New York Long weekend in NYC

R

RML

Guest
I'll be in NYC this weekend visiting my kid brother.

He's living in East Village and most likely he'll take me around town.

Are there any do's or don'ts in NYC?

I'm planning on doing quite some shooting, especially in East Village (local shops, streets and such) and Manhattan (Times Square, the skyscrapers, the traffic, the streets). Maybe some subway shooting too. Probably no visiting of KEH and such. I don't have time for that, and not really anything I want to buy anyway.

What's the weather like right now? Cold? And what time does the sun come up/go down?

3 days in NYC, out of the blue. I can hardly wait. :D
 
When are you coming?

Right now sun is up around 6am and down still around 6pm. Since you brother is living there, he will know the do's and don'ts.

You can't go wrong. There is so much to do and see. Pick out a couple things that you definitely want to see, a museum, park, the Statue of Liberty whatever, plan those things, one a day, but just enjoy. Take your camera with you everywhere and just shoot. You will never be without something to shoot.

Don't over plan, the city will entertain you and the best way to enjoy it on a short visit is to go where it takes you.

Weather is nuts right now. Cold has settled in. In the city you can probably look forward to temps near 30F. But early March is a lion you know, and the weather pattern is set up to offer us some big storms if we can get good size low pressure systems to make it across the southern part of the country. Or, you may hit a few days when the temps are near 50F and the sun is out. Who knows.

Enjoy your visit.
 
I'll be in NYC next weekend! :)

My brother has only been in NYC for a few weeks now, and will stay until early May before he goes back to Holland.

With do's and don'ts I meant not just the must-sees but also if there's anything I per se should NOT see or do. :)

.
 
Went for a week in september 2005 for the Minolta Manual Focus Convention.

Very pleasant stay.

Just to visit manhattan in 3 days is too short, this island is HUGE !

Went to the main sites and a lot of wandering by the streets.

Do not forget a trip at Adorama and B&H

Have a pleasant stay :)

Cheers

Jean-Baptiste alias J.B. alias Franceluxemburg
 
If I didn't just find a Bessa, I might've asked you to smuggle one across the atlantic!

I've never been to New York, so I can't help you much - perhaps check if there's any good photography exhibition at the MoMA?
 
RML said:
Probably no visiting of KEH and such. I don't have time for that, and not really anything I want to buy anyway.
Click to expand...

What has that ever had to do with anything? It's all about having GAS even when you don't really "want"anything. C'mon man!

Earl
 
Paulbe said:
Besides---KEH is in Atlanta!! :) Maybe you meant B+H and you MUST visit them--overwhelming.
Click to expand...

Oops. :p

Anyway, I really don't have GAS right now, and no money to boot. Besides, I'll be in NYC for 3 days (sat, sun, mon) and want to spend my time shooting and seeing what the raving over this city is all about. :)

If I'm correct there's a flea market on sat and sun in East Village. Maybe I can visit that. Worth the visit I guess for photo ops, and maybe a bargain or two. I must bring back something for my wife, who so graciously let me go alone. :cool:
 
There simply is too much to do in 3 days, so like I said, don't regret what you miss, enjoy what you see.
 
It going to be cold here this weekend. Possible snow Saturday night. Photograph to your heart's content. The city is generally safe everywhere.

I lived in the East Village for 28 years. Got married this past September and now I'm up in west Harlem. More space, more air, more light. Make sure you have a chance to go to Zum Schneider on 7th Street and Avenue C. A great German beer hall. DBA bar on 1st Avenue between 2 and 3rd Streets. More beer and whiskeys than you can shake a stick at.

Unfortunately, the East Village is not what it used to be. Too many rich kids living on their parents money, rents have sky rocketed, and gentrification has really got hold in a bad way. Still, there is nothing like it. So many restaurants of ethnic diversity, and it's close to Chinatown. A nice 20 minute walk.

The flea market you mentioned in on Avenue A and 11th Street. It's in a playground of a school. It's okay. You never know what you may find.

I miss the eateries the most. One of my favorites of my wife and I is Mogador on St. MArks Place between First Avenue and Avenue A. A great French Moroccan bistro.

Enjoy your weekend!
 
Last edited:
Pick up a free copy of The Village Voice and see what current gallery shows are running. Photo galleries are clustered in a few areas--Chelsea, East side around 59th St, upper East side, and Soho mainly--so you might pick one or two shows you really want to see and then see what else is in the neighborhood. Only a small amount of any dealer's stock will be on exhibit, so you might also ask what's in the drawers, if you want to leaf through prints.

One of my favorites is the John Stevenson gallery, which specializes in alt-process prints--

http://www.johnstevenson-gallery.com/
 
Keith, great suggestions! And thanks for the invitation. I might take you up on it. Or not, depending on what my brother has in store for me.

Doing very little work right now, more busy with getting to know the East and West Village, China Town and Little Italy, and the Battery. Those are probably the places that I'd like to visit.

So it's gonna be cold? Guess I'll bring my Mongolia gear then. :)

I'm gonna travel light (really light). My R-D1 with a few lenses. My CL as a backup (are PX625 batteries still available in NYC?). Some underware and socks, or maybe not. :) I guess everything will fit in a small backpack. I hope I won't get odd looks when I want to board the plane. Single man, in his thirties, no luggage, travelling alone, no visa needed. I could be a terrorist. :) Actually, I was treated as a suspect when I went to India one time. No-one else had to get out of the queue, take of his shoes and go to the "dressing room". Fortunately, no rubber gloves in that "room". :p
 
RML said:
...

(are PX625 batteries still available in NYC?).

...
Click to expand...

I am sure somewhere. I was surprised in one of the berbs of Wash, DC, that the local Radio Shack did not have them (they showed some tiny battery supposedly a replacement). Neither did a local grocery store, the CVS drug store, and Batteries Plus. I found them in a local Hardware store known for its supply of hardware items for the majority of homes built by my giant subdivision's builder. Sitting there as inocently as you please, and yes, if I got the last one they would reorder very soon.

Go figure. But now my Canonet's meter works at least.
 
oftheherd said:
I am sure somewhere. I was surprised in one of the berbs of Wash, DC, that the local Radio Shack did not have them (they showed some tiny battery supposedly a replacement). Neither did a local grocery store, the CVS drug store, and Batteries Plus. I found them in a local Hardware store known for its supply of hardware items for the majority of homes built by my giant subdivision's builder. Sitting there as inocently as you please, and yes, if I got the last one they would reorder very soon.

Go figure. But now my Canonet's meter works at least.
Click to expand...

Well, at least that's encouraging! I need mercury batteries for my CL and for my Canonet. I really hope I can find them, or that someone can point me to a source in NYC. I only have three days and I can't roam the town just for some batteries. :)
 
kbg32 said:
It going to be cold here this weekend. Possible snow Saturday night. Photograph to your heart's content. The city is generally safe everywhere.

I lived in the East Village for 28 years. Got married this past September and now I'm up in west Harlem. More space, more air, more light....


Enjoy your weekend!
Click to expand...

Keith,

I find that observation very interesting - I read a similar comment in the NY Times the other day about there being "more light" in Harlem (and upper Manhattan generally).

I live in Kips Bay and work in the "gloom" of Midtown where street photography is constantly done in the "shadows" so I'm envious.

So I'm thinking - perhaps we NYC'ers could arrange a RF shooting expedition in Harlem/Upper Manhattan this Spring to take advantage of that light (plus some of the great architecture up there)?
 
Welcome to New York. As far as I know mercury batteries are illegal now in the States. Adorama sells Wein substitutes at the front counter; they are closed on Saturdays.
Katz's deli is at the lower edge of the East Village (lower east side), but I forget the exact address. They are on the expensive side but worth a visit. As they are kosher they should be closed on Saturday too.
About the only thing to be wary of is street vendors selling counterfeit merchandise. Sometimes its of good quality, sometimes not but its always counterfeit. Otherwise, the advice already given is excellent, especially about getting hold of a Village Voice paper (free) and checking out the scene. I can't wait to see your photos as you will see things so different from myself who has lived here most of my life. Enjoy the weekend.
Kurt M.
 
copake_ham said:
Keith,

I find that observation very interesting - I read a similar comment in the NY Times the other day about there being "more light" in Harlem (and upper Manhattan generally).

I live in Kips Bay and work in the "gloom" of Midtown where street photography is constantly done in the "shadows" so I'm envious.

So I'm thinking - perhaps we NYC'ers could arrange a RF shooting expedition in Harlem/Upper Manhattan this Spring to take advantage of that light (plus some of the great architecture up there)?
Click to expand...

Hi George,

I would really enjoy that. There are areas up here I've yet to explore. Company would always be welcomed.

The west side of Harlem, I live in Hamilton Heights, is quite different from the east side. Over here the avenues are quite wide and very few buildings are over 10 stories tall. The Hudson River and Riverside Park are quite close in proximity to everything. Broadway cuts a wide swath through the neighborhood and the center meridian also doubles as a park in places. The east side is very much like downtown, East Village, etc.. Lots of small brownstones, and things generally feel much crowded.

Christ Church on 154, has quite an interesting cemetary, with masoleums, to explore.

The cafe con leche in the neighborhood for $1 is not too bad as well!

Cheers
 
RML said:
(are PX625 batteries still available in NYC?)
Click to expand...

B&H and/or Adorama should have the Wein Zinc-air equivalents (I picked up one for my Konica S3 at Adorama about two months or so ago).

As far as places to see, you'll want to hit Leica Gallery on lower Broadway:

http://www.leica-camera.com/kultur/galerie/nyc/index_e.html

And, of course, there's so much more to see here that I couldn't possibly start a list...


- Barrett
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom