Grand Central Skyline
Today I played the part of the typical tourist. I headed up to Grand Central Terminal, with my audio tour in hand, and learnt about the history of the world’s largest train station. I saw the central clock above the information booth, the east and west staircases, the dining concourse below, and two bridal parties there for photos! There are corridors and ramps leading to various rooms through the place. One area that impressed me is known as “the whispering gallery”, where you face a corner of the room, and speak to the wall, and a person diagonally opposite you can hear you. It was really quite fascinating!
Grand Central Terminal is just two blocks over from 5th Avenue. It is consistently ranked amoung the world’s most expensive shopping streets to visit. Designer stores from Louis Vitton, Gucci, Prada, Swarovski, and reportedly the 5th most photographed building in New York, the Apple Store, can all be found on 5th Avenue. Sadly the typical giant glass cube of the Apple store is undergoing renovation, so the place had been turned into a giant wooden board cube. Not exactly very impressive. The subterranean store was very busy though. I also wandered inside Trump Tower for a look. Not much to do in there for a tourist though.
I went back to my hotel and swapped out some camera gear, and set out for the cliche Manhattan Skyline shot from Brooklyn. Last time I was there, I didn’t have my tripod, so it made things a bit tricky. This time I think I got what I was looking for. I walked back to Manhattan via the pedestrian walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge, with two fellow photographers I met on the Brooklyn side. It seems to be quite a popular hang out for photographers that’s for sure!
Once back over in Manhattan, we called it a night and went our separate ways. My destination was bed.
Your images are totally amazing! You display great technical skill but it is teamed with a wonderful photographic eye. Compelling work.
“Grand Central Avenue is just two blocks over from 5th Avenue. It is consistently ranked among the world’s most expensive shopping streets to visit.”
I’ve never heard of a Grand Central Avenue ? Do you mean Park Avenue ? Anyway, Madison Avenue (shopping in the 60s/70s) outranks 5th Avenue in terms of upscale shopping.
If you wander to the Apple store you should take a look inside The Plaza (hotel/condo) across the street.
Post more pics. You have a very good eye.
How do you like the heat.
Slight typo there! Should be “Grand Central Terminal is just two blocks….”
That’s what I get for updating it at 3am in the morning!
If I get time I’ll swing past The Plaza today too! The heat has been okay. Using the mornings to relax and then afternoon and evening to explore once it has cooled down. Today is feeling much nicer. Off to check out the lower half of Central Park today!
GCT. That I know.
If you are going to the lower part of the Park walk in across from The Plaza. Very pretty, tiny lake area with adjoining benches and grass area where people relax. If you walk over to that little bridge you can shoot a classic shot of 5th Ave (looking at the Sherry Netherland hotel among others)/Central Park South (Plaza among others). As you make your way over to the West Side you can exit by the old Tavern on the Green around 65-66th (or if you go lower, Columbus Circle, and then shoot the Time-Warner buildings. The two large towers). Anyway, once over there see what you can do with your tilt lens at Lincoln Center. Try to see it after dark or at least at sunset, it’s much nicer. I think you said you are leaving Wednesday but if I got that wrong, Wednesday night is the beginning of a series of nighttime, outdoor, free concerts and other activities. It’s always a good time. And there is another Apple store up on Broadway, maybe 4 blocks up from Lincoln Center. A big glass thing. I don’t get the attraction of this particular religious cult though I do like my iPhone and iPad.
I did some shooting in Washington Sq Park this weekend of some “street performers.” You can see my shots at http://www.917photography.com (I’m working on a new non-flash site).
Many times the “street performers” are quite accomplished. Turns out I knew the drummer. He and the guy playing buckets have been on Broadway and we had met before through a mutual friend. It seems like a big city but it’s a small world.