Street scene Bushwick
Letters from America By Candia Peterson
2. LITTLE KNOWN NYC When I arrived in Upstate New York in December 2019, with “The City” (as the locals call it) a mere two-and-a-half hours away, I saw myself being down there constantly for culture, photography, shopping, you name it. Not quite what happened – at least yet – but I did manage to get down there in early October for a street photography workshop. New York City is, of course, a photographer’s paradise although it is also a city of great photography cliches: Cityscapes from on high, Liberty Island from the water, the Empire State Building from many angles and very much more. As of November 8th (latest intelligence, may change) the borders for tourists in from all the banned countries are open once more and I imagine many of you may have a long-postponed trip in mind. Not all the photos in this article are from my most recent trip but it did give me a good excuse to refresh my mind, particularly for paths less well trodden which, in my view, can be far more interesting. However, if wide cityscapes is your thing, then I can think of no better advice than to leave the island of Manhattan (and don’t bother with the expensive boat trips) and hop over to Brooklyn. If you are staying anywhere in Midtown the F train on the subway is a good, safe and easy bet and will speed you down to York Street station in the middle of the wonderfully named DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass obviously!). Brooklyn Bridge Park does what it says on the tin and is a large and largely pedestrianised area which runs from the piers west of Brooklyn Bridge to a little cove just east of the Manhattan Bridge. Head left with the river in front of you and you will pass the famous carousel that has featured in many movies, encased in a glass box (which itself makes for interesting photographs) and you will find yourself at Pier 1 with fabulous views back over the Manhattan skyline fronted November 2021 Volume 6 Number 8
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