Home / NYC photo walks
NYC photo walks: 6 free routes in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Six self-guided photo walks in New York City, each built from the public places on our NYC photo spots list. Every stop is close to the next. Free, and a phone is enough.
Printed from rawly.app/nyc-photo-walks
How to do a photo walk
Pick one route.
Do one walk, not three. Five stops with time to look beat fifteen stops at a run.
Look first, then shoot.
Stand still for a minute at each stop. Find the line, the light or the person-sized gap, then take the shot.
Shoot a few frames, not fifty.
Choose the best frame at each stop before you leave. It makes the walk lighter and the edit shorter.
Watch the time of day.
Each route lists its best light. Bridges and skylines are softest near sunrise and sunset.
Stay on public ground.
Ask before you photograph people, keep out of traffic and bike lanes, and never block a path.
On permits: the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment says permits are generally not required for casual photographers and tourists. Read its page: when a permit is required.
The 6 routes
Distances are straight lines between stops, so real streets are longer. Each stop links to its entry on the NYC photo spots page.
1. Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge
A park in Tribeca, the bronze bull, then a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge on foot to DUMBO.
- 1Washington Market Park. A neighbourhood green with a gazebo and a low skyline.
- 2Charging Bull. The bronze bull at Bowling Green.
- 3Brooklyn Bridge Promenade (Manhattan end). The walkway toward Brooklyn, with the stone towers and the cables overhead.
- 4DUMBO Washington Street View. The Manhattan Bridge framed by brick warehouses.
Best light: The bridge promenade and DUMBO are softest early in the day or near sunset. The Bull is quiet at winter dusk. Start in the morning to cross the bridge in good light.
Safety:
- Washington Market Park: Follow the park hours.
- Charging Bull: A crowded plaza beside traffic. Use the pedestrian side.
- Brooklyn Bridge Promenade (Manhattan end): The path is shared with cyclists. Stay on the pedestrian side and never stop in the bike lane.
- DUMBO Washington Street View: Shoot from the sidewalk only. Never stand in the roadway, vehicles pass often.
2. DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights
Brick warehouses, a glass pavilion, a long lawn and the skyline from the Promenade. Route 1 ends where this one starts.
- 1DUMBO Washington Street View. The Manhattan Bridge framed by brick warehouses.
- 2Jane's Carousel Lawn. The glass pavilion with the bridge and the river behind it.
- 3Cadman Plaza Park. A long lawn with a Brooklyn Bridge tower and the court houses at its ends.
- 4Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The skyline across the harbour.
Best light: Start early in DUMBO for fewer people. Reflections in the pavilion glass are best in low light. End at the Promenade at dusk in fall and winter.
Safety:
- DUMBO Washington Street View: Shoot from the sidewalk only. Never stand in the roadway, vehicles pass often.
- Jane's Carousel Lawn: Photograph from the park lawn. The ride itself is paid.
- Brooklyn Heights Promenade: Stay on the railing path, not on the expressway side.
3. Midtown icons
From the stars of Grand Central past the library lions and Bryant Park to Rockefeller Plaza and the neon of the Red Steps.
- 1Grand Central Terminal Main Concourse. The ceiling of stars and the big clock in the main concourse.
- 2New York Public Library Lions. Patience and Fortitude, the two lions on the Fifth Avenue steps. They wear wreaths in winter.
- 3Bryant Park. The rink and the library lawn behind it. In the holiday season the park can host a winter village.
- 4Rockefeller Plaza and Channel Gardens. The tree, the rink and the flags around the plaza in the holiday season.
- 5Duffy Square and the Red Steps. Neon and crowds, seen from the top of the red steps.
Best light: Grand Central is indoors, so any hour works. Bryant Park is warmest from late afternoon into dusk. Rockefeller Plaza is clearer in the morning, and the Red Steps are for after dark. Start in the afternoon and finish at night.
Safety:
- Grand Central Terminal Main Concourse: Very crowded at rush hour. Do not block the commuter flow.
- New York Public Library Lions: Stay on the steps and the sidewalk.
- Bryant Park: Follow the park hours.
- Rockefeller Plaza and Channel Gardens: Extremely crowded in December. Barriers and security checks may close parts of the plaza.
- Duffy Square and the Red Steps: A pedestrian plaza next to traffic. Keep to the plaza and out of the street.
4. The High Line and the Village
An elevated rail park, a Gothic tower, an arch, a cobbled lane, a spinning cube and a park of elms.
- 1High Line at Gansevoort. An elevated rail park with views over the city and the river.
- 2Jefferson Market Library Corner. The Gothic tower, seen from the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 10th Street.
- 3Washington Square Arch. The marble arch that frames Fifth Avenue.
- 4Washington Mews. A quiet cobbled lane, a calm counterpoint to the park next door.
- 5Astor Place Plaza. The spinning cube and the crowd that crosses the plaza.
- 6Tompkins Square Park. Everyday park life, the dog run and big elms.
Best light: Winter afternoons give long light along the High Line rails. Soft overcast suits Washington Mews. Late afternoon light through the elms is the one to wait for in Tompkins Square Park. Start in the early afternoon.
Safety:
- High Line at Gansevoort: 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.
- Jefferson Market Library Corner: Stay on the sidewalk corner. The crossing is busy.
- Washington Square Arch: Busy at night. Stay on the park paths.
- Washington Mews: The Fifth Avenue end is sometimes gated. Keep to the public lane.
- Astor Place Plaza: A pedestrian plaza at a busy junction. Keep out of the roadway.
- Tompkins Square Park: After dusk, stay on the park paths.
5. Gramercy to Flatiron
A short, easy walk from two quiet squares to Union Square and the wedge of the Flatiron Building.
- 1Stuyvesant Square. Two calm small parks with bare trees and old brick around them.
- 2Union Square Park. The daily crowd, and in the holiday season a market. The steps beside the pavilion make a good seat.
- 3Flatiron Building and Plaza. The wedge-shaped corner building that every New Yorker has shot.
- 4Madison Square Park. Open lawns with the Flatiron and the Empire State Building in the background.
Best light: Winter is the best season at Stuyvesant Square, with bare branches against the brick. Winter light is low and warm at the Flatiron Building.
Safety:
- Stuyvesant Square: Follow the park hours.
- Union Square Park: Stay on the park plaza, away from the street edge.
- Flatiron Building and Plaza: Stand on the plaza or the sidewalk, away from the street traffic.
6. Central Park and Lincoln Center
The cast iron bridge, the terrace, the elm mall, then out of the park to the fountain plaza.
- 1Bow Bridge. The cast iron footbridge over The Lake.
- 2Bethesda Terrace and Fountain. The arcade and the fountain, one of the great frames in Central Park.
- 3The Literary Walk. A mall lined with elms.
- 4Josie Robertson Plaza (Lincoln Center). A fountain plaza with the glass of the opera house behind it.
Best light: Fresh snow or fall colour gives the best pictures at Bethesda Terrace. In winter the bare branches of the Literary Walk make a tunnel. The park is for daylight only, so finish at Lincoln Center, where dusk brings reflections in the glass.
Safety:
- Bow Bridge: Pedestrian bridge only. In winter the bridge can be icy.
- Bethesda Terrace and Fountain: Daylight only. Stay on the terrace, not at the edge of the lake.
- The Literary Walk: Daylight only.
- Josie Robertson Plaza (Lincoln Center): The fountain may be off in winter. Stay in the plaza.
Other boroughs
The places in Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island sit too far apart for a walk between them, so they are not routes here. Each one is a good single stop. See all 40 places on the NYC photo spots page.
Make it a game
Walk a route with friends and start a club round in Rawly on a topic, such as a bridge at dusk. Everyone shoots it live in the app within the round's time, and those who shot vote for the best frame. There are no gallery uploads and no filters.
Rawly is free on iOS and Android, for people 18 and over. These routes are for anyone.
More: NYC photo spots · NYC photo scavenger hunt · photo scavenger hunt · photo clubs
Questions
Where can I do a photo walk in NYC?
This page has six routes: Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights, Midtown icons, the High Line and the Village, Gramercy to Flatiron, and Central Park and Lincoln Center. Each has 4 to 6 public stops that sit close together, with what to shoot at each one.
How long is a photo walk?
At about 4.5 km/h plus 10 minutes per stop, the routes here take between 55 and 100 minutes. Real streets are longer than the straight lines between stops, so allow extra time, especially if you wait for the light.
Do I need a permit for a photo walk in NYC?
Generally, permits are not required for casual photographers or tourists, 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. Productions with larger equipment packages do need a permit.
What is the best time of day for a photo walk in NYC?
Early morning and the hour before sunset. Bridges and skylines are softest then, and the streets are quieter in the morning. Each route on this page lists its best light.
Can I walk across the Brooklyn Bridge for photos?
Yes. Route 1 crosses the Brooklyn Bridge on foot from the Manhattan end to DUMBO. The path is shared with cyclists, so stay on the pedestrian side and never stop in the bike lane.