New York City
New York, the city that doesn't sleep. The biggest city in the USA composed of more than 8.5 million souls. This city is truly amazing and it's an amazing place to photograph. From the constant movement of people, the unbelievable architecture that was achieved through the years, the culture of music and art, the melting-pot that this city is composed of and the different areas that are from one to another the opposite, anybody can find in this city something that he will fall in love with. I discovered the city by walking 90% of the time. I will recommend anybody to do the same. Even if it's really big, you have to explore this city by walking most of the time.
From my part, it was at first the scale. I always love to look at what humans achieved in architecture. And in New York City you cannot miss this. I discovered the city little by little.
By staying in Greenwich Village, the first taste that I had was, weirdly, a feeling of peace. This area is on a human scale. The word "Village" makes total sense. The buildings are not too high. The streets are not as big as I thought and are busy with people enjoying their brunch and drinks at the terrace of nice restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. By walking through the village, I can imagine why this place was for a long time the spot for the artists and the bohemian lifestyle. As the area evolve and is now very expensive, the artists moved to the other side of the East River, in Williamsburg a district of Brooklyn.
If you stay in Greenwich Village and start from here you will notice that this part of the city is squeezed between to high-rises area. I saw this from the 7th Ave S. On each end of this street, I had a glimpse of what was waiting for me. On a part, I saw One World Trade Center that indicated where the suits are. The Financial District. On the other side, I saw the Central Park Tower (that was in construction at this time).
But the first time I was confronted directly with the skyscrapers of NYC, wasn't by going straight to Times Square, it was by walking the entire High Line, an old railroad that has been rehabilitated as a linear park. With a length of 2.33km, you can walk from West Village to the district of Hudson Yards. I will personally suggest you to do it this way. If you have never been confronted with the immensity of the skyscrapers of this city it will transport you from nothing to everything. By walking between the "small" buildings of West Village, and then Chelsea, you will start to see the skyline of The Big Apple taking form. You will end up with the first humongous building in Hudson Yards, an area of New York that has been in development for the last few years. And as a reward, for photographers and videographers, you will end up in one of the most iconic shops: B&H.
For me, that was the first taste of the immensity of NYC. And as you walk through the streets you cannot stop watching everywhere. This city is a hive of activity. By looking at the busy streets you can as well imagine the activity in the skyscrapers that surrounds you. Because, as you walk, you will definitely not look in front of you all the time but up. And you will be amazed by this height. You will probably think, like me, about how Humans did this through the decades. Especially when you will arrive at the base of the most iconic skyscrapers. The Empire State Building, The Rockefeller, The Chrysler Building all build around 1930. And now surrounded by a new architecture, as NYC is in constant evolution.
After being smacked and overwhelmed by the density and the scale of all the skyscrapers, you will probably end up in Central Park that will offer you a break in the middle of this frenzy. From the sky, it's a green spot but from our point of view, it's fresh air. You will be impressed by the scale of this park and wish to have the same at home. For my part, I especially enjoyed starting the walk from the entrance in front of The Plaza Hotel. Particularly seeing the frontier between nature and this concrete jungle. For a few minutes, I didn't stop turning around looking at the skyscrapers bordering the park, getting smaller and smaller till I ended up in walkways where I forgot for a time the immensity of the city.
There are a few ways of taking a break from the constant flow from the streets of central NYC. You can enjoy the museums that this city as to offer especially The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Frick Collection, The American Museum of Natural History that are next to Central Park. Without forgetting the famous MOMA, The Guggenheim Museum ...
As I already said, you have to visit by walking this city. You will always find something interesting. For photographers and probably especially street photographers, it will be hard to not shoot at every corner. Because it's so busy with people and cars. Surrounded by skyscrapers and steam clouds from manhole you will for sure want to give it a try a lot of time.
