Times Square, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park – New York City’s famous landmarks should never be taken for granted. But, photographers know that there is much, much more to the Big Apple.
The great thing about New York is that there’s always something new to be seen. You could spend a lifetime exploring the city and never run out of photographs to take. For New Yorkers and visitors who have already experienced NYC’s top attractions, here are five underrated places worth exploring with your camera.
Brooklyn Heights
A stone’s throw from Downtown Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights offers the historic New York charm that captures travelers’ hearts and imaginations. This residential neighborhood situated on a palisade above Brooklyn Bridge Park offers a unique juxtaposition of quaintness and exuberance, not to mention jaw-dropping views of Manhattan along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The best part? Brooklyn Heights is the first stop in Brooklyn on the A, C, F, N, R, 2, 3, 4 and 5 subway lines, making it even easier to get to than many parts of Manhattan.
NYC & Company - Squibb Bridge photo by Alexander Thompson • Brooklyn Heights photo by Stefano Giovanni
The Cloisters
Did you know that your ticket to the Metropolitan Museum of Art includes admission to a Medieval European wonderland of art, architecture and nature? Find tranquility and serenity (in New York City, of all places) at The Cloisters museum and gardens, home to a monastery of roughly 2,000 ancient works of art in Upper Manhattan's Fort Tryon Park.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Elevator Historical Society Museum
How about this: a museum dedicated completely to elevators.
“The Long Island City Elevator Historical Society is incongruously situated in a cavernous car garage in an industrial corner of Queens,” writes Untapped Cities. Likewise, “the first ever U.S.-based brick and mortar elevator museum”
The only way to visit the Long Island City Elevator Museum is by appointment during their open hours, but isn’t the obscurity intriguing? Seriously, who wouldn’t want to see the oldest existing Otis sign dating all the way back to 1881?
Sharon Wong/Untapped Cities
Washington Square Park
If you’re looking for a place to capture quintessential New York cool, look no further than Washington Square Park. A cultural hub and favorite hangout among NYU students, this well-known meeting ground in Greenwich Village somehow seems to float under the radar despite its lovely statues and monuments.
Wikipedia / Jean-Christophe Benoist
Fraunces Tavern
A museum, restaurant, bar and National Historic Landmark, Fraunces Tavern is a history enthusiast’s dream.
In 1783, after six years of war with the British, George Washington’s Continental Army officers gathered here as General Washington announced his resignation (he would later become President of the United States in 1789). And in 1804, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr attended a dinner in the building, just a week before their famous duel. These fun facts don’t even scratch the surface of the history 54 Pearl Street holds.
Fraunces Tavern Museum
New York is filled with unbelievable history, beauty and inspiration – elements that all photographers aim to capture. What’s your most underrated attraction in the city? Tell us in the comments below.
