The Coolest Places in NYC to Take Family Photos

Enhance your Insta feed by posting a family pic in front of one of these awesome New York City backdrops.

By Melissa Wickes, Shara Levine November 3, 2022

Spice up your Instagram feed by reminding your friends and family that you’re from the greatest city in the world and you’re darn proud of it! Use NYC as your backdrop for your next family photoshoot. These spots in Brooklyn and New York make for awesome family pictures and will make your friends and family think you’re the trendiest parents in the borough.

Where to Take Family Photos in Manhattan
Where to Take Family Photos in Brooklyn
Where to Take Family Photos in Queens
Murals in NYC

Where to Take Family Photos in Manhattan

Take a family selfie with the Empire State Building. If you stand on any of the four corners of the block the ESB is on, you can get a good shot of it in the background.

christmas card photos

Take a cruise on Circle Line, Hornblower, or Statue Cruises for an epic photo of the Manhattan skyline behind you.

christmas photos in nyc

On a clear day, head to one of NYC’s amazing observation decks—like the Top of the Rock, One World Trade, the Empire State Building, or the Edge—to capture a bird’s-eye view of the city behind you.

Image: @nihaonewyork and her family at The Edge. Image courtesy @nihaonewyork.

Snap a pic of your family in front of New York’s most iconic tree: The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Make sure you make a reservation first. The tree is lit on 11/30!

The Washington Square Park Arch is the site of many iconic moments in history, especially this past year. Take a picture standing under it and, if you get the right angle, you can get the Empire State Building in the shot and the Christmas tree, too.

You may not want to brave the steps at Times Square on a normal day, but because crowds are so much smaller in Times Square these days, now is the perfect time to get that iconic NYC picture with all of the lights in the background!

Hope is something we all need right now. The Hope statue on 53rd and Seventh Avenue makes for an adorable picture with a message built right in.

Send out some peace, love, and happiness, too by taking a picture in front of these awesome sculptures in the Seaport District.

Another iconic NYC family photo can be taken in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas ornament sculptures.

The Sea Glass Carousel is mystical and magical looking and can surely make for some adorable, cheerful shots of the kiddos.

The winter sunsets over the Hudson at Brookfield Place are unmatched and picture perfect. While you're there, the Luminaries (opening 11/25) inside are a beautiful backdrop as well.

Where to Take Family Pictures in Brooklyn

Take a photo with Lady Liberty at Louis Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier in Red Hook. The park offers a unique view of the Statue of Liberty, as you can see it straight on rather than from the side. Along with the Statue of Liberty, you can see Governors Island, the Manhattan Skyline, and Staten Island.

You can’t go wrong with a Brooklyn Bridge shot, especially at sunset.

Head towards Washington Street and Water Street in DUMBO for an iconic shot with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

St. Ann’s Warehouse, located right below the Brooklyn Bridge at 45 Water Street, has a beautiful brick patio area that is picture-perfect and open to the public. It's also a trendier, more rustic looking pic.

Image credit: Joevare

Domino Park, located at 300 Kent Ave, is one of the best spots in Brooklyn to get some amazing Williamsburg pictures. This park has an unbeatable view of the NYC skyline and the sunsets here are stunning.

Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park offers the best skyline panoramic view of Manhattan.

Where to Take Family Pictures in Queens

The neon Pepsi Cola sign in Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City is a trendy spot for your family photos.

Snap a pic in Astoria Park with the Hell Gate Bridge as your backdrop.

The Unisphere at Flushing Meadows Corona Park is a giant, stainless steel representation of the Earth and is surrounded by 48 pairs of fountain heads.

Take Family Photos in front of an NYC Mural

NYC is home to astounding and colorful art, especially in the form of murals. Here are some of our favorites:

The World Trade Center murals are an art installment in the city that are as bright and cheerful as one could hope. You can get the perfect shot with a mural and the Oculus or One World Trade in the background to show your true NYC pride.