26 Jan Best places for night photography in New York City
Are you planning a trip to the Big Apple and you wanna know the best places for night photography in New York City? Well, you are in the right place to find out!
In this article I will list my best places for night photography in New York City that I found during my travel in 2014. Some of the locations I will write down in this article are very famous, but other are rather unique because I luckily discovered them by chance.
Before starting with the places list feel free to check out my article about the Best Gear for New York Photography and also my American Cityscapes at Night project gallery portfolio.
Finding the right spot for the perfect night picture in Manhattan is not easy because you have to take care of many factors like, for example, the opening hours of the place you plan to be in; or maybe the tripod allowance of that specific area.
For that reason I recommend to have with you a compact tripod like the Joby Gorillapod Focus that can be a very good friend in places where you can’t bring your big tripod.
Enough said, here is my top 10 Best places for night photography in New York City:
01. Brooklyn Bridge Park
This place is one of the best for the classic Lower Manhattan shot at night
02. East River State Park
From this place you can shoot at the midtown skyline and frame the Empire State Building together with the Chrysler Building. Note that the park closes at 9 pm.
03. Queensboro Bridge
Shooting from Roosevelt Island towards midtown you can frame the Manhattan skyline under the Queensboro Bridge.
04. Park Avenue Tunnel
If you walk over the Park Avenue Tunnel facing the Grand Central Terminal you can take a very cool shoot of the many cabs passing by.
05. Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway
I think that this one deserves no explanation. The only thing you have to know is that the bridge is shaking a little bit due to the cars and trucks passing by, so don’t go too long with the shutter speed.
06. Pod39 Hotel rooftop bar
Grab a drink at the Pod39 Hotel rooftop bar and take advantage of the point of view to shoot at the Empire State Building.
07. Empire – Fulton Ferry State Park
Another cool spot for a classic shot of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Lower Manhattan skyline.
08. The Top of the Rock Observatory deck
Do I really need to tell you why this place is a must at night?
09. The Empire State Building Observatory
Another classic view of the upper side of the city at night.
10. Grand Central Terminal
You can shoot at the 42nd Street at Vanderbilt Avenue entrance looking at the Chrysler Building that is amazing at night.
Jacob Hutchins
Posted at 07:49h, 02 AugustHow did you get around? Was it safe in the parks at night with camera gear? To of the rock viewing and empire, were they open and accessible late?
Thomas Farina
Posted at 08:51h, 02 AugustHi! I felt pretty safe in the parks at night but it was not too late after dinner. There are cops patrolling around so I think that it will be not a problem if you carry some camera gear. Both the Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building Observatories are open til late night, midnight for the first and 2am for the second. I recommend you to reserve the tickets for the top of the rock especially if you plan to go at sunset hours…
Jari
Posted at 12:41h, 04 AugustJust what I was thinking about! Thank you for the very well presented info and your great shots 🙏
Uncle AC
Posted at 11:21h, 17 Marchwould they allow tripod or monopod at the Top of the Rock and at the Empire State bldgs?
Thomas Farina
Posted at 05:52h, 09 FebruaryI don’t think so, the best option is a little portable tripod like the gorillapod