock up on water, put on your best walking shoes, and bring your A-game to the city that entirely warrants it. There’s simply no place like New York!
Best time to visit scenic and beautiful places in New York City
NYC is a good idea any time of the year, but expect something different depending on the season. The city sparkles from November through December with Christmas lights and decor galore. Springtime brings sunny days, trees bursting to life and a general spring in everyone’s step after the long, cold winter. Summers can be hot, but a roster of exciting events is great compensation. Fall is glorious with the leaves changing colour and a nip in the air. With the holiday season just around the corner, crowds begin to swell, but it’s also the most magical time of the year!
Most beautiful and scenic tourist places in New York City
Central Park
Image Credit: Pandora Pictures/Shutterstock
Central Park’s charm lies in its incongruity – it’s a sprawling green space bang in the heart of NYC, hemmed in by towering buildings on all sides. Spread over 843 acres, the park is home to gardens, lakes, meadows, playgrounds, a zoo and an ice-skating rink in winter. The scene of countless proposals, break-ups, and other endearing celluloid moments, Central Park stuns with its openness and lush foliage. Walk down its elm-lined walkways and cover some of its highlights: the Bethesda Fountain, Belvedere Castle, the Victorian-era Bow Bridge, Conservatory Garden and Strawberry Fields – a 2.5-acre piece of land dedicated to the late Beatle musician, John Lennon.
Visit some of NYC’s best museums located around the park’s perimeter. The American Museum of Natural History, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Art and Design are some of the many easily accessible from the park.
Timings: 6 am to 1 am on all days
Location: Between Upper West Side-Upper East Side neighbourhoods, Manhattan
How to reach: 20-minute walk from Grand Central Station and a 30-minute walk from Penn Station.
Best places to stay: The Plaza Hotel (luxury); Arthouse Hotel (boutique); The Blakely (budget)
Book your stay at The Plaza via Booking.com
Book your stay at The Plaza via Agoda.com
The Cloisters, Washington Heights
Image Credit: travelview/Shutterstock
Often described as a castle, the Cloisters — a collection of buildings built around four cloisters, is a museum that houses a magnificent collection of art from the Middle Ages. Carefully rebuilt using material from different French cloisters and surrounded by medieval gardens, stepping inside is like both going back in time and travelling across the world.
Come spring and summer, the gardens brimming with flowers make for a lovely break between viewing more than 5000 pieces of European art that are part of the permanent collection. Soaking in the beauty of the buildings and their magical setting is as important as viewing the precious exhibits inside and so factor time for a wander. Inside the not-to-be-missed highlights are the intricately woven and mystical Unicorn Tapestries, stained glass from the chapel at Ebreichsdorf, Austria, and an ivory cross from the 12th century.
Timings: Thursday-Tuesday 10 am to 4:30 pm; closed on Wednesday
Location: 99 Margaret Corbin Dr, New York, NY 10040
How to reach: Take the uptown A train to 190th Street Station. Exit to Fort Washington Avenue, take the M4 bus and ride north one stop to the Met Cloisters.
Best place to stay: Homewood Suites By Hilton
Book your stay at Homewood Suites by Hilton New York via Booking.com
Book your stay at Homewood Suites by Hilton New York via Agoda.com
Grand Central Terminal
Image Credit: Jantira Namwong/Shutterstock
Trust NYC to throw up surprises, and it does with a railway station so magnificent that it’s one of the most visited places in the city. The Beaux Arts Grand Central Terminal draws not just people passing through but visitors who come to gawk at its striking baroque interiors. Its expansive vaulted ceiling is a thing of beauty covered with 12 gold leaf constellations and 2500 LED illuminated stars.
Meeting under the opal glass clock positioned above the information booth is as popular as clicking a photo in Times Square. A 90-minute guided walk lets you delve into the terminal’s long history and discover its many architectural marvels. With numerous shopping and dining options inside, you can spend several hours here.
Timings: 5:15 am to 2:00 am
Location: 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA
How to reach: Accessible by many trains and buses. A shuttle from Times Square can also bring you to the station.
Best place to stay: Library Hotel
Book your stay at Library Hotel by Library Hotel Collection via Booking.com
Book your stay at Library Hotel by Library Hotel Collection via Agoda.com
Prospect Park
Image Credit: Lennox Wright/Shutterstock
The creators of Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, created Prospect Park hoping to better their first creation, and they did. One of the most beautiful places in New York City, Prospect Park is an oasis of green spanning 600 acres in Brooklyn with plenty of historic memorials, splendid architectural elements, and sculptures within its leafy confines.
The grand Beaux Arts Boathouse on Lullwater Lake, built in a Venetian style, transports you to an era when people would saunter around the grounds adorned in gowns and hats. Nearby Concert Grove was host to several open-air concerts in the late 19th century and features bronze busts of famous music composers, including a larger-than-life statue of Abraham Lincoln – the first statue built of the former president in the country.
Timings: 5 am to 1 am
Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA
How to reach: There are many subway stations within walking distance of the park, such as Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park, Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum, 15th Street-Prospect Park, Parkside Avenue and Hamilton Parkway.
Best place to stay: Ace Hotel Brooklyn
Book your stay at Ace Hotel Brooklyn via Booking.com
The High Line
Image Credit: Francois Roux/Shutterstock
Ever wondered what a modern green pocket would look like? Make your way to The High Line – an elevated public space created over an abandoned rail line. Running through a neighbourhood that was instrumental in its creation, people flock to The High Line to enjoy moments of precious calm in carefully created gardens featuring plants inspired by those that grew wild after the line was put out of service. It’s a popular spot to grab a bite, meet up with friends, or view art. An open-air art gallery, it features creations that touch upon a broad spectrum of subjects ranging from Biblical passages to climate injustice. Look out for Nina Chanel Abney’s NYC LOVE mural, which is an ode to the city, capturing the feelings associated with arriving here for the first time. Glorious 360-degree views of the Hudson River and NYC’s skyline are a bonus.
At one end, explore Hudson Yards, one of NYC’s newest neighborhoods, with a swanky shopping mall, the Vessel – a futuristic spiral staircase, and The Shed: a space where art across disciplines is celebrated. For a one-of-a-kind experience of the city, head to The Edge, a sky deck that offers splendid views and equal amounts of thrill as you walk along a glass floor jutting out 100 floors high.
And that’s not all! A short walk from The High Line is the ever-bustling Chelsea Market, an indoor eating and shopping destination unlike any other. Mirroring a lively market where patrons can eat through the world from Japanese-inspired Mexican dishes to Indian street food and also stock up on supplies.
Timings: 7 am to 8 pm
Location: West Side of Manhattan, New York
How to reach: Take the A/C trains to 14th Street, 23rd Street and 33rd Street-Penn Station
Best places to stay: The Hotel Chelsea
Book your stay at The Hotel Chelsea via Booking.com
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image Credit: Spiroview Inc/Shutterstock
Everything about The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as The Met, is grand and spectacular. A visit just to take in the grandeur of the building is entirely warranted, as is sitting on its steps watching the world go by. Inside, art enthusiasts can look forward to diving into an expansive collection spanning 5,000 years from across the globe. The Egyptian section stuns with a collection of nearly 26,000 objects. Look out for the Temple of Dendur, gifted by Egypt to the United States as a token of appreciation for the help provided during the construction of the High Aswan Dam.
Other highlights include Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain sculptures; artworks and sculptures of European masters; and the arms and armour section. A free guided tour is the best way to get an overview of one of the most beautiful places in New York City and its different sections.
Timings: Sunday to Thursday 10 am to 5 pm; Saturday-Sunday 10 am to 9 pm; Wednesday closed
Location: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA
How to reach: Take the 4, 5 or 6 trains to 86th Street and walk west to Fifth Avenue
Best places to stay: The Mark Hotel
Book your stay at The Mark via Booking.com
Book your stay at The Mark via Agoda.com
DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass)
Image Credit: Stefan Ugljevarevic/Shutterstock
With fabulous dining options, rocking nightlife, quirky art galleries, and a flea market in a fantastic location – with the striking Manhattan Bridge peeping out from between brick buildings – DUMBO is one of Brooklyn’s most loved neighbourhoods. In this once-industrial corner, cobbled streets run past warehouses repurposed into creative spaces. At every turn and corner, find something unexpected and fun! Don’t miss taking a leisurely ride on the sparkling Jane’s Carousel with 48 carved horses and two chariots. Brooklyn Bridge Park offers glorious views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the famous Manhattan skyline beyond. While there are plenty of choices to eat and drink, eternal favourites include Grimaldi’s, Juliana’s Pizza, and Jacques Torres Chocolate, known for its giant-sized chocolate chip cookie.
DUMBO is also home to NYC’s Time Out Market, a carefully selected mishmash of the city’s best eating and drinking places all under one roof with an electric atmosphere all through the day.
Location: Between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges
How to reach: Walk across Brooklyn Bridge; take the East River Ferry (seasonal) from Wall Street/Pier 11
Best place to stay: Ace Hotel Brooklyn
Book your stay at Ace Hotel Brooklyn via Booking.com
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Image Credit: Linda Harms/Shutterstock
One of the most beautiful places in New York City and another beloved green space, Brooklyn Botanic Gardens will take your breath away with its lush grounds filled with flowering shrubs and trees or captivating fall colours depending on the season. Created on a philosophy to foster an appreciation for nature and built on a sense of caring for the environment, the grounds are important as well as pleasurable.
A highlight is the cherry blossoms that envelop the park in a riot of blooms come spring. Meander down its many trails and stop where your heart desires. Being in nature and remaining in awe of it are what the garden is all about.
Timings: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 6 pm; Monday closed
Location: Brooklyn, NY 11238, USA
How to reach: Take the B/Q/S lines to Prospect Park Station
Best place to stay: Ace Hotel Brooklyn
Book your stay at Ace Hotel Brooklyn via Booking.com
Shop the best travel experiences here
Statue of Liberty
Image Credit: spyarm/Shutterstock
There’s perhaps no other sight as enduring as the greenish Statue of Liberty framed by NYC’s iconic skyscrapers, one of the most beautiful places in New York City. A gift from France to mark the alliance between the two countries during the American Revolution, it was shipped in parts and put together on the island.
For the thousands of migrants who arrived in New York, a sighting of the 93-metre statue served as a beacon of hope and freedom. Today, visitors throng the 14.7-acre island to get a closer look. For those keen to delve deeper, climb 354 steep steps that take you right up to the crown.
Timings: 9 am to 5 pm on all days
Location: New York, NY 10004, United States
How to reach: Statue City Cruises take visitors to Liberty Island starting from The Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan, and Liberty State Park from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Best place to stay: Hilton Garden Inn NYC Financial Centre
Book your stay at Hilton Garden Inn NYC Financial Center via Booking.com
Book your stay at Hilton Garden Inn NYC Financial Center via Agoda.com
Greenwich Village
Image Credit: Agnieszka Gaul/Shutterstock
Big on Bohemian vibe, Greenwich Village bristles with creativity. Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan called this neighbourhood home, and several other creative geniuses created some of their best work here, including the unstoppable Taylor Swift.
Today, come for a laugh at one of the many fabulous comedy clubs, indulge in some of the best food the city has to offer, shop in quaint boutiques, listen to a performance in Washington Square Park, or simply stroll past a collection of brownstone buildings standing alongside post-war apartment blocks.
Location: Manhattan
How to reach: Several trains will take you to 14th Street or West 4th Street stops
Best place to stay: Washington Square Hotel
Book your stay at Washington Square Hotel via Booking.com
Book your stay at Washington Square Hotel via Agoda.com
(Feature image credit: Linda Harms/Shutterstock)
Related: 25 Most Beautiful Places In Texas, According To A Born And Raised Texan
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Which NYC neighbourhoods offer the best views of the city skyline?
Brooklyn and The High Line offer some of the best views of NYC’s skyline.
– What are some of the picturesque spots in Central Park?
Bethesda Fountain, Belvedere Castle, Bow Bridge, and Conservatory Garden are some of the most picturesque spots in Central Park.
– Where can I enjoy beautiful waterfront views in New York City?
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Domino Park, Brooklyn Bridge, and Staten Island Ferry have some of the most stunning waterfront views in NYC.
– Are there any hidden gems with beautiful architecture?
The Cloisters and Jefferson Market Library are places with beautiful architecture.
– What are some photogenic New York City streets for Instagram-worthy shots?
The intersection of Washington Street and Water Street, DUMBO; Flatiron Building at the intersection of Broadway and 5th Avenue, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, and Washington Square Arch are some of the best Instagram-worthy streets for your feed.
– Where can I experience the beauty of art and architecture in NYC?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and MoMA are some of the best options to enjoy beautiful art and architecture in New York City.
– Which parks offer a peaceful escape from the New York City noise?
Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Prospect Park, and Domino Park offer a peaceful escape from the city noise.
– What are some of the scenic places to explore in lower Manhattan?
The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, The Battery, and Brooklyn Bridge are some of the scenic places to pay a visit to in lower Manhattan.
– Where can I find beautiful places and panoramic views of New York City?
Summit One Vanderbilt, One World Observatory, Empire State Building, Edge Observation Deck, and Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Centre offer the chance to experience panoramic views of New York City.
