I’m going to NYC!!

I'm gonna say the same as many of the others. Adorama is your best bet for great prices on cameras, FIlm, AND computers. My girlfriend just bought a 15" Macbook Pro Retina there a few weeks ago for about $350 less then anywhere else, local or internet! It wasnt even a special. It was just that price! They dont have the biggest selection of PCs in store, but they are cheap and a pleasure to shop at.

My second choice would be J&R, they're great for general electronics as well as cameras. though I feel like their prices arent as competitive as they used to be. They do however, have the biggest selection of PCs in town.

My 3rd choice would be B&H, they have a lot, but their store is a nightmare to navigate. Mainly because of all the people in there. I'm also not very fond of the staff there. Generally a bunch of grumps. Also their check out system is just the worst! But they do have competitive prices. (B&H and Adorama have been at each other's throats for decades, so their prices are about the same. give or take a couple of dollars.)

Have fun!
 
I also wouldn't spend too much time in Times Square either unless you want to see other tourists and people dressed up in Elmo suits. Marvel at all the neon once at night on your way somewhere else and move on. Most New Yorkers avoid it like the plague.

Hmmm, maybe I should start hanging out in Times Sq more...
 
That Elmo, by the way, is an anti semitic nut. There are youtube videos of him screaming invective outside Toys R Us about the international jewish conspiracy etc etc. Elmo is taking a lot of blows to his public image these days and this guy is not helping one bit. The police keep picking him up but they run into this little problem called the First Amendment which really makes Ray Kelly [Police Commissioner] cranky. He hates that one. He hates most of the Bill of Rights actually. The NYPD has taken to using drones. We love this safest city in America bit......

By the way, I'd say the premier photo exhibition space in NYC is the International Center for Photography or ICP. Started by Cornell Capa, Rob't's brother. I believe there's an interesting show at MoMA too. Their photo exhibitions used to be really important but have been less prominent over the last 20 years. Shows there in the 1980s on Cindy Sherman and Garry Winogrand were really groundbreaking. (The Winogrand because it reestablished his presence and reputation and also because it was first look at the huge amount of Kodachrome shooting he did, leaving bags of undeveloped rolls on his death. Pictures were developed, selected, and printed by others -- including if I remember correctly the aforementioned Cornell Capa -- causing great controversy about how much it was "his" work. Which is dumb, it was his work.)
 
That Elmo, by the way, is an anti semitic nut. There are youtube videos of him screaming invective outside Toys R Us about the international jewish conspiracy etc etc. Elmo is taking a lot of blows to his public image these days and this guy is not helping one bit.

There are multiple Elmos out there... I've seen a little Mexican lady in that suit too. I wonder if the new AS elmo is the same fool who used to do this in the Wall St area (while not in costume).
 
PS Also pick up The New Yorker for the week you're in town. It's "Goings On About Town" is fairly comprehensive and very entertaining. Time Out NY is also good, as mentioned above, but not as smart.
 
Okay one more thing. If you find yourself needing film on a Saaturday, Adorama is also closed, also run by Orthodox Jews. However Calumet on 22nd street is open. They're not as cheap.
 
PhotoCare across the street from Calumet is also open on Saturdays and I believe is a bit cheaper for film. They also have a great and friendly staff, and a lot of used leica gear to play with. They even have an M6J hiding inside a leather case, behind the counter, that they let me play with last week! If you're in the Chinatown area, i found that K&M Cameras has the best prices for film. About .50-1.00 cheaper then adorama.

I forgot to mention before that I believe the MET currently has an exhibition on turn of the century photography, focusing on "spirit photography" if you're into that. There are a lot of galleries in the Chelsea area, lots of really fun stuff to see, but not so much photography related though. But if you're in that area, you have to do the Highline walk. in the winter it's pretty awesome. Oh, and if you have the energy, I highly recommend Sleep No More. For photo exhibits, I would check the soho area, the leica gallery and new leica store are in that area as well. ICP is in midtown, and usually has some nice shows going on. And of course there's is MoMa. Pick up local rags like the village voice, ny press, and time out for a good array of gallery listings.
 
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