New York City offers tonnes of Instagram-worthy photo ops whether you're grabbing a snapshot of an iconic amusement park from a Ferris wheel or getting a drink at a rooftop bar. In this city, you can climb the towers of a castle or an iconic structure influenced by India. You can capture views of brightly-lit nighttime streets from overpasses or catch an iconic Bohemian street corner dating to the 18th century. From Central Park statues to railway viaducts, check out some of the most Instagrammable places in New York City.

  • 1

    Bethesda Fountain

    Snap a photo from an iconic Central Park landmark

    Bethesda Fountain
    • History
    • Photo

    Bethesda Fountain on Bethesda Terrace offers an iconic statue, the Angel of the Waters, surrounded by vast green space for an ideal photo opportunity. The fountain is the focal point of the terrace, which features grand staircases and an underpass beneath Terrace Drive and is built of New Brunswick sandstone, which provides a unique mustard colour. You'll find the fountain and terrace in the heart of Central Park. The fountain itself is located on the lower level of the terrace and has stood since 1864. The sculpture on top was created by Emma Stebbins in 1868 and has presided over the fountain since 1873 in honour of a famed biblical storey about the healing powers of the Pool of Bethesda.

    Location: 72 Terrace Dr, New York, NY 10021, USA

    Open: Daily from 6 am to 1 am

    Phone: +1 212-310-6600

    Map
  • 2

    Belvedere Castle

    Snap a selfie from the tower of a real castle

    Belvedere Castle
    • Budget
    • Families
    • Photo

    Belvedere Castle allows you to get a photo in a real castle tower with stunning views of Central Park and the city around. The castle has stood since the 19th century, was designed by architects Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, and has undergone several renovations. Today, it stands as a landmark of the park. The castle also houses a park visitor centre and gift shop. It's amongst the most popular lookout spots in the city and is accessible by winding stone staircases leading into the towers. It's also an important data collection site for the National Weather Service.

    Phone: +1 212-772-0288

    Map
  • 3

    The High Line

    Walk miles of the park along a former railway viaduct

    The High Line
    • Budget
    • Photo

    The High Line is a railway viaduct offering 1.45 miles of panoramic city views winding through Manhattan's Chelsea area and along the Hudson River. The location was designed in the mid-19th century, but after hundreds of deaths, it was declared a hazard and abandoned in 1980. In the early 21st century, it reopened as a scenic garden. Today, visitors can walk along the route and capture outstanding photographs of the Chelsea area, the Hudson River, and the gorgeous green space offered along its route. It has revitalised the area and is amongst the most popular attractions in New York.

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    Open: Daily from noon to 8 pm

    Phone: +1 212-500-6035

    Map
  • 4

    Washington Square Park

    Discover a cultural hub for buskers and local street performers

    Washington Square Park
    • Budget
    • Couples
    • Families
    • Photo

    Washington Square Park offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, a bohemian atmosphere, and a scenic fountain right at its heart. The park is located on the edge of New York University at the bottom of Fifth Avenue and was once known as a gathering ground for beatniks and hippies. Even today, it's the place to see a wide range of street performers, buskers, and local artists. The southwest corner of the park is famed for its chess tables where some legendary matches have occurred. At the park's entrance, the Washington Square Arch has stood since 1892 to celebrate the centenary of the inauguration of George Washington.

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    Location: Washington Square, New York, NY 10012, USA

    Open: Daily from 6 am to midnight

    Phone: +1 212-639-9675

    Map
  • 5

    Washington Street vantage point in Dumbo

    Catch a view of the Manhattan Bridge from DUMBO

    Washington Street vantage point in Dumbo
    • Budget
    • Photo

    The Washington and Water Street crossroads in the DUMBO area is amongst the most photographed streets in New York, with iconic cobblestone streets and old-fashioned views. From here, you can take selfies in front of redbrick buildings that frame a view of the towering Manhattan Bridge and its steel-blue frame. Speaking of frames, framed between the struts of the bridge, you can also catch the Empire State Building standing tall. This location is certain to be a solid choice to blow up your Instagram feed, and it's all Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, lending the area its unique name.

    Location: Water Street and Washington Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA

    Map
  • 6

    Vessel

    Run a jungle-gym honeycomb influenced by Indian stepwells

    Vessel
    • Budget
    • Couples
    • Families
    • Photo

    Vessel is a honeycomb-shaped attraction that offers 16 stories and 80 landings that you can climb to capture selfies and photos of the surrounding city. It's also ADA accessible with ramps and an lift, and it's modelled on a jungle gym and stepwells in India. This popular visitor attraction is located in city centre New York in the Hudson Yards, along Hudson Boulevard and 11th Avenue. It was designed and built to be part of the Hudson Yards Public Square and overlooks a 5-acre park with 28,000 plants and 225 trees.

    Location: 20 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001, USA

    Open: Daily from 11 am to 7 pm

    Phone: +1 332-204-8500

    Map
  • 7

    Stuyvesant Street

    Take a shot of one of the oldest streets in the city

    Stuyvesant Street
    • Budget
    • Photo

    Stuyvesant Street is one of the oldest streets in New York and offers photo opportunities of a wealth of historic locations and classic brownstones. The street is located in the East Village and really shows off everything this bohemian area is known for: the classic paving stones and bricks on the pavement and old brick buildings. Not only is this street incredibly photogenic, but it's also like walking into the past. It was a vital market thoroughfare in the 18th and 19th centuries, and many of those structures still stand today. It's such an important street that the Commissioner's Plan of 1811, which called for New York to adopt a grid for streets, made Stuyvesant an exception.

    Map
  • 8

    Tudor City overpass

    Climb one of the most popular photo-op spots in the city

    Tudor City overpass
    • Budget
    • Couples
    • Photo

    The Tudor City overpass offers a stunning view of New York's city streets for your Instagram feed, especially at night when everything is brightly lit. To reach the overpass, head for the Tudor City apartment complex on Manhattan's East Side. There's a set of stairs that lead directly to the overpass and the photo ops it offers. This overpass is one of the more popular stops for photographers in New York. It overlooks East 42nd Street and is a good spot whether you're looking for an iconic view or an iconic selfie.

    Map
  • 9

    New York rooftop bars

    Grab a craft beer, artisan cocktail and eats, and a photo, too

    New York rooftop bars
    • Couples
    • Food
    • Nightlife
    • Photo

    New York rooftop bars across the city can be a great opportunity for photographs as well as great food, from upscale to casual. Rooftop bars in NYC are a popular attraction for visitors and locals alike because they offer views of the iconic skyline and, in the evenings, of the brightly lit and bustling streets below. These bars tend to be outdoors, so they're seasonal, but whenever the weather allows, they are amongst the most Instagrammable places in the city. You can grab everything here from pub grub to high-end, white-tablecloth eats, craft cocktails, and craft brew beers.

  • 10

    Coney Island Boardwalk

    Head for one of the most iconic theme parks in the nation

    Coney Island Boardwalk
    • Couples
    • Families
    • Photo

    The Coney Island Boardwalk offers not only iconic Instagram photo ops, but also a Ferris wheel, roller coasters, thrill rides, games, Nathan's hot dogs, and old-school theme park fun. Coney Island is one of the most iconic amusement parks in the world, and it's a great place for couples on a romantic getaway or families on their annual holiday. Between photos of its historic boardwalk, rides, and games, stop and grab a candy floss and hot dog, ride the Wonder Wheel, and get away from your cares for a day. Don't forget to spend some time looking over the Atlantic Ocean from Coney Island Beach.

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    Location: Stillwell Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11214, USA

    Open: Daily from 11 am to 10 pm

    Map