New York City. Home to so many big dreams, diverse personalities and never-ending sightseeing. New York is one of those cities you could visit a dozen times and still never run out of things to do or see. When I visited New York this past Holiday season, I was only able to stay for 1 full day. Below I’m sharing my list of the 15 best NYC photo spots that I saw.
I pinned each spot in Google Maps before my trip, laying out my route, so that I could be as efficient as possible that day. My day started at 8:30 am in Central Park and ended at 7:30 pm at the Museum of Ice Cream in Soho. I clocked in 35,000 steps this day! đ I also took some breaks in between for coffee, dinner and a few other photos ops that didnât make this list. Out of all my past travels, this was by far my most production day of sightseeing & content shooting that I’ve ever had. Now, onto those NYC photo spots!
NYC PHOTO SPOTS
1. Bow Bridge, Central Park
You probably recognize the Bow Bridge from many famous New York photos, TV shows or movies. In my opinion, the bridge is much smaller in real life than it always appeared to me on screen. Regardless, this bridge offers a sunny spot in the park to pose for photos against some of Manhattanâs prettiest buildings in the background.
2. Bethesda Terrace, Central Park
When I first saw Bethesda Terrance on Instagram over a year ago, I never knew such a place existed. I was determined to see it on my next trip to NYC. Unfortunately, several trips to New York had passed without managing to find the spot or making the time to find it. On this most recent trip I was determined to get here. You guys, I was absolutely blown away at how pretty it is inside! I also love that most of the photos I see on Instagram have a different spin on such a small spot.
3. Umpire Rock, Central Park
I didnât know this spot had an actual name until I looked it up to write this blog post. I knew about this spot both from seeing it in person on past trips and seeing it on social media. If you climb Umpire Rock, youâll get an awesome view of Manhattanâs skyline.
I will warn you that there are usually tons of other people up there with you. Also, if youâre like me and wear a poor shoe choice (booties with a small heel) just very careful climbing up and down!
4. Times Square
Ohhh, Times Square. Probably the most well known NYC photo spot. Does anyone else have a love/hate relationship with Times Square? Every single time I come to New York, I feel like I have to walk through it. I know itâs hectic and thereâs people dressed like cartoon characters that you donât want to be bothered by, but the energy in this area is unlike anything else Iâve seen before.
I was here 4 days before New Yearâs Eve, so I feel like the crowd was even crazier than usual. They were already setting up for the famous ball to drop and people were stopping to talk photos of it. The buzz was next level.
5. Bryant Park
Bryant Park is home to many Insta-famous photos, especially during the Holidays. Since I was here just a few days after Christmas, the tree was still up and all the small Holiday shops were still open.
The ice-skating rink was also open but grabbing a photo here was tough. There were literally hundreds of people linked up around the perimeter of the rink. I look forward to visiting this park again in a less busier season.
6. Flat Iron Building
When youâre passing through midtown, making a pit stop at the Flatiron Building is a must. This building is such an iconic part of New York and reminds me of a smaller version that is across the street from my apartment in Chicago. There was scaffolding on the building during my visit but I couldnât pass up the opportunity for a photo.
7. New York Subway Station
You canât come to New York without experiencing a ride on the subway. Iâm from Chicago so Iâm not phased by the âinterestingâ things I see on public transit, but New York takes it to another level. The New York subway system confused me at first but now itâs super easy to understand and get around! Plus, itâs so much more efficient than transit by car.
8. Washington Square Park
Last Summer when I visited New York, we showed up to Washington Square Park and there were literally thousands of people sitting, standing and laying around all over the park. I guess I donât know why I would expect anything else but letâs just say that solo, Instagram worthy photo was pretty tough! This most recent visit was much less busy, and I managed to take a couple of photos at the famous archway without being photobombed by a dozen people.
9. Oculus Building, One World Trade Center
The Oculus Building is only a few years old and is now a major hub for public transit in lower Manhattan. I think the inside and outside both offer some awesome photo ops. My personal recommendation is to walk a little bit away from the building and take your photo from afar. We arrived around 2pm and the inside was a total mad house. I love the super unique ceiling and I think you can find a cool angle if you manage to find a quieter space.
10. Nomo Soho
I wouldnât have known about this place if it werenât for seeing it all over social media. Nomo is a hotel but also has a restaurant inside that is open to the public. This entryway might be one of the prettiest hotel entrances Iâve seen but trust me when I say that everyone else shares that same opinion! đ There was one other group shooting photos when I arrived and by the time they finished and then I took my turn, there were another 3-4 groups waiting in line.
11. Pietro Nolita, Soho
Pink has been my favorite color since I was a little girl so how could I pass up a photo op at this adorable Italian spot in Soho? I think itâs better to be a paying customer at locations Iâm trying to shoot at, but unfortunately, we already had dinner plans on this evening, so we didnât go in to eat. However, the reviews online were all wonderful and Iâll be sure to stop in next time Iâm in NYC.
12. Yumi Kim Garbage Cans, Soho
I bet youâd never think that garbage cans would make the list of New York Instagram photo spots, huh? The best part about these cans is that the artist changes designs with the changing of the seasons. What you see in the above photos may not last until Spring so if you like this color scheme be sure to go see it quickly!
13. Ice Cream Museum, Soho
This is one location on my list that you canât get to for free but is worth the cost of admission. The ticket for the museum is $40 but not only do you have so many photo ops but you also get 4-5 sweet samples during the tour. If you love ice cream, you wonât want to miss this! In my opinion, itâs a good tour to do just once but no need to come back every time youâre in New York.
14. Brooklyn Bridge
I had my heart set on getting a photo at the Brooklyn Bridge during sunset. However, after a long day of venturing from Central Park to downtown, we didnât arrive at the bridge until after dark. Although my photo is not what I originally envisioned, it definitely wound up looking like one of the most romantic NYC photo spots.
I was surprised to see that the Brooklyn Bridge was still shoulder to shoulder busy at 7pm but with over a mile of real estate there are plenty of spots along the walk to get to the side and snap a couple of shots. I recommend walking far enough across the bridge to get a nice wide view of Manhattanâs skyline in the background.
15. NYC Skyline (from Brooklyn or Hoboken)
Sadly, I wasnât able to make it to Brooklyn during this trip even though I had a few photo ideas in mind. Luckily since we were staying with my sister in Hoboken, New Jersey I was still able to take some photos of the NYC skyline from the other side đ
I love that New York kind of has two mini skylines â predominately downtown and also midtown. Depending on how far away from the water youâre standing and how wide your lens is, you will probably only get one part of Manhattan or the other in your frame. There are several piers in Hoboken to set up your shot and luckily itâs not as hectic with people as Manhattan can be!
That’s my roundup of 15 NYC photo spots! I loved visiting each of these spots and I hope you love them just as much.
RELATED: Chicago photo spots & Pittsburgh photo spots & Las Vegas photo spots
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