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NYC photo spots: 40 free places to shoot in all five boroughs.
Forty public places in all five boroughs of New York City: bridges, plazas, parks, stairs and skylines. Free to visit, and a phone is enough. Use the list for a photo walk on your own or a scavenger hunt with friends.
Printed from rawly.app/nyc-photo-spots
How to use this list
Photo walk.
Pick a borough, choose five or six places that sit close together and shoot them in order. Allow ten minutes a place.
Scavenger hunt.
Split into teams, give each team the same places and a time limit. Everyone shoots live, then you compare the photos and vote for the best one at each place.
Four rules
- Stay on public ground. No private property, no climbing, no roadways.
- Ask before you photograph people. Strangers and children only with a yes.
- Do not block paths or traffic. Step aside to shoot, and never stop in a bike lane or a doorway.
- Check the safety note. Each place has one when there is something to know. Follow park hours and daylight notes.
The 40 places, by borough
Numbered 1 to 40. Each place has what to shoot, a tip and a Map link to Google Maps.
Manhattan
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1Brooklyn Bridge Promenade (Manhattan end)
Civic Center, Manhattan
The walkway toward Brooklyn, with the stone towers and the cables overhead.
Tip: The cables make strong leading lines. Go early or near sunset for softer light.
Safety: The path is shared with cyclists. Stay on the pedestrian side and never stop in the bike lane.
Map -
2Washington Square Arch
Greenwich Village, Manhattan
The marble arch that frames Fifth Avenue.
Tip: Stand back on the plaza and shoot up, or frame the arch through bare branches in winter.
Safety: Busy at night. Stay on the park paths.
Map -
3Washington Mews
Greenwich Village, Manhattan
A quiet cobbled lane, a calm counterpoint to the park next door.
Tip: Soft overcast light suits the brick and the cobbles.
Safety: The Fifth Avenue end is sometimes gated. Keep to the public lane.
Map -
4Flatiron Building and Plaza
Flatiron District, Manhattan
The wedge-shaped corner building that every New Yorker has shot.
Tip: Winter light is low and warm, which flatters the stone.
Safety: Stand on the plaza or the sidewalk, away from the street traffic.
Map -
5Madison Square Park
Flatiron District, Manhattan
Open lawns with the Flatiron and the Empire State Building in the background.
Tip: Look for a gap between the trees that lines up both towers.
Map -
6Grand Central Terminal Main Concourse
Midtown East, Manhattan
The ceiling of stars and the big clock in the main concourse.
Tip: It is free, warm and indoors, so it suits a cold day. Look up and shoot the light coming through the windows.
Safety: Very crowded at rush hour. Do not block the commuter flow.
Map -
7Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
Central Park, Manhattan
The arcade and the fountain, one of the great frames in Central Park.
Tip: Fresh snow or fall colour gives the best pictures.
Safety: Daylight only. Stay on the terrace, not at the edge of the lake.
Map -
8Bow Bridge
Central Park, Manhattan
The cast iron footbridge over The Lake.
Tip: Shoot it from the shore to keep the whole curve in the frame.
Safety: Pedestrian bridge only. In winter the bridge can be icy.
Map -
9The Literary Walk
Central Park, Manhattan
A mall lined with elms.
Tip: In winter the bare branches make a tunnel. Stand in the middle and shoot along it.
Safety: Daylight only.
Map -
10Rockefeller Plaza and Channel Gardens
Midtown, Manhattan
The tree, the rink and the flags around the plaza in the holiday season.
Tip: Come in the morning in the holiday season to get a clearer view.
Safety: Extremely crowded in December. Barriers and security checks may close parts of the plaza.
Map -
11Bryant Park
Midtown, Manhattan
The rink and the library lawn behind it. In the holiday season the park can host a winter village.
Tip: Late afternoon into dusk gives warm light and lit stalls.
Safety: Follow the park hours.
Map -
12Union Square Park
Union Square, Manhattan
The daily crowd, and in the holiday season a market. The steps beside the pavilion make a good seat.
Tip: Shoot from the steps for a view over the people.
Safety: Stay on the park plaza, away from the street edge.
Map -
13Josie Robertson Plaza (Lincoln Center)
Lincoln Square, Manhattan
A fountain plaza with the glass of the opera house behind it.
Tip: Dusk brings reflections in the glass.
Safety: The fountain may be off in winter. Stay in the plaza.
Map -
14Duffy Square and the Red Steps
Times Square, Manhattan
Neon and crowds, seen from the top of the red steps.
Tip: Go after dark and shoot down from the top step.
Safety: A pedestrian plaza next to traffic. Keep to the plaza and out of the street.
Map -
15New York Public Library Lions
Midtown, Manhattan
Patience and Fortitude, the two lions on the Fifth Avenue steps. They wear wreaths in winter.
Tip: Get low and frame a lion against the columns.
Safety: Stay on the steps and the sidewalk.
Map -
16Astor Place Plaza
East Village, Manhattan
The spinning cube and the crowd that crosses the plaza.
Tip: Wait for someone to push the cube and shoot the motion.
Safety: A pedestrian plaza at a busy junction. Keep out of the roadway.
Map -
17Tompkins Square Park
East Village, Manhattan
Everyday park life, the dog run and big elms.
Tip: Late afternoon light through the elms is the one to wait for.
Safety: After dusk, stay on the park paths.
Map -
18Stuyvesant Square
Gramercy, Manhattan
Two calm small parks with bare trees and old brick around them.
Tip: Winter is the best season: bare branches against the brick.
Safety: Follow the park hours.
Map -
19Jefferson Market Library Corner
Greenwich Village, Manhattan
The Gothic tower, seen from the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 10th Street.
Tip: Look up from the corner and let the tower fill the frame.
Safety: Stay on the sidewalk corner. The crossing is busy.
Map -
20High Line at Gansevoort
Meatpacking District, Manhattan
An elevated rail park with views over the city and the river.
Tip: Winter afternoons give long light along the rails.
Safety: The park is free but closes early on winter evenings, so check the time. Boards can be icy. Check the High Line's own photo rules if you plan any commercial use.
Map -
21Charging Bull
Financial District, Manhattan
The bronze bull at Bowling Green.
Tip: Dusk in winter is quiet. Shoot the bull from low, with the towers behind.
Safety: A crowded plaza beside traffic. Use the pedestrian side.
Map -
22Washington Market Park
Tribeca, Manhattan
A neighbourhood green with a gazebo and a low skyline.
Tip: Frame the gazebo with the towers rising behind it.
Safety: Follow the park hours.
Map -
23Morningside Park
Morningside Heights, Manhattan
A rocky cliff, a pond and a long run of stairs.
Tip: Shoot the stairs from above for strong lines.
Safety: Daylight only. Stay on the main paths and the stairs.
Map -
24Marcus Garvey Park
Harlem, Manhattan
A hilltop park with a fire watchtower and the Harlem rooftops around it.
Tip: Climb to the top for the roofline, and shoot the tower from below.
Safety: Daylight only. Stay on the main paths.
Map -
25Apollo Theater
Harlem, Manhattan
The marquee on 125th Street, in the heart of Harlem.
Tip: Go at dusk, when the sign is lit against a deep blue sky.
Safety: Sidewalk only. The street is busy.
Map
Brooklyn
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26DUMBO Washington Street View
DUMBO, Brooklyn
The Manhattan Bridge framed by brick warehouses.
Tip: Shoot early in the day for fewer people in the frame.
Safety: Shoot from the sidewalk only. Never stand in the roadway, vehicles pass often.
Map -
27Jane's Carousel Lawn
DUMBO, Brooklyn
The glass pavilion with the bridge and the river behind it.
Tip: Reflections in the glass are best in low light.
Safety: Photograph from the park lawn. The ride itself is paid.
Map -
28Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
The skyline across the harbour.
Tip: Fall and winter dusk is the time to be here.
Safety: Stay on the railing path, not on the expressway side.
Map -
29Cadman Plaza Park
Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn
A long lawn with a Brooklyn Bridge tower and the court houses at its ends.
Tip: Use the lawn's length for depth and put a tower at the far end.
Map -
30Domino Park
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Relics of the old sugar refinery, with the Williamsburg Bridge above.
Tip: The old cranes and the bridge make a layered frame.
Safety: Stay behind the railings at the river edge. Do not stand at the waterline.
Map -
31Brooklyn Museum Front Plaza
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
The Beaux-Arts facade on Eastern Parkway.
Tip: Stand back on the plaza to fit the whole facade in.
Safety: Stay on the outdoor plaza and clear of the street.
Map -
32Fort Greene Park Monument Steps
Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Hilltop steps and big trees.
Tip: Shoot up the steps with the trees framing the sky.
Safety: Daylight only. The monument is a memorial, so shoot the view and not the people at it.
Map -
33McCarren Park
Greenpoint, Brooklyn
A track, ball fields and a crowd with the Williamsburg skyline beyond.
Tip: Wait for the track to fill and shoot the people in motion.
Safety: Follow the park hours.
Map -
34Maria Hernandez Park
Bushwick, Brooklyn
The neighbourhood's living room, with murals around the edge.
Tip: Walk the edge of the park and shoot the murals with people in front.
Safety: Daylight only.
Map -
35Sunset Park Hilltop
Sunset Park, Brooklyn
One of the best free views of the Manhattan skyline.
Tip: Come an hour before sunset and wait for the lights to come on.
Safety: Daylight only. Stay on the main paths.
Map
Queens
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36Gantry Plaza State Park
Long Island City, Queens
The old gantry cranes and the Pepsi sign, with Midtown across the river.
Tip: Dusk gives the lit skyline and the sign together.
Safety: Stay behind the railings at the river edge.
Map -
37Unisphere
Flushing Meadows, Queens
A giant steel globe.
Tip: In winter it is often empty and dramatic. Shoot the globe low against a clear sky.
Safety: Daylight only. The park is quiet in the evening.
Map -
38Socrates Sculpture Park
Astoria, Queens
Large outdoor sculpture with the river and the skyline beyond.
Tip: Frame a sculpture against the Manhattan skyline.
Safety: Open in daylight hours only. Stay off the shoreline.
Map
The Bronx
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39Joyce Kilmer Park
Concourse, The Bronx
A landmark on the Grand Concourse, near Yankee Stadium.
Tip: Look for the Concourse's wide lines and shoot along it.
Safety: Stay on the park paths. Avoid the park after dark.
Map
Staten Island
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40St. George Ferry Terminal
St. George, Staten Island
The ferry arrival, with the harbour and downtown Manhattan beyond.
Tip: Shoot the skyline from the terminal as the ferry pulls in.
Safety: Stay in the terminal and the plaza, clear of the dock edge.
Map
In December
These places change in the holiday season. Plan for crowds, and go early in the day.
- Rockefeller Plaza and Channel Gardens. The tree, the rink and the flags make the holiday picture. It is extremely crowded in December and parts of the plaza can close.
- Bryant Park. In the holiday season the park can host a winter village and the rink, with the library lawn behind.
- Union Square Park. A market can fill the square in the holiday season. Shoot from the steps beside the pavilion.
- New York Public Library Lions. The two lions wear wreaths in winter.
- Grand Central Terminal Main Concourse. Free, warm and indoors, so it is a good stop when it is cold.
- Bethesda Terrace and Fountain. After snow, Central Park changes. Try Bethesda Terrace here, then Bow Bridge (8) and the Literary Walk (9). Daylight only, and mind the ice.
Printable checklist
All 40 on one page, with a box to tick. Print it, or tick on screen.
Play it with friends on Rawly
In Rawly you can start a club round on a topic, such as a bridge at dusk. Everyone shoots it live in the app, and those who shot vote for the best frame. You can also send a VS to a friend, and the community votes on the result. There are no gallery uploads and no filters.
Rawly is free on iOS and Android, for people 18 and over. This list is for anyone.
More: NYC photo walk routes · NYC photo scavenger hunt list · NYC Christmas photo spots · photo scavenger hunt · December photo challenge · photo clubs
Questions
What are the best photo spots in NYC?
Start with the Brooklyn Bridge Promenade, the Flatiron Building, Grand Central, Bethesda Terrace in Central Park, the High Line, the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and Sunset Park. This page lists 40 public places in all five boroughs, with what to shoot and a tip for each.
Are there free photo spots in NYC?
Yes. The 40 places on this page are public, and shooting with a phone costs nothing. One note: the carousel ride at Jane's Carousel is paid, but you can photograph it from the park lawn.
Where can I take Christmas photos in NYC?
In the holiday season, try Rockefeller Plaza and the Channel Gardens, Bryant Park, Union Square, the New York Public Library lions on Fifth Avenue and Grand Central. Go early: Rockefeller Plaza is extremely crowded in December and parts of it can close.
What are good winter photo spots in NYC?
Central Park after snow: Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge and the Literary Walk, where bare branches make a tunnel. Grand Central is warm and indoors. Winter light is low and warm at the Flatiron Building, and dusk at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade shows the skyline.
How do I do a photo scavenger hunt in NYC?
Pick a handful of places from the list, set a time limit and split into teams. Each team shoots every place live, then you compare the photos and vote for the best. Stay on public ground and ask before you photograph people. The printable checklist on this page has all 40 places.
Do I need a permit to take photos in NYC?
Generally, permits are not required for casual photographers, tourists or credentialed members of the media, according to the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. Standing on a City sidewalk, a City bridge walkway or in a City park with a hand-held camera does not need one, as long as you do not claim exclusive use of City property. A camera on a tripod is also covered by the same rule. Productions with larger equipment packages do need a permit.