After 20 years of shooting weddings in NYC, I’ve gotten very good at finding places nobody else shoots. Not because they’re hidden, but because most photographers default to the same five locations and never look up, down, or two blocks over.
Times Square and the Bethesda Terrace will always be there. This list is the other one. The secret places to take pictures in NYC that I actually use, that I send couples to, and that almost never show up in anyone else’s photographs of this city.
Secret Places to Take Pictures in NYC
The Max Family Garden
Tucked into the brick courtyard of an old warehouse in DUMBO, the Max Family Garden is one of my favorite spots in the city and one I constantly send couples to. Flowers, brick, benches, soft light, and a quiet that should not be possible this close to the Manhattan Bridge. Most people walk right past the entrance without realizing it’s there. Go in.
Gantry Plaza State Park
Long Island City, right on the water, with the Manhattan skyline staring back at you from across the East River. The old Pepsi-Cola sign is the shot everyone wants and it earns its reputation, but the gantries themselves are the better picture. Rusting industrial bones against the skyline. Almost nobody shoots them.
Sunset here is one of the best in the city. Permit-required for professional shoots, so plan ahead and don’t show up assuming you can wing it.
Squibb Park Bridge
A zig-zag pedestrian bridge between Squibb Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park, with lower Manhattan straight ahead of you. The shape of the bridge itself is the move. Stand at one of the bends, shoot back along the angle, and the geometry does the work. Most photographers stop at the obvious skyline view and miss the better shot which is the bridge itself.
Foot traffic exists but it clears in waves. Walk the whole length. The picture changes every twenty feet
SoHo
SoHo is not a secret. Everyone knows SoHo. What is less obvious is that the side streets are some of the best portrait blocks in Manhattan, especially the cast-iron stretches on Greene Street and Mercer between Houston and Canal. Cobblestones, fire escapes, the kind of architecture that photographs like a movie set. Skip the main drag on Broadway and walk the side streets. That is where the picture is.
Staten Island Ferry
Hear me out with this one, but one of the more unique places to take pictures in NYC is literally on the Staten Island Ferry. Most people view the ferries as having one singular purpose: to move them from one place to another. But they can also provide a unique photo setting.
Obviously, try to avoid rush hour on the ferry to get the best photos. You can take some really unique portraits sitting on the benches. Or, go and stand near the edge of the boat to get views of the city in the distance, making for a perfect photo.
Little Red Lighthouse
Most people don’t know that New York City actually has its own lighthouse, and it’s vibrant red. The Little Red Lighthouse is located underneath the George Washington Bridge along the Hudson River in Fort Washington Park. Once you see it, you’ll never be able to unsee it because of how vibrant it is.
The lighthouse was built in 1880 but was moved to its current location in 1921. There are tours available that let you climb to the top of the lighthouse with a guide, offering great views all around.
The Beekman is a downtown hotel with a nine-story atrium that looks like the inside of a music box. Wrought iron railings, hand-painted ceilings, the kind of architectural drama that photographs without help. It is one of the most beautiful interior spaces in New York City, right in the Financial District, where anyone can walk into the lobby and look up.
For wedding portraits, you need a permit. I have shot here many times, and it is one of my favorite indoor spots in the city when the weather falls apart or when a couple wants something dramatic and architectural. Book the permit early. It is not the spot to wing.
Green Acre Park
Green Acre Park is a tiny privately owned public park in Turtle Bay, midtown east, with a waterfall built directly into the back wall. The whole park is maybe a quarter of a block. The waterfall is the entire reason to go. Stand in front of it, shoot back toward the entrance, and you have a piece of New York almost nobody photographs.
It is small enough that you cannot shoot there for an hour. Ten minutes, a few frames, done. But the picture you get will not look like any other portrait taken in this city.
City Hall Subway Station
The covered entrance arches at the Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall subway stop are one of the best-kept photo secrets in lower Manhattan. Brick, tile, and ironwork sheltering the staircase down to the platform, with light filtering in soft and even all day. It is a working subway entrance, so people are coming and going, but the foot traffic ebbs and flows in waves, and the architecture is genuinely beautiful when you actually stop and look.
This is the kind of spot I send couples to when we want something unexpected on a downtown walk. It is right there, hiding in plain sight, and almost nobody stops to look at it.
Frequently Asked Questions: Secret Photo Spots in NYC
What is the most underrated photo location in NYC?
The Max Family Garden in DUMBO. Brick courtyard, flowers, and a quiet you should not be able to find this close to the Manhattan Bridge. Most people walk right past the entrance.
Do you need a permit to take photos at these NYC locations?
For personal sessions, most public spaces are fine. The Beekman and Gantry Plaza require permits and you need to book them well in advance. Commercial shoots are a different conversation. I check every location before we go so nothing surprises us on the day.
Are these locations free to visit?
Most of them, yes. The Beekman needs a permit. Gantry Plaza needs a permit for shoots. Everything else on this list is walk-up.
What’s the best time to visit these secret NYC photo spots?
Early morning. Before nine. The light is better, the crowds have not arrived yet, and you can actually move around. Golden hour is also good but the popular spots get packed.
Are these spots good for wedding portraits?
Several of them are. The Max Family Garden and the DUMBO waterfront are two I use on wedding days regularly. If you are getting married in Brooklyn and want to work one of these spots into your day, my DUMBO photo locations guidegoes deeper on that neighborhood.
Can you recommend other NYC photo locations beyond this list?
Yes. I have written guides to NYC skyline photo locations, DUMBO specifically, and Northern New Jersey for couples who want the skyline behind them. If you want a recommendation for your specific session, reach out.
