Famous for its iconic vistas, New York is home to sites including Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building. Here’s where to look for unique, uncrowded viewpoints. ​

When one thinks of New York, the skyscrapers of Manhattan most certainly spring to mind. High-altitude views of the skyline are renownedly offered by the Empire State Building and the Rockefeller Center, but there are other options as well, including dangling over the edge of a 100-story building in Hudson Yards or having a picnic at a brewery in Brooklyn.

1.] Hudson Yards’ edge

For most visitors, Edge’s standard experience is exhilarating enough. Rising to the hundredth level of 30 Hudson Yards, the open-air, cantilevered “sky deck” offers a view that is unmatched by the other towers in the city, which are surrounded by other structures.

It’s also the highest outdoor observation platform in the western hemisphere, standing at 1,100 feet. To the south rise the towers of Lower Manhattan, including One World Trade Center; to the west stretches the entirety of New Jersey; and at your feet, a glass pane in the floating platform provides an unobstructed view directly down to the street.

Reserve a spot on the City Climb, which is located several levels above, if you prefer your view to come with an extra shot of excitement. You step out onto an open platform after being assisted into a harness, going through a comfortingly high number of safety checks, and being clipped to a rail that circles the building. Blown away by the wind and knowing that you are the highest person in New York at that exact moment, you climb the metal steps that run up one side of the tower, stopping occasionally to admire the bizarre view of the city below in miniature.

The last task at the summit is to lean over the edge onto a little terrace that is 1,200 feet above the ground. You will be held by a harness and the supportive yells of other climbers while you do this. Admission for all is $36 (£28). $185 (£147) for City Climb.

2.] The Met’s Garden

The majority of visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art arrive primarily to gaze at its astounding collections, quickly heading towards the newest, most anticipated show including influential artists like Karl Lagerfeld or Vincent Van Gogh. The views from the rooftop Cantor Garden, which can be reached by elevator from a first-floor display of Fabergé eggs, are equally captivating, though.

The people that make it here feel as though they have found a unique discovery because of the thin crowds. Most people walk directly for the garden’s well-trimmed box hedges, which provides views of Central Park and the Lower West Side’s skyscrapers, and avoid the outdoor bar and temporary art exhibits. $30 (or £24).

3.] Staten Island Ferry

The Staten Island Ferry is the greatest opportunity to get up close and personal with the national monument, unless you arrange to take a tour of the Statue of Liberty. Better yet, riding is completely free. The unusual orange boat takes 25 minutes to cross the harbor, puttering off from Battery Park at Manhattan’s southernmost point. En route, it passes Ellis Island and the well-known statue.

Excited tourists dart between perspectives on the top deck, picking between the great lady herself, the skylines of New Jersey and Brooklyn, and the high skyscrapers of the Financial District, while unaffected commuters lounge inside on wooden benches and seagulls whirl overhead. No cost.

4.] Pier 57

The multilane state highway that separates the picturesque west Manhattan neighborhoods of Chelsea and Greenwich from the piers along the Hudson River may make visiting appear unappealing. Still, the crossing is worthwhile.

Part of the ground floor of the Pier 57 building is dedicated to a food market, so stop by with some empanadas and a beer brewed in Harlem. There’s a two-acre rooftop garden on the top floor, with lots of benches to relax on and enjoy your food while taking in views of Little Island, Thomas Heatherwick’s man-made island park, and Hudson Yard’s quickly expanding skyscrapers. No cost.

5.] Red Hook

Try Red Hook if you think you’ve seen everything there is to see in New York. This neighborhood is emerging from decades of neglect along Brooklyn’s southern boundary, where the borough faces the Upper New York Bay.

Art galleries, BBQ restaurants, and whisky distilleries are being created out of old warehouses and industrial structures. Walking around the bay offers views of the docks and the Statue of Liberty, which are enhanced with a drink from one of the new tenants of the borough. Get a riesling on the dock outside Red Hook Winery or an IPA at the picnic tables of Strong Rope brewery.