Boris Ekner Loc: From Sweden, living in Guatemala

I’d suggest you consider not going up in Empire State Building. Much better is The Rock, ie Rockefeller Center. From the Rock you can take a shot at the Empire State Building, which you cannot do if you’re in it.

Furthermore, as the top of the Rock is built in steps of terraces you don’t have the security fences disturbing your photos which you have at Empire State. And thanks to the terace design you have a free 360 view on the very top of the Rock. And in general there are less people at The Rock ... 😃

Boris Ekner Loc: From Sweden, living in Guatemala

Bring your tripod and ND filter to Times Square, once during daytime and once during night. Shoot some very long exposures and stitch them together to see if you can get a photo where no people are seen.

Boris Ekner Loc: From Sweden, living in Guatemala

Go to Brooklyn and shoot the Brooklyn Bridge with Manhattan in the background. You’ll get some beautiful shots of that scenery at sunset.

Walking across the bridge towards Manhattan at sunset is another beautiful scenery as well.

Fstop12 Loc: Kentucky

I will be in New York this September as well. Anybody know of any good wall murals close to Times Square?

Boris Ekner Loc: From Sweden, living in Guatemala

The pools at Ground Zero can be challenging to take good pictures of. But with a wide angle lens and some props close in the foreground you can get stunning pictures of the two pools.

1Feathercrest Loc: NEPA

Take a walk around the reservoir. Boundless photographic gems.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

Yes definitely ... I'm a native NYer going there several times this summer, weather cooperating. You can also get great shots from the ferries which leave from lower Manhattan and Brooklyn pier 6... see also https://govisland.com . See if you can get there on one of the late night Fridays for nice sunset shots of the harbor and SoL (I have yet to.)... you'll need wide and tele lenses. The last pic is a model of Castle Williams inside the courtyard of Castle Williams.

Ozzie2154 Loc: New Jersey

Take the circle line around Manhattan. Some beautiful views and the Statue of Liberty too. Also, venture into Weehawken, NJ. great views of the NYC skyline from across the Hudson. Go to the site of the Hamilton/Burr duel on the Palisades in Weehawken. You can also go to downtown Jersey City waterfront for great shots of lower Manhattan. It's all about time and how and where to spend it. Good luck and please share your photos!

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Really depends on what you want to shoot, NYC has been around since early 1600's lots of history, lots of water views, parks, museums etc.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Times Square without people is a travesty!!

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Oh! United Nations Plaza on 1st Avenue. Magnificent architectural subject, flags etc!

FrankR Loc: NYC

I’ve lived here all my life and agree with many of the suggestions (although not a big Times Square fan). The museums, Central Park, Yankee Stadium, Coney Island, etc. The Staten Island Ferry is free, runs all day long and offers the most spectacular views of lower Manhattan, especially at night. Go to the Statue of Liberty AND Ellis Island, where so many of our stories in America start; interesting architecture too. The City has a good number of mews, hidden streets and courts. Many of the buildings go back to the XIX Century (some earlier) and in the case of mews, were former stables or carriage houses. In Greenwich Village there are McDougal Alley, Grove Court and Washington Mews. Washington Mews is between Fifth Ave and University Place, just north of Washington Square Park (also worth a visit, DO NOT play chess with the hustlers there). Grove Court is a hidden residential court on Grove Street. The only markers are two brick columns and the locked gate with signs saying Grove Court. Mcdougal Alley is off the street of the same name. On East 36th street between Lexington and Third Avenues is Sniffen Court and on West 95th street, between Broadway and West End Ave is Pomander walk. Most of them are private, so you can’t enter, but still some interesting views to be had and images of NYC most don’t know exist. Two places you should go to “cool off” are Pete’s Tavern on East 18th street and Irving Place, which has been there since the Civil War and McSorely’s Old Ale House. All you can get at McSorely’s are their light or dark ale, at resonable prices and a very limited menu, know for the limburger cheese. They’re older than Pete’s and made history in the 1970s when they first started allowing women in. McSorley’s is on East 7th street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. If you like Italian Pastry, the place to go is Venieros on East 11th street just off the corner of 1st Ave. They’ve been doing it since 1894, so they pretty much have down by now. The East Village neighborhood they’re in is interesting too.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

The helicopter over Manhattan and the Hudson is also very nice--good views of the Statue of Liberty and Shea Stadium, Central Park, etc.

Grandpa Pete Loc: Western Finger Lakes (NY)

The best views of the Statue of Liberty and the New York Skyline are free. Take the Staten Island
Ferry.

RSJphoto Loc: Brooklyn NY, originally from Bowling green oh

I moved to Brooklyn about 10 years ago, I am still finding new stuff to shoot every week. If you want the touristy stuff there are plenty of iconic sights to shoot, the Flatron building, the empire state building freedom tower. I would suggest if you want a good cityscape to go to Brooklyn bridge park at night, great views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges with the city in the background. Also Liberty state park you get a great shot of the city with the empire state building and freedom tower. Sunsets from battery park, Govenor's Island, or the Staten Island ferry to get a good shot of the Statue of Liberty. If you want to shoot graffiti there is an app called GSA new york that tags graffiti on a map, and shows you a snap shot.
As far as the tickets to sites like freedom tower buy them as you go in-case you find something that interests you and you run out of time. I like top of the rock (rockafeller center) for views because you can see the other landmarks and it is all glass so the view is nice.
What ever you do I would suggest google maps to navigate it will tell you what subway to take and what station to get off at, plan ahead and the subway isn't that terrible to get around and its cheap. Someone above mentioned the Highline, great views of the city from within, food and nice atmosphere, I would suggest going early in the day because it gets busy in the afternoon and evenings. A good bad weather stop is St Patrick cathedral, you can shoot inside as long a service is not going on, amazing architecture
Always have a backup plan incase what you want to do is crazy busy or weather takes out you plans. Google free things to do in NYC too
If it rains go out as soon as it stops as you can shoot some great reflections shots in the puddles.
one last thing is to look at the website "meetup", you enter your interests Like photography and it suggests groups. I go out with several groups and have had a great time following someone who knows the area.