raypep

“Good old fashioned street photography” was just mentioned. I could not agree more !! I can’t count the number of times this native New Yorker went into the city (“Manhattan” is the city) to take photos of some sites only to get lost in the magic right in front of me on the street.

Quixdraw Loc: x

I was there when it changed, so very early in the '70's! Tempest in a teapot between the old guard and the new influx. Funny!

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

I would look at China Town near the Brooklyn Bridge on Manhattan side and take a Staten Island Ferry ride (shoot the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan.

D F Scholl Loc: NC Iowa

Northern NY is very pretty. Also Clayton on the St Lawrence river

cascom Loc: Redmond

I enjoyed the Central Park Zoo and Times Square. Look for things that might change or disappear like this sign which was taken in 1962.

mmills79 Loc: NJ

In Manhattan's lower west side directly adjacent to the High Line (a nice experience in and of itself with lots of photo ops) in Hudson Yards is a structure called "The Vessel". It is an outdoor spiral staircase. If you have the stamina to climb it and you are not afraid of heights, it has great views from the top!

russraman Loc: New York City

Make sure to always carry your camera around your neck, and not on your shoulder... reduces the chance of a deranged, drug-addicted homeless person from stealing it. Avoid subways and don't look any passers-by in the eye... follow the same safety guidelines as when viewing or photographing Silverback Gorillas in Rwanda.

bbrowner Loc: Chapel Hill, NC

The Camel sign in Times Square was a classic. It goes back as far as I can remember (and I'm 87 now.) I don't know if it is still there. (Does someone know?) I haven't been there in 26 years now.

raypep

Silver backed gorrillas in Rwanda !!

Oh that is classic. Perfect advice says this boy from Brooklyn

Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

citi field for Mets and Yankees stadium.
Post office building 34th & 8th real close to BH

HRoss Loc: Longmont, CO

You’ve already received many excellent suggestions. While 2 weeks seems like a lot of time, the NYC area is quite large, diverse, and filled with photo ops.

As a Brooklyn boy, Manhattanite, and a Jersey resident for a while, map out your trip and give yourself time to go from one area to another. Make sure you walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, at night if you can.

Make sure you spend time looking around without your eye to the eyepiece. Most of all, enjoy yourself, and try all the foods available.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Visit to NYC

I know a lot of these things may have already been suggested, but maybe there will be a new idea or two.
Here is a one day outing suggestion: Take a subway to Fort Tryon Park. It is up around 113th street, upper Manhattan -- the last stop on that line of the subway. In the park, go to The Cloisters. This is a division of the Metropolitan Museum. This is a great museum though not very large 2 to 3 hours will cover it. The museum was built in 1945 and is dedicated mostly to the European Renaissance. What is awesome about it is that all the doors you will walk through were doors taken from castles, monasteries, and churches from the twelfth to the sixteenth century Europe. When you finish there, take the subway down to Central Park and use your ticket stub from the Cloisters to get into the Metropolitan Main Museum -- no additional charge since the ticket you purchased at the Cloisters is good for both museums.

You could spend another whole day in and around Central Park.
Another day trip would be to take the subway to Brooklyn. Get off at the first stop in Brooklyn and walk north along the East River to Dumbo (Down Under Manhattan Bridge). There is a good Italian restaurant there which you may want to try. Then head back south and onto the Brooklyn Bridge. There is a promenade that allows foot and bike traffic to cross the bridge above the car lanes (No despite rumors, i t is not for sale!) A walk of a few blocks south and west and you will arrive at the World Trade Center, or Freedom Tower. In that area is the little church that avoided destruction on 9/11 and monuments to 9/11. Across the street from the Freedom Tower is the Oculus. A building whose architecture resembles a flying white dove. Inside the Oculus is a cavernous space housing a number of high end shops, and a subway station.

A couple of free things to see: Take the subway to the southern tip of Manhattan and board the Staten Island Ferry (no cost). It will take you across the New York Harbor with great views of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline of lower Manhattan. You can get off and then take the next ferry back to Manhattan. Another free thing is the High Line walkway. It is a rail to trails that is about one and a half miles along an abandoned spur of the elevated railway. It is located on the west side of Manhattan.

One day head to New Jersey. Take the PATH (subway like rail system) and visit the Statue of Liberty. There is a great museum on Liberty Island which follows the emigration routes of our ancestors as they left Europe and populated America. End your day in Hoboken and try one of the little restaurants along the main drag. After a meal, head over a block to the waterfront park that runs along the Hudson. Get there a little before sunset. If the sky is clear, Manhattan will turn into gold montage that is spectacular to see. Wait until almost full dark and watch the lights of Manhattan come alive.

I can highly recommend the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. A subway will take you right there. Also the Bronx Zoo is world class and if you start early in the day, you might get both of these attractions in.
No photo visit to NYC is complete without a visit to Times Square. I would make this a late afternoon trip starting with a visit to The Top of the Rock (70th floor observation deck atop the Rockefeller

Building). Get to the top about an hour before sunset so you can get better definition to the buildings you will be photographing from up there. This is better than the observation deck on the Empire State Building because you will want the ESB in your shot more so that other less famous buildings. Then walk a couple of blocks to Times Square. The lights will be on then and you will enjoy shooting around that area.

There are many good museums in NYC but two I would recommend from a photographic op would be the Guggenheim and the ICP (International Center of Photography).

A trip to the Main Library is also recommended -- the ceiling of the main reading room is well worth a look.
One day be sure to go to B&H photo, the world's largest camera store (be prepared to spend money!) On the corner right across from B&H is a deli I always go to. The owners seem to be middle easterners but not Jewish. Despite that, they will whip up as good a pastrami and swiss on rye sandwich as any of the Jewish delis in the area. The sandwich, a bag of chips and a soda is only about 10.00. Not far from there is a pizza shop where slices are 1.00 each. People who don't know NYC think it is expensive to eat there. While it can be, you can also eat very reasonably. Visit Washington Square and Greenwich Village. There are interesting places there and again, you can eat there without breaking the bank.

A few other things you may want to see if time permits is Macy's. It takes up a large city block. The Javits Center. This huge convention center hosts many trade shows throughout the year including the camera held at the end of October each year. It is a three day affair and exhibits the newest and greatest in photography. Each major player hosts a stage on which world famous photographers give one hour presentations.

Of course if you have time, take in a Broadway show. The productions on Broadway are the best in the World.
I hope some of this info will be helpful to you. Post some shots when you return and enjoy your trip!

Here are a few shots from what I described:

Shot from DUMBO

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From Brooklyn looking into Lower Manhattan

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Statue of Liberty from the base of the monument

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The golden glow of sunset on the Manhattan skyline

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Inside the Javits Center


The Empire State Building from the Jersey shore

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Doorway in alley in lower Manhattan

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One of the doorways of the Renaissance in the Cloisters

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An interior passage in the Cloisters

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Times Square

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Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

You might want to get a shoulder strap with a cable in it from B&H about $25.00.
I never had one but moved out a lot of years ago.

HRoss Loc: Longmont, CO

Great selection of shots, with great advice as well. One of the best places to photograph.

Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

Across the river in jersey city is The Liberty Science center. Everyone raves about it and check out world class planetarium. see about getting tickets in advance, have no clue to covid restrictions. Look it up and see if you have any interest