Short time in NYC - DPChallenge Forums

01/06/2006 02:57:02 PM · #1

I am going to be taking a Fam trip with my office to NYC Jan. 20th-22nd. Will have a limited amount of personal time to go out sightseeing with my camera in hand. We are staying at the Peninsula hotel on Fifth Avenue. What would you suggest as the "must see" attractions in Manhattan? I would like to try to get to Grand Central Station, Central Park, Times Square, and St Patrick's Cathedral. If time permits, hoping to find a vantage point for shots of the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. Any ideas, comments, suggestions would be appreciated!

Edit to add - this will be my first trip to NYC so trying to fit in as much as I can in the short time allotted.

Message edited by author 2006-01-06 14:57:45.

01/06/2006 03:01:32 PM · #2

too shoot the brooklyn bridge come into brooklyn and there is a park called Empire Fulton State park it sits between the two bridges the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge., I luv shooting there cause its really nice for pictures, I am always there

Also I recommend you going to Rockefeller center and you can actually go inside and to the top of it now. You can get awesome shots of the Empire State Building from up there

//www.topoftherocknyc.com/

Message edited by author 2006-01-06 15:04:33.

01/06/2006 03:03:29 PM · #3

Also if you want shots of the skyline there is a pier right next too or underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, and there is a place to walk near the bridge called promenades also really nice shots of the skyline

01/06/2006 03:03:48 PM · #4

Originally posted by ArpeggioAngel:

Across from St Pat's is my favorite statue: Atlas. If you get behind Atlas you can get some cool angles on his body and the rose window of St Pats.

If you have time, walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, or take the train to Montague Street in Brooklyn (go to the Brooklyn Heights promenade) where will you find the most beautiful views of the city skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge. Or, just go to South St Seaport in the city. For shots of Liberty...well...she's far away, but from Battery Park City (not too far from the seaport) you can get a shot, or take the ferry over and get close up.

The most must-see/do thing for me is walking over the Brooklyn Bridge, having dinner in the Heights, strolling on the promenade.

Enjoy yourself, the photography is everywhere :)

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

01/06/2006 03:05:54 PM · #5

Originally posted by digitalpins:

Yes, go to Fulton park......it's close to the Heights and then you can say you've been to a neighborhood called DUMBO.

And hey, I haven't been up top in Rockefeller! That'll be my next stop, yo!

nlghttrain

Canon EOS-50D

01/06/2006 03:08:16 PM · #6

for interesting people shots take a trip down to the village, (around 8th st) or washington square park (a lot of nyu students abound there),
you can get great shots of the flatiron builing at 23rd and broadway, But dont miss central park.... heres one more if you go by the ice rink at rockafella center. (sp?)

have a great time when you're here =D

pawdrix

Nikon D700

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

01/06/2006 03:08:35 PM · #7

Well, Grand Central is an 8 minute walk from the Penninsula, Central Park is a 6 minute walk away and St Pats is maybe 5 minutes at best.

In that same part of town, MOMA, Rochefeller Center and Times Square are pretty much just around the corner.

How limited is your touring time?

DjFenzl

01/06/2006 03:09:02 PM · #8

I don't live in New York but perhaps you could meet up with a DPC native or 2 there...

Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6 EX APO IF HSM for Canon

01/06/2006 03:12:15 PM · #9

Originally posted by Megatherian:

I don't live in New York but perhaps you could meet up with a DPC native or 2 there...

yep good idea, I am always out shooting so if I am free then we can meet and show you the brooklyn bridge area or wherever in the city

Mary Ann Melton

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

01/06/2006 03:21:32 PM · #10

The Statton Island ferry is a good vantage point for the Statue of Liberty as well as a nice city view on the way back - and it is free.

On Statton Island is the Chinese Scholar's Garden - a hidden treasure.

"On the Green" - nice restaurant at Central Park

Don't forget the Metropolitan Museum of Art - and take in at least one Broadway show.

And visit the B&H store if you have time - it was closed when I was there for the Jewish holidays, but it is the largest camera store I've ever seen - I peeked in the windows.

pawdrix

Nikon D700

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.4D IF

01/06/2006 03:26:08 PM · #11

B&H=Mecca (for photographers)

01/06/2006 03:59:14 PM · #12

The Staten Island Ferry is free, and it's less than an hour of your time to go back and forth, but I wouldn't get OFF in Staten Island. I mean, it's not even really a borough. ;)

The lower Manhattan area where the ferries are is a great place to wander - Tribeca, Wall St, City Hall, Brooklyn Bridge, etc.

The restaurant in Central Park is Tavern on the Green, and didn't they close? Or was that the Tea Room?

B&H: yes, just to see what efficiency really means.

Originally posted by Mary Ann Melton:

ArpeggioAngel

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

01/06/2006 04:12:38 PM · #13

Thanks so much everyone for the replies. I am taking notes to keep track of all the great ideas. I am going to be there with my co-workers so doubt I will have an opportunity on this trip to meet any other DPC'ers...really wish I could. I haven't had a chance to meet anyone yet. We fly in on Friday at 145pm. I have all afternoon friday at leisure. Saturday we are doing site inspections at four hotels that I know of. Then some leisure time from like 230pm-700pm. Then dinner with Northwest Airlines. I believe after that the group is thinking about going to the top of the Empire State Building. Sunday I only have a few hours in the morning. That is probably when I will go to St. Patricks - mass and then pictures. Our flight is at 4pm, but they have car service set up to pick us up at 130pm at the hotel.

Staten Island Ferry sounds like a good idea...where would I find that? How late/how often do they run? What about tripods at the top of Rockefeller Center? I know you can't take them up in the Empire State building.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

01/06/2006 04:19:40 PM · #14

they let you use the little travel tripods up there its a pain to pull out a big tripod, if you do go once you get up to the top outside look of a set of stair and go one level up and there are places you can sit your little tripod on

Message edited by author 2006-01-06 16:21:11.

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

01/06/2006 04:20:52 PM · #15

re tripods - sometimes you can get away with a monopod - even though at the Museum of Natural History they wouldn't even let us use THAT!!!

Don't let the lack of tripod stop you from going up the Empire State Building as I managed to get some pretty decent night time photos just by resting the camera on the rather handy gridwork of the protective railing.
The line to get up there was horrendous (nearly 3 hours, but it was peak time during summer) and I will probably never bother again, but I am glad I've "been there, done that".

01/06/2006 04:24:20 PM · #16

some of advice... the empire state building both times I went it was a tremendously long wait to get up to the top.

I went to the rockefeller center once and the wait was just a few minutes, also brought the tickets online.

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro for Canon

01/06/2006 08:02:10 PM · #17

Originally posted by ArpeggioAngel:

Staten Island Ferry sounds like a good idea...where would I find that? How late/how often do they run?

It's at the very tip of manhattan - in the same vicinity as Battery Park, Wall St, South Street Seaport, etc. In your area, you'd catch the N R W or 4 5 trains downtown...get off Whitehall or Bowling Green.

The ferries run every 30 minutes all night long (there's more boats during rush hour). I'd say it's a nice nitecap :)

You just have to exit in staten island and get right back on the ferry returning to manhattan. Easy peasy!

longlivenyhc

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

01/06/2006 08:08:15 PM · #18

Originally posted by kdkaboom:

Yes, go to Fulton park......it's close to the Heights and then you can say you've been to a neighborhood called DUMBO.

heh, always a pain when i have to tell people i live in dumbo.

BrennanOB

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

01/06/2006 08:18:43 PM · #19

If you ride horses, there is a stable on Amsterdam Ave on the west side of the park, in the high seventies, that rents pretty decent horses by the hour. It is the best way to see Central Park, at the speed and height that Olmsetd intended it to be seen, about nine feet up at a trot.

One classic shooting spot that hasn't been mentioned and fairly near the Peninsula, is the skating rink at Rockefeller Center with the statue of Promethus in the backround.

ArpeggioAngel

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi