3 Perfect Days in New York - [TRAVEL] NYC Day 1

[TRAVEL] Day 1

A visit to the Big Apple was on the cards for quite a few months now. Juggling between hectic project schedules, can or can we not time it with the US Open, looking for a rainy day in NYC (lol...just to shoot a sea of umbrellas in Times Square) - we finally planned a visit to the Big Apple sans the above "perfect" conditions

We stayed in a place called TriBeCa in lower Manhattan. With the subway just minutes away - we found this an ideal location and was quickly able to figure out "Uptown" and "Downtown". New York's Chinatown meets Little Italy  at Canal Street - and this was our landmark

For me NYC meant - yellow taxis, bustling streets, mad rush,  subways and A,C,D,E,1,2,3 trains, skyscrapers that block sunlight out and of course street food. The zeal and zest of NYC reminded me of India ( rather Bangalore). To quote a friend "No city in the world makes u freeze in the moment like the way NYC does".

We explored Day 1 at a leisurely place - starting off from Canal Street to the World Trade Center,Financial District, the much sought after Isamo Naguchi's Red Cube - the height of which draws ones attention upwards to the skyscrapers on all three sides and  gawked at  Wall Street in the evening.

I love the ubiquitous NYC street scene - hailing a taxi. I love to see the bright yellow cabs whizzing by and grinding to a halt at the very first instance of a hand being raised. 

We then took the subway to Empire State Building - a brief halt for NYC's famous pizzas before arriving  atop the 86th floor of the Empire State Building to catch the sunset. The very 1st pic above was shot half an hour after sunset though this came with a costly price. Just after the shutter- my lens hood slipped off the cam and dropped neatly down from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building into the darkness - echoes by the "oohs" and "aaahs" of the crowd who witnessed it. A disappointing feeling - nevertheless replaced with an excitement of the lights coming on .

"No city in the world makes u freeze in the moment like the way NYC does"

With time on our side - we decided to drop by the brightedly illuminated hub of Broadway and the worlds most visited tourist attraction "Time Square" . Enjoooy the pics !

San Francisco - Day 1, Nobb Hill, Fishermans Wharf

After driving through a torrent rain entire night on Interstate 5 with visibility almost nil, we arrived after midnight at San Francisco . Our accommodation was in the Nobb Hill area. The advantage of booking your accommodation here is most of the must see tourists sights are easily accessible( Fisherman's Wharf, Cable Car Museum, China Town and of course the Golden Gate Bridge).

Breakfast was at The Crepe House on Polk Street. Polk Street and its vicinity definitely rocks!  Polk Street is fun, great photo opp for street photography. Their egg plant crepe with fresh basil and tomatoes was lovely. The cafe boasts of lovely rich and colorful interiors . The building right at the corner of Polk and Washington looked Victorian and enticing to shoot a HDR here.


The weather was fantastic - I still receive queries on how the hell did I get such a clear blue sky which is depicted in my photos of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Apparently this is not typical of SFO . Well... what the heck - I tell people I was looking to shoot in the fog( which is typical of SFO), so now it boils down to "being at the right place at the right time"..LOL...it's tough to explain to people that one shoots landscapes only at sunset or sunrise...







Lunch was at the Boudin Sourdough Bakery & Cafe on Market Street - famous for its San Francisco sourdough French bread. Loved the ambiance here. Quite surprised to see bread in various forms and shapes - that of starfish, crabs, aligators and crocodiles - the Wharf has it's effect on the Boudin bakery as well!  The famous Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf within walking distance was our next destination. A bit disappointed with the much talked about Ghirardeli Chocolate factory - the factory is closed now. There's a chocolate shop "The Original Chocolate Shop". 







San Francisco's maritime museum along Pier 45 - the USS Pampanito a World War 2 sub. By this time, I was in love with San Francisco - this city has life and a fresh air. A place I would love to re-visit anytime. The weather was fantastic - I still receive queries on how the hell did I get such a clear blue sky which is depicted in my photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

Tunnels always fascinate me. A stop by at the Japanese Tea Gardens proved fruitful. I love tunnels...I always find them sinister. Finally, I was looking forward to shoot the Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach. Not quite sure of the place, I planned our visit  an hour in advance before sunset :) Very very fruitful I should say, I was quite happy shooting the bridge at sunset with 4 photographers alongside me. Quite an achievement for Day1

Passing through Dubai.....The sea,the food and the malls. That's Dubai for you.

Food joints on the streets in Dubai, Authentic Lebanese food

Yet another sunset....shot from the Jumeriah Beach...

The Burj-Al-Arab....shimmering reflections

The Orangoe Football... @the Jumeriah beach... a personal fav !

 The Creek.

The Plunge! I was fascinated by this artificial waterfall and the "i-robot" type figures on a dive!  All this in the worlds largest shopping mall -  in Dubai!