Jersey City, New Jersey

The finest Manhattan skyline view that isn't actually in Manhattan.

Last Updated: August 11, 2026

Getting to Jersey City

Approximate driving distance and time via major highways, for planning purposes only.

From Philadelphia, PA (City Hall)

1 hr 40 min

~90 miles

From New York City, NY (Times Square)

20 min

~6 miles

From Boston, MA (Faneuil Hall)

3 hr 45 min

~210 miles

Emma Shorebreak walking the Jersey City waterfront with a view of the Manhattan New York skyline

The Jersey City waterfront offers, in my carefully considered opinion, a finer view of the Manhattan skyline than most vantage points within Manhattan itself, the full, unbroken sweep of it laid out across the Hudson without a single skyscraper obstructing the frame. It remains one of the best free things to do in Jersey City, NJ for skyline photography alone.

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