The most photographed sunset spots in NYC

Words by Georgina Groom-Rietschy

New York City is renowned for its sunsets: orange, pink and purple vistas reflected across shimmering skyscrapers. While the best-known spots speak for themselves, the sun’s ever-shifting path makes less-considered corners and waterfront pockets equally photogenic.

Keen to uncover the spots with reliably pretty sunset views year-round, we called upon our data science team to pinpoint the locations that see the most photo activity at dusk. Comparing the top ten with our 2024 rankings, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt holds onto the crown, followed by the Rockefeller Center and Brooklyn Bridge Park. The High Line makes a new entry in the top ten, its views across Chelsea and the Meatpacking District pushing the East River Waterfront out of the rankings entirely.

Curious how we calculated the photo index scores? Read the full methodology at the end of this article.

10 spots to see the sunset in NYC

1. SUMMIT One Vanderbilt

Photo index score: 100

It’s easy to spot the distinctive shape of One Vanderbilt, with its slick glass façade and ledges jutting out 90 storeys above Grand Central Terminal. On the 91st floor, the SUMMIT’s Transcendence installation is made entirely of mirrors – floors, walls and ceilings – creating an illusion of infinite open space, and vivid reflections of the city skyline. Point your camera at the mirrored floor for a shot of both the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings. Then, head out to the Levitation skyboxes, where you can stand on glass floors and look straight down at the sidewalks, to capture a shot that appears as though you’re floating above the skyline at sunset.

2. Rockefeller Center

Photo index score: 94

The Top of the Rock is a 10-minute walk from One Vanderbilt, but its vantage is different. The open-air deck delivers 360-degree views of Central Park, the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center and even New Jersey. Head to the 69th and 70th outdoor floors for unobstructed photos. Try the Skylift, a rotating glass platform rising 30 feet above the deck, and recreate the famous 1932 Lunch atop a Skyscraper photo on The Beam. If you’re visiting during the festive season, don’t miss the Rockefeller’s iconic Christmas tree, a 75-foot Norway spruce decorated with more than 50,000 LED lights.

3. Brooklyn Bridge Park

Photo index score: 66

This 85-acre waterfront park – stretching more than a mile along the East River shoreline, bounded by DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill – is one of the best spots to watch the sun set over Lower Manhattan. Head to Pier 1 an hour before sunset for views of the skyline and Brooklyn Bridge. If you’re looking for an alternative angle, head to the low vantage of Pebble Beach for views of the sprawling city across the river. Detour via DUMBO to frame the Empire State Building inside the Manhattan Bridge’s lower arch from Washington Street. It’s conveniently near Juliana’s, which serves some of the finest pizza in Brooklyn – coal-fired, thin-crust and available for takeaway to enjoy in the park.

4. Empire State Building

Photo index score: 61

The Empire State Building is the defining emblem of New York City. The Art Deco masterpiece is crowned by an antenna visible from Queens to Brooklyn, with decks on the 86th and 102nd floors. Book your sunset slot in advance and arrive an hour before to enjoy the exhibition detailing its construction. On the open-air 86th floor deck, watch the sky shift into streaks of orange and pink. On a clear day, you can see six surrounding states, plus the Chrysler Building, One World Trade Center and the Statue of Liberty.

5. Edge NYC

Photo index score: 58

Edge NYC is the highest outdoor observation deck in the western hemisphere, with its triangular platform sticking out from the building’s 100th floor. Angled, floor-to-ceiling glass lets visitors lean out over the city, while a transparent floor looks onto the sidewalks and Hudson Yards below. Broad concrete steps connect the 100th and 101st floors, with views toward the Statue of Liberty and the Atlantic. For more of a thrill, tackle the City Climb. It’s the highest open-air platform ascent in the world, and involves scaling a staircase on the outside of the skyscraper to a final height of 1,271 feet, suspending you high above the city.

6. Brooklyn Bridge

Photo index score: 46

Ask any New Yorker for the finest sunset spot and most will point to Brooklyn Bridge. The split-level suspension bridge connects Lower Manhattan to Brooklyn Heights, carrying cars below and pedestrians on its elevated boardwalk. Arrive at the Brooklyn entrance at golden hour and walk towards Manhattan to see the sun dip beneath the skyline. Stop just before the bridge’s stone arches to absorb the scale of the steel-wire cables and their criss-cross pattern, then snap the classic selfie with both arches in frame. If you’re looking to dodge the crowds, consider arriving at blue hour for the soothing glow of sunrise over Brooklyn and Manhattan.

7. Central Park

Photo index score: 22

There’s something uniquely satisfying about stepping off the swamped sidewalks into Central Park. Spread across 843 acres of meadows, forests and rolling hills, the park has featured in countless films, like Elf, Ghostbusters and Home Alone 2. The Conservatory Water is better known to some from the climax of Stuart Little, but it’s also among the best sunset spots in the park – its placid surface reflecting Fifth Avenue as the light fades. Bow Bridge is another highlight, arching over the park’s lake and framed by cherry trees. Don’t miss Bethesda Terrace, home to the Angel of the Waters fountain and the intricate Minton tiles in the lower arcade, where buskers play beneath vaulted ceilings and sounds are amplified by the arcade’s natural echo.

8. The Vessel at Hudson Yards

Photo index score: 18

Hudson Yards is the new neighbourhood on the west side of Midtown, anchored by the northern end of The High Line. At its core stands The Vessel, a honeycomb-shaped structure of interlocking staircases designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick. The 16-storey structure stands 150 feet tall, its copper-toned mirrored steel panels reflecting the light and skyscrapers. The lower-to-mid platforms give the clearest view towards the Hudson, with the stairs catching the light as the sun dips.

9. One World Trade Center

Photo index score: 16

In 47 seconds, the lift at One World Trade Center whisks you to the 102nd floor as the walls display a timelapse of New York City’s changing skyline through the centuries. Arriving at the indoor observation deck, you’ll take in 360-degree views of Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan and the Hudson. The building stands on the site of the Twin Towers, destroyed in the devastating 2001 attack, with the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at its foot. Before your ascent, visit the memorial – two square pools set within the footprints of the towers, their edges engraved with the names of those killed in the 2001 and 1993 attacks.

10. The High Line

Photo index score: 13

This 1.45-mile walkway transformed an abandoned freight rail line into a public park, lined with benches, grasses, trees and public art. It runs along the west side of Manhattan from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District up to 34th Street near Hudson Yards, passing through Chelsea. You can access the elevated walkway from various stairs and elevators, but it’s the Hudson River Overlook that we recommend for the ultimate sunset view. It’s tucked between 14th and 15th streets, with a large balcony facing west over the water and trees framing the Jersey skyline. From here, you’re a short walk from Pier 55 where the floating park of Little Island, with its tulip-shaped columns, awaits.

Methodology

To identify the most photographed sunset spots in New York City, Popsa’s data science team analysed millions of photos uploaded by customers in 2025. The team never viewed the photos. Instead, Popsa’s app identified sunset photos using on-device machine learning, which recognises general details in each photo – including whether a sunset is present. Using location metadata, the team determined images taken within the boundaries of the city’s most visited locations and ranked them by total photo volume.

Each spot was assigned a photo index score reflecting the relative volume of photos taken there compared with all other locations. Scores were normalised on a scale of 0 to 100, with the most photographed spot as the benchmark. The result is a ranking that reflects real traveller behaviour, highlighting not just where people visit, but where they’re most inspired to capture the moment.