Tudor City Bridge.

There’s a pedestrian overpass at 42nd Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues in the Tudor City complex that gives you one of the best skyline views in Manhattan. The Chrysler Building, the United Nations, the East River. All from a bridge that most New Yorkers have never set foot on.

It’s free, it’s always empty, and at sunset, the light on the Chrysler Building from this angle is the kind of thing that makes you stop and stare. I found this spot by accident three years ago and I’ve brought every visitor here since.

We’ve visited the Tudor City Bridge several times and usually get the bridge to ourselves, even during sunset which shows just how underrated this NYC viewpoint is. However, there’s a well-known annual phenomenon called Manhattanhenge, which is when the sun aligns perfectly with east-to-west streets during sunset.

As you can imagine, the bridge swells with photographers during this time because this is easily the best view of NYC during Manhattanhenge. The Chrysler Building steals the show and the fast moving cars below make this a great spot to practice your photography skills. But damn. You’ll need to arrive 2 hours before sunset to get a good spot.