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[MrDisco99]

I'm planning another road trip to the city and trying to figure out my sightseeing route.

Is it possible to take the Battery tunnel into Brooklyn and transition to the BQE northbound without taking side streets?  It looks like there's a ramp for that movement, but when I look at Google maps it looks like it's not easily accessible from the toll plaza, if at all.  Maybe one of you locals can fill me in?

Also, does anyone recommend a place in New Jersey or Brooklyn where I can actually park for free and take pictures of the skyline from across the river?

[NE2]

Is it possible to take the Battery tunnel into Brooklyn and transition to the BQE northbound without taking side streets?  It looks like there's a ramp for that movement, but when I look at Google maps it looks like it's not easily accessible from the toll plaza, if at all.  Maybe one of you locals can fill me in?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=40.680833,-74.003359&spn=0.007241,0.016512&gl=us&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.680456,-74.005108&panoid=OXBDMJUyjRRK0-ynuCLUWA&cbp=12,130.05,,0,1.69
It seems you can reach it from the three right lanes at the toll plaza. If you miss it, the Hamilton Avenue exit is signed as an alternate route (you exit onto the frontage road, U-turn to the other side, and then take the ramp on the right).

[Don'tKnowYet]

spots in NJ to see the skyline are either Liberty Sate Park or a little secret at the end of Port Jersey in Bayonne. for the latter, there is an observation deck at the of Port Jersey Blvd.  Port Jersey Blvd is off of Turnpike Exit 14A. keep left out of the plaza and follow the trucks to the flyover to the left. when the flyover touches down, just keep going straight. the deck is on the left at the end of the street. great views of the Freedom Tower being built, the Jersey City waterfront, lower manhattan and new York bay. 

only problem is you need a legit camera and a sunny sky for great pictures.

IMO, there is no worthy skyline opportunity from Queens or Brooklyn. Governuer's Island though.

[Steve]

Re: Battery Tunnel, yes, there absolutely is a ramp to head north, it actually digs down in a short tunnel to do it.
Re: skyline opportunities, besides the two mentioned:

1) First Mountain. You can park at Highlawn Pavilion off of Eagle Rock Ave. in West Orange and get a great (but distant) view of the entire city and bridges.
2) Union City. There are great views near the southern end of CR 505, which would be along JFK Boulevard East (not regular JFK Blvd., which is a separate road) in the area of 60th St. roughly. (I see a place called "Liberty Skyline" on the CR 505 incline, called "Anthony M. Defino Way" on Google Maps.) Parking's a bit tight in that area though, because I'm not sure if permits are required on side streets.
3) Atlantic Highlands. This would be anywhere along the coast north of NJ 36 from Union Beach east, or even up Sandy Hook (as long as it's before May, access is free to Fort Hancock).

I don't think Brooklyn is going to offer you as good of a skyline. In my experience, there is too narrow a field of view coupled with seeing the "back side" of many buildings. What you can get there is a view of all the great bridges across the East River. The only good view I've ever gotten from Brooklyn is from the Amtrak train, which rides high above the city. You might consider trying Brooklyn Heights, which is the top of the quad-deck area of I-278/BQE north of the Battery Tunnel. Since I've never tried it, I don't know if parking is free or not.

[1995hoo]

Agreed on Jersey being better than Brooklyn. If you have a camera with a powerful lens, you could go to the north shore of Staten Island towards St. George, but you will be quite a distance away (on the other hand, you could get the Statue of Liberty in your pictures). Come to think of it, if you park near St. George you should just take the ferry roundtrip (cars are no longer allowed). It's free.

The problem with Brooklyn is the shape of the coast, some areas being kind of isolated and rough, and Governor's Island being in the way. About the best spot for a sweeping view is probably the 69th Street pier in Bay Ridge where the ferries used to go (street signs, and the subway stop, all call it Bay Ridge Avenue, but nobody in Bay Ridge says that). My father's mother lived a few blocks from that pier in the 1970s/early 1980s and I recall the view being nice, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that my perspective as a little kid was surely very different than it would be now and I haven't been out on the pier in at least 25 years.

[MrDisco99]

Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions.  I should probably mention that I'll be doing this at night, so it should be somewhere accessible 24 hours.  The Port Jersey dock looks great but I'd be afraid to head that way late at night for fear of Homeland Security picking me up.

Steve you mentioned Union City... what about E JFK Blvd along Hamilton Park in Weehawken just off the tunnel?  Looks like a nice quiet neighborhood, and there's some sort of monument there marking the Hamilton Burr duel.  Think I can park there?

As for I-278 off the Battery, it looks like I'll just need to bear hard right when I surface.  Driving under the promenade is one of those must-dos every time I'm in the area.  It's my favorite roadside view anywhere.

Speaking of which, I have been to the actual promenade, but it's pedestrian access only from the heart of high traffic Brooklyn Heights.  I seriously doubt I'd be able to park there (I took the subway).

[roadman65]

A great view of the whole area is on Summit Road in Mountainside, NJ.  If you are heading SB you can catch a view of most of Elizabeth, Union, Newark, and New York, but you must drive it as there is no parking along this stretch.  You might want to park on a side street and walk it.

Nonetheless, its a great view even without pictures!  It starts as soon as SB Summit Road begins its downgrade south of Summit Lane.  It is a mile north of US 22 where you make a right turn just past the Mountain Avenue Interchange on the Westbound side of the highway.  From EB you need to make U Turn at Mountain Avenue (erroneously marked Sheffield Street) and return a bit.  Summit Road is marked Summit and Watchung Reservation from US 22 WB.

[NJRoadfan]

A great view of the whole area is on Summit Road in Mountainside, NJ.  If you are heading SB you can catch a view of most of Elizabeth, Union, Newark, and New York, but you must drive it as there is no parking along this stretch.  You might want to park on a side street and walk it.

Nonetheless, its a great view even without pictures!

One can park on Mary Allen Ln. The next street down, Belair Ct. has some decent views, but keep in mind that the locals get suspicious if you are hanging around for too long (you can take pictures, just don't hang around for hours). Also it has to be a clear day, any haze will obscure the skyline from that distance.

[Steve]

Wow, thanks for all the great suggestions.  I should probably mention that I'll be doing this at night, so it should be somewhere accessible 24 hours.  The Port Jersey dock looks great but I'd be afraid to head that way late at night for fear of Homeland Security picking me up.

Steve you mentioned Union City... what about E JFK Blvd along Hamilton Park in Weehawken just off the tunnel?  Looks like a nice quiet neighborhood, and there's some sort of monument there marking the Hamilton Burr duel.  Think I can park there?

I can't vouch for parking in Weehawken. Parking rules get funky in Hudson County, since there is such limited parking per resident (few/no garages).