17 spots in NYC with breathtakingly romantic views

One of the very best views of the Manhattan skyline is the Brooklyn Heights Promenade—a one-third-mile stretch of pavement along the East River. Breathtaking views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty are both visible from here. Take them here if you really want to wow them before or after a dinner at one of the best restaurants in Brooklyn.

After a romantic ride on Jane's Carousel and before dinner at and drinks atop Time Out Market New York, enjoy a more industrial atmosphere with gorgeous views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges that frame the skyline.

Sticking in Queens? Astoria Park has its own beautiful views of the East River and upper Manhattan that are largely underrated. Take a walk on the park's esplanade as the sun sets and your person will be wowed.

The view standing on the Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincon Center is stunning. You're surrounded by its gorgeous fountain and its beautiful buildings where the city's best theater, opera, dance and music performaces are happening. Really wow them by getting tickets to one and spending time walking the plaza afterward, talking about the show.

Not only is walking the High Line a gorgeous foray into a reclaimed green space overflowing with myriad trees and grasses, it also has brilliant views of the Hudson River and the city lights. Millions clamour for the dazzling views and those who appreciate art can find massive murals, abstract sculptures and a few performance pieces cropping up around and within view of the park. Before dinner in the Meatpacking District or Chelsea or after checking out an art exhibit at one of Chelsea's best galleries, head here.

For a romantic and classic view only in NYC, head to Bethesda Terrace and the gorgeous fountain featuring a female winged angel. This scene is simply divine and delivers the magic that only NYC's Central Park can produce.

Now that Governors Island is open year-round it's easier to take in views of Lower Manhattan and New York Harbor from its shores. Take a day trip to the island where you can ride bikes, sip on cocktails and take it all in with your beloved. Where else can you have a picnic directly across from the Statue of Liberty?

Westlight, a stylish glass box capping the neighborhood’s tallest skyscraper, is 22 stories up and has one of the best views of the skyline in the entire city. It's sixteen stories higher than the nearby rooftop bar Ides at the Wythe Hotel and offers sweeping views of three boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan). A wraparound terrace—encased with a plexiglass railing and dotted with bright-yellow viewfinders for sky-high people-watching—is fixed with lounge chairs for warmer weather, but when the chill sets in, the best seats in the house are the low-slung leather couches and velvet banquettes set directly in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Sit back and enjoy the show below with your boo.

When you want gorgeous views without the crowds, you will want to head to this Red Hook park that overlooks Buttermilk Channel. The park has views of the Statue of Liberty, Governor's Island, the Manhattan skyline and Staten Island. During the summer, the Red Hook Boaters (redhookboaters.org) offer free, first-come first-served kayaking sessions, while Red Hook Flicks (redhookflicks.com) screen gratis outdoor movies. 

Whether you live uptown or you're visiting The Met Cloisters with your date, this park has something that no other park has in NYC. It is 250 feet above the Hudson River and Palisades. It also boasts three landscaped acres that look as if they were transplanted from an English country estate house, with sloping and dropping elms. Many of the garden's 48 varieties of heaths and heathers are unique to New York City, and some bloom even in winter, their needlelike leaves turning copper to chocolate. So romantic!

If you're looking for a new view of the city from inside a rooftop bar, take them to Panorama Room atop the Graduate Roosevelt Island hotel. Located on the 18th floor of the hotel, the "jewel box" space that opens up to incredible views of the boroughs, the bridges and the East River, which shine like stars at night. Better yet, its interior is visually dramatic. Its palatial vibes are set by luxurious velvet vintage-inspired tubular lounge sofas, chrome and marble touches, mosaic tile columns and its giant, tubular acrylic chandeliers that hover above the massively long bar. It's not only luxe but it's somehow simultaneously futuristic and retro. 

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It might not be first on your list, but Brooklynites can find an under-the-radar viewpoint of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty from this multiblock park, which has loaned its name to the adjacent neighborhood. Go at sunset and they'll be floored.

Walk this elegant 19th-century mansion surrounded by meticulously groomed gardens, featuring abundant wildflowers and shady pergolas at this city-owned garden in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The area offers sweeping views of the river and the New Jersey Palisades. Wake up early to take advantage of free admission between 9am and noon every Saturday during select months of the year.

This manicured waterfront stretch in Long Island City is built around restored gantries, which were formerly used for loading and unloading barges...but now it's one of the most beautiful spots in NYC to take in the spectacular views of Manhattan and the East River.

If you want to see the newest view of NYC, take them to Summit One Vanderbilt atop a new 67-floor super-tall, 1,401-foot-high skyscraper. After a trip through a mirrored hallway with its own immersive elements, visitors take an elevator up to the 91st floor, where they're 1,000 feet over the streets and sidewalks of NYC. Kenzo Digital has created a totally mirrored infinity room called "Air" that reflects the sky and city views over and over, making you feel like you're walking in the sky or on another plane of existence. Looking above you and below you in this two-story space, you see your reflection repeating forever. It's an experience they'll never forget.

There can’t be many better ways to enjoy dinner with a view than to hop aboard a dinner cruise in NYC. Even the best restaurants in NYC can’t compare to the experience of eating out on the water, and most of these dinner cruises offer prix-fixe menus or buffet meals on enormous three-level ships, sailing taverns and ritzy yachts. Whichever you choose, the ambiance just can’t be beaten. Bon voyage – and bon appetit, too!

If none of these are impressive enough, book yourself a helicopter tour for the ultimate panoramic view of this incredible city's iconic skyline. Whether you want to jump on a quick 20-minute flight or take it all in over two whole hours, our list of the best helicopter tours in NYC has the perfect chopper for you.