Get the Best Winter Activities
Pier 44 Waterfront Garden
290 Conover St., Red Hook
Loved by locals, the Pier 44 Waterfront Garden is a true hidden gem located in Red Hook that you will not be able to easily find on the map. This small park is home to The Waterfront Museum, housed on a 1914 barge. While you are here and looking at the beautiful views, be sure to check out Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies or the Fairway Market of Red Hook.
Sunset Park
41 Street to 44 Street, between 5th and 7th avenues, Sunset Park
Located on the highest point of the Sunset Park neighborhood in the heart of Brooklyn, Sunset Park is one of the borough’s hidden gems. The park gives visitors a 360-degree view of the surrounding horizon including the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan Skyline, Brooklyn neighborhoods, Staten Island, and New Jersey. Along with a grassy lawn, the park is home to a swimming pool, sand volleyball court, a pedestrian walkway, and a memorial remembering Sept. 11.
The Best Places to See the Statue of Liberty from the Water
IKEA Ferry
Pier 11/Wall Street, Lower Manhattan to 1 Beard St. (IKEA Dock), Red Hook
Taking you from Lower Manhattan to the city’s only IKEA, which is located in Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood, you will get a slightly closer view of the statue, for a lower cost than other ferry rides in the area as tickets are only $5 for adults during the week and free on weekends. That being said, if you are planning on shopping at IKEA during the week and you spend over $10, your ferry ticket will get you a $5 credit. Though it goes between Governors Island and Brooklyn, not up close to the statue, it leaves approximately every 45 minutes and is a convenient way to get from one borough to another. If you are riding for the scenery, sit on the top deck for 360-degree views.
Fake, yet Photo Worthy
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Park
The Statue of Liberty’s shorter twin quietly sits in the sculpture garden of the Brooklyn Museum. Though it is not the real statue, it sure is less busy and much easier to get to than the one out in the harbor. The benefit of visiting this one? You get an up-close and personal view, with no traffic, and a better photo than you would anywhere else.
Image: Stop by Louis Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier in Red Hook for a front view of Lady Liberty.
Credit: Daniel Avila/ NYC Parks
