NYC observation decks: Pros & cons of each ✅

Hello,

All-electric air taxis recently completed demo flights in NYC. The goal? Connect Lower Manhattan to JFK airport in about 10 minutes, with zero emissions. And as they say..

Time is money, money is power, power is pizza, pizza is knowledge. 🚁

And now…

In this week’s newsletter:

🎫 Events We Love This Week: May 13-20 - 200+ booths & car-free streets on Park Ave + a dance parade down 6th Ave

🍨 You’ll Have to Check It Out - Samples encouraged + monthly flavors

🏙️ Best Observation Deck - Cuz the views aren’t gonna view themselves

You’re gonna like what you see. 👇

Notes: As always, this email was written by an actual human who lives in NYC, not artificial intelligence. 🥸

And as a subscriber, you can always access all your free NYC resources here.

Events We Love This Week: May 13-20, 2026

In the city this week? Here are some fun events we’re keeping an eye on.

Park Avenue Day - Saturday, May 16 from 10 am to 5 pm

Murray Hill’s Neighborhood Association is back with the annual street festival on Park Avenue from 34th to 40th streets.

You’ll find this iconic street filled with vendors covering:

• Art

• Entertainment

• Fashion

• Food

• Shopping & more

Oh, and no cars. 🙌

20th Annual Dance Parade & Festival - Saturday, May 16 from 12-7 pm

New York City is the American crossroads for food, entertainment, and culture, including dance.

This Saturday, 100+ unique styles of dance will be on display as they parade down 6th Avenue, culminating in a dancefest at Tompkins Square Park.

Groove over to all the details here. 💃

You’ll Have to Check It Out - Salt and Straw

Nothing frustrated me more as a 7-year-old than going to an ice cream shop and seeing the worker's eye roll when I asked for my 5th sample.

If you’re gonna offer samples, why the disdain for me wanting to try all the flavors?!

Luckily for present-day me (and you), Salt and Straw wants you to try ALL the samples. They genuinely encourage it.

Plus, every month they have new flavors that’ll keep you coming back for more!

My favorite month was the cold cereal flavors (see above). Again, this spot was made for the 7-year-old in all of us. 🥰

Check out their NYC locations on the Upper West Side or the West Village.

And to fully clarify our stance.. Salt and Straw > Van Leeuwen. 👀

NYC Observation Decks Compared ✅

Choosing the best observation deck in NYC doesn’t have to be complicated.

In this simple guide, we’ll provide some guiding factors and the pros and cons of each of the five most popular options for seeing New York City from above. And, of course, we’ll provide our choice for the best overall observation deck in New York City!

Plus, some insights on free places to get amazing city views! See our full breakdown & favorite observation deck now. 👇

Chat next week,

Ashley & Devin from Better Together Here 💌

PS- Have a friend who loves NYC? Forward this email. 🫶