You may say I’m biased; but…

The best view in New York City is from my Mom’s 10th floor balcony on Roosevelt Island.

 

During summer months, the sun sets directly across the East River from my mom’s balcony

Here’s a Timelapse Video of Why!

To prove my hypothesis, I set my Nikon D7000 on a tripod and took a photo every 32 seconds for 11 hours.

The resulting 1,235 photos became this one-minute timelapse video. See if you agree.

Tech Specs: I used manual mode for the first 5 hours then switched to auto for the rest. What can I say… a guy’s gotta leave the house sometimes!


Where & What is Roosevelt Island?

Roosevelt Island is located in the middle of the East River between Manhattan and Queens

As such, the entire Island provides non-stop scenic views of New York City.

 

A cloud vortex above Manhattan, as seen from my mom's balcony on Roosevelt Island, NYC
A cloud vortex above Manhattan, as seen from my mom’s balcony on Roosevelt Island, NYC

Oh, the Sunsets!

While the sun’s exact position changes throughout the year, it generally sets somewhere within the 20-block span of Manhattan that is visible from my Mom’s balcony on Roosevelt Island.

 

A rainbow of colors over Manhattan's East Side
A rainbow of colors over Manhattan’s East Side

You Never Know What You’ll See in the East River

Tugboats, tour ships, freighters, barges, speedboats, yachts… the East River floats them all!

On some American holidays, a police boat sprays festive red, white and blue streams of water into the river.

 

Over Labor Day weekend in 2009, the red, white and blue barge made a trip down the East River

Bad Weather Makes the View Even Better!

Over the years, I’ve seen entire shelves of ice floating down the river and watched as layers of fog moved about on top of the water.

The scene is always mesmerizing.

 

A foggy afternoon in late-October, 2011, on the East River

The Real Reason it’s My Favorite View is because…

My Mom still lives there!

That means any time I’m taking in my favorite view in New York City, I’m also hanging out with the best Mom in New York City (and the world too).

 

The City that Never Sleeps almost looks calm in the wee hours of the night

Where is your favorite view in New York City?