Top Sunset Locations for Photography in New York City

Want to shoot the perfect New York City sunset? Luckily for you, NYC-based photographer Matt Ritchie has provided a comprehensive guide featuring the best spots and strategies for capturing a stunning sunset. 

Over to you, Matt.

I’m Matt Ritchie, a New York City photographer from Wellington, New Zealand. I’ve had a passion for photography for as long as I can remember and I look to capture the beauty of the spaces around me—whether they’re natural landscapes back home or the streets of New York City where I’ve photographed the past five years.

I try to travel light. My kit bag typically consists of just my primary camera body—the Sony A7 IV—and two lenses. The Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM is my absolute go-to lens when shooting the sunset. I could happily walk around with only this lens and know that I’m going to have a perfect range of focal lengths to capture the city. I also carry my Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM FE, a great low-light lens. I often switch to this lens as the evening goes on or if I’m looking to capture some good depth of field between the subject and the background. Read our best tips for low-light photography.

Central Park

When shooting in Central Park, I look to capture the contrast between the natural beauty and the overlooking architectural marvels that surround its perimeter. There are several large open areas, including lawns and lakes that are perfect for framing this type of juxtaposition. On still days, the many lakes turn into perfect mirrors, allowing for both the sky and the cityscape to be reflected in the water. Lower your F stop to ensure you have a crisp image across the entirety of the frame.

Dumbo/Brooklyn Bridge Park

This is one of the most iconic spots in all of New York City. You can be assured that this spot will be full of photographers on any given evening. I typically look for moments where I can isolate a few subjects and frame them against the city backdrop. There are so many great vantage points within a short distance. I would recommend not staying in one spot, but rather picking where you want to capture golden hour and moving from there as the sun sets and progresses into blue hour. Look out for leading lines, such as walkways and paths that direct the viewer’s eyes throughout the image.

Gantry Plaza State Park

Gantry Plaza State Park is a dynamic location with interesting layers to play with within the composition. You can take in the landscape architecture, the tree-lined waterfront and the sports field filled with people. Each visual piece adds an element to the Manhattan skyline in the background. This location perfectly aligns with the city cross streets of Manhattan, making the Manhattanhenge effect visible from across the East River. In mid summer, the sun sets along this city grid, creating a glow between the high-rise buildings during the golden hour. Another great time of the year to shoot this location at sunset is in early spring. The cherry blossoms line the basin of the park and make for a beautiful composition against the city backdrop.

North 5th Street Pier

The leading lines of the North 5th Street Pier create one of the most perfectly framed spots in New York City. I look out for people I can frame with the iconic Empire State Building layered in the background, shifting focus to the city or to the subjects in the foreground. The Empire State Building lights up each night at sunset. I recommend waiting until the sky dims and the lights begin to pop. This allows for the perfect exposure of the skyline and the subjects in your foreground. To achieve a more dramatic look, you can stand further back at the pier and shoot with a longer focal length to compress the image and make your subjects look larger in relation to the background.

SUMMIT

The most incredible sunsets from SUMMIT are captured in the winter, as the sun sets further southwest, making for an incredible scattering of light as it enters the south-facing windows. To make the most of this location, stand back from the windows and capture the immersive mirrored room within your frame to add interest to your image. One of the most unique perspectives in all of New York City can be found along the linkway bridge on the second floor of the space. The infinity reflections of the people and the city streets below are perfectly framed between the mirrored columns, making for a surreal view. If you’re just looking to capture views, consider bringing a lens skirt to help block out the added window reflections, as you’ll be shooting through glass.

Top of the Rock

Top of the Rock is the most iconic cityscape location with amazing views in all directions, including Central Park to the north and the Empire State Building to the south. The golden hour light washing over Manhattan is incredible from high above the city. Make sure you pack a range of lenses as everything from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Statue of Liberty is visible from here and a powerful zoom lens can capture it all. One of my favourite perspectives from this location is to shoot wide and capture other people taking in the view within the same frame, giving a human sense of scale to such a vast view. Typically, Top of the Rock and all other observation decks sell out for their sunset visiting times a few days in advance, so book ahead. Try to stay well after the sun has already set, even if you didn’t quite get the sunset you were after, as blue hour is incredible at these heights regardless of the weather. The lights within all the high-rises give the city its sparkle after the sun goes down.

Hudson River Park

Hudson River Park, located on the west side of Manhattan, allows you to capture the unobstructed sunset over the Hudson River. If visiting in summer, you can even catch the sun setting directly behind Little Island. The golden glow of sunset is especially noticeable against the high-rise structures in Lower Manhattan. One of the newest, greatest locations to catch this view is from the rooftop park at Pier 57. Elevated above the boardwalk, the views south give a unique perspective of Little Island and Lower Manhattan.

Thanks for the guide, Matt. Now you’re equipped with the know-how to shoot gorgeous sunsets from some of the most breathtaking spots in New York City.

Check out the kit Matt used to capture his sunset shots and follow him on Instagram. Or, see more camera gear guides at the MPB content hub.