New York visit Advice Needed

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rickydiver

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Hi folks I am off to New York a week on Monday and was wondering if anyone from there or people who have visited would like to point out the places not to miss from a photographic point of view? I have a week although my wife will only put up with so much of me saying "we need to go ..... so I can get a nice shot" ! Thanks in advance for any assistance as this is our first visit to New York.
Cheers
Ricky
 
but if you do this, then you may end up with a lot of generic shots that have been presented a thousand times before :lol:

na im joking
 
The whole place is very photogenic, but at this time a year any of Central Park will be worth a visit (probably snow on the ground), the further North you walk the less disturbed the snow will be.

Top of the Rock is another good place to visit/take photos, better than the ESB Observatory in nearly every way (although both are worth a visit)

Also worth a walk (or subway if lazy) across to Brooklyn at around 4:30pm, get off near the bridge and wander around the shorefront, stunning view back across the river of Manhattan for sunset.

I went in February in 2007 (and again in two weeks time), some pics for ideas here:

http://www.chrisharrison.smugmug.com/Travel/289266
 
If you're going to do the Empire State Building make sure you get to the roof just before the sun starts going down. Be warned you can queue for a looong time to get up there but once your there you can hang around for as long as you want and there is a cafe i.e somewhere to keep warm until the light is right.

Have fun, it's a great city :thumbs:
 
TheBionicDan said:
Be warned you can queue for a looong time to get up there
Click to expand...

I've been to NYC in February 4 times since 2001 (always in half term) and from entering the lobby to being at the observation deck I don't think it's ever taken me more than 10 minutes max. Usually nice and quiet this time of year.

I'm always a little oblivious when people talk about spending a whole day to do the Statue of Liberty, or queueing for hours to go up the ESB...the longest queue I ever experience on a NYC trip is waiting for them to check my passport when I land back at Heathrow!
 
USS Intrepid. Aircraft carrier on the west side, now a museum with at one least more warship, submarine and redundant Concorde located there. Plenty of redundant military aircraft on Intrepids flight deck.

Pete
 
Hi,

I was there in December and one place to visit was the B+H Photography store on 9th Av and 34th Street. This place was huge!!!!!!!!! :eek:

Also the Empire State building is well worth a visit but buy your tickets on line and it save hours of waiting as they act as a priority ticket hence no waiting! ;)

Central Park is great if the light is good.

Ellis Island is good for shots from the boat of the buildings of NY.

Also Brooklyn Bridge is worth a visit and also Madison Square Garden tour is good for indoor sporting shots.

Enjoy the trip.
 
Walk around Greenwich village......great for street photography.

We also took an open top bus ride + guide map and marked all the interesting sounding places the guide pointed out, then went back and visited each one at our leisure.
 
My best tip for New York is were possible walk !!

you don't see anything on the subway so take some sturdy shoes and walk the streets.

also don't chuck away good money going to Liberty Island, the Statue it's self looks better from a bit further out and you can't go up it now anyway. Instead get the Statten Island ferry 'for FREE' this pass's right by Liberty and Elis Islands for a good look, then travel back on the return ferry.
 
Excellant guys thank you very much for the suggestions. Pete someone told me about this boat trip just this morning and said it was excellant so i think we will give it a bash. :)

Talon yeah friends have been saying exactly that and where possible we will walk everywhere. ;)

Thanks Photostar :) xxx I intend going to B&H but I dont think the prices will be that great due to the dollar! What did you think of their prices in comparison to the UK?

Cheers Ukaskew thanks for the link I had a gander at your shots, some nice images there thank you :)

I will bear your advice Dan thanks :)

I just hope that this cold spell we are having passes quickly so the airports in the UK dont have any problems next Monday :(
Cheers
Ricky
 
mate give the boat a miss and get in one of the helicopters for a 15min trip round manhattan,quite expensive but well worth it,as said before get along to brooklyn bridge and central park,was there in december and the place is amazing,also try to steal some shots of the crysler building,oh and grand central station is also worth a look.;)
 
rickydiver said:
Thanks Photostar :) xxx I intend going to B&H but I dont think the prices will be that great due to the dollar! What did you think of their prices in comparison to the UK?

Cheers
Ricky
Click to expand...

When we were their the prices were quite good and the American market had some good reductions.
I would see what you need and then look for any discounts.
I spent a fair bit of money but it was worth it.:thumbs:

Cheers
 
I went on one of those open top bus rides when I went but that was before the twin towers got crashed into! You could hop on and off and it only cost five bucks.

China town has some real colourful walls and Time square was great, I didn't bother going up the Statue of Liberty as was advised it wasn't worth it.
 
But the ESB is definitely worth it for the views of Manhattan :eek:

ny1-1.jpg


ny2-1.jpg


Sounds like booking a ticket first for the ESB is a good tip cause I ended up queuing for 2 1/2 hours :(
 
That sounds like a plan then to get up the ESB later on and miss the masses :) I will check out sunset times and arrange our visit around that.
Cheers folks
Ricky
 
Are you taking a tripod? I am heading there next month and am considering is it worth taking one ??
 
2 things I regret doing when I was in New York.

1. Going up the rockafella at midday, rather than dusk. Light was flat, and photos were crap.
2. Not walking around greenwich village.

Take as many memory cards as you can manage, and then something to store them on when you get back to your hotel.
Shoot in RAW just in case you cock the exposure up on something that you might never get to see again.
Don't bother with a tripod, but if you can manage it, take a monopod. You'll need it.
 
Oh, and Ricky, do you have a variety of lenses, i.e. a standard zoom (eg. 18-55) and a telephoto (eg 55-200)?
If so, don't bother with the 55-200 for the majority because I found that I never felt the need for a telephoto EXCEPT for when I was at the top of the rock. I craved a telephoto like a crack addict.
 
Ok folks thanks for the advice, to be honest I am here in New York at the moment and so far have only shot images with my sons PS Nikon! I am heading to Little Italy and Greenwich village tmrw so will take the 1ds Mkii and a couplf of lenses. I will let you now how I get on in due course :)
Cheers
Richard
 
On a slightly different view...look at the old fire escape buildings...some great shots even with a small camera...if the queues are big for the Statue of Liberty...take the free Staten Island Ferry...much quicker and not bad views...visit Centuary 21 (beside Ground zero) for cheap designer/all sort of stuff...for movie nostalga with good food Planet Hollywood (plenty for kids to look at as well as you all at Times Sq) and Katz's Deli (When Harry Met Sally) Rustic/Authentic & Amazing Food in Chinatown...and Italian eating that you order to share for all the family at Carmines (THE BEST)Just off Times Square...

Love NY...hope you do too...Enjoy...and hope this helps...

STEVIER
 
Top Of The Rock is a must. The bad thing about the ESB is that from the top, you can't see the ESB! You can from Top of the Rock.
Don't bother with a tripod at TOTR - they won't let you use one and they're quite attentive in spotting them. You might get away with a tiny one, but personally I'd recommend a bean-bag.

I was there a while ago, and I walked right from Central Park down past Ground Zero and to the bottom of the island. Well worth doing.
 
I second the Staten Island Ferry, it's the best free ride in the world. You get some nice shots of Ellis Island as you pass and the opportunities as you approach Manhattan Island are excellent.

Plus it's a great place to sip coffee and eat Donuts (got mine on E14th St at the Donut Pub, around 7th Ave I think, fantastic).

Other places would be Central Park of course but also try getting up to the other parks at the north of the island, I went up there and it's quite different to "regular NYC". Nice change of architecture and some old buildings.

Hope you have a great time!
 
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