NYC Fall Photo Guide: Where to Take the Best Pictures in New York City
Cozy weather, pumpkin-flavored drinks, chai lattes, combat boots, falling leaves… Autumn is in the air! If you’re looking for a Fall Photo Guide to help you explore the best spots around New York City, you’ve come to the right place.
Whether you’re a content creator, a travel blogger, or someone who is looking for inspo for autumn pictures, we’ll cover the basics and provide you tips to have stunning photos this Fall. Coming from Puerto Rico, fall is pretty much non-existent since it’s practically summer all year long.
However, this year I’m living in NYC, at the best time of the year: FALL! It’s my first time seeing the changing of the leaves and it truly feels magical to witness Fall at its peak.
As a content creator myself, I felt the need to share my excitement and get you the latest scoop of where you can take the best pictures this fall.
In this quick guide, you’ll see photo locations and get insightful tips on how to take that perfect picture for the ‘gram (and with your punny captions)!
Having that said, time to grab your cameras and capture the best moments of Fall!
Must-Read: How to Make Your Photos Look Like Fall
1. Bow Bridge – Central Park
First, on the fall photo guide, make a pit stop at Bow Bridge!
This is one of my favorite spots from Central Park because all year round looks so magical. You have the view of the lake, The Eldorado’s iconic building, and an abundant sight of trees. However, this time of year, the fall foliage, looks like the dream postcard.
Bow Bridge is located 5 minutes away from the Bethesda Terrace, and 2 minutes from Cherry Hill fountain.
2. The Mall – cENTRAL pARK
If you want to capture the essence of fall in NYC, you HAVE to take a stroll at the Mall in Central Park. The Mall is an excellent place to have a walk, people-watch, and take in the views of the American Elm foliage. At this time of the year, this place becomes golden and orange!
P.S. There’s a cool Fall Foliage guide at Central Park where they provide you with different spots around Central Park and identify different fall leaves.
3. Head to Upper West Side
I love this time of the year because residents on the Upper West Side get so creative with their fall/Halloween outdoor decor! You see countless pumpkins outside of every doorstep in Upper West Side.
This makes it perfect for a photo opportunity, just make sure you don’t trespass their home. To know which houses have these beautiful decors, take a stroll around Columbus Avenue between 94th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.
4. Stuyvesant St – East Village
If you want a change of scenery, head to the historical Stuyvesant St. in East Village.
Stuyvesant Street is a small diagonal street and it happens to be one of the oldest streets in Manhattan. No matter if it rains or shines, this place will always look “Instagrammable”. The best tip is to take pictures around the afternoon at 3-4 pm.
Photo Tip: a cute photo idea is to hold on to the street lantern for a cute candid look!
5. PROSPECT PARK – BROOKLYN
If you want to witness some magic, head to Prospect Park! Prospect Park is the second biggest park and it’s often overlooked by Central Park. Which makes it better to take your classic “throwing leaves in the air” picture so stunning! I believe that Prospect Park is much more scenic than Central Park (that’s my opinion but you have to see it for yourself).
The most vibrant maple trees I’ve seen in my life are located near the entrance of Bartel-Pritchard Square. It didn’t even take 5 minutes and I stumbled upon this beautiful, deep-red, maple tree that stood out from other trees. Trust me, it’s truly magical what your eyes can witness in this beautiful park.
6. Gapstow bridge
Last and not least: Gapstow Bridge. If you’re looking for a picturesque location that’ll wow anyone instantly, this is the perfect spot for you. This is one of the most magical places when fall foliage arrives! Make sure to head to this spot early in the morning as it tends to get crowded during the day. There are two spots in Gapstow Bridge to take pictures: leaning over the bridge (first/left pic) or walking around the corner and finding yourself having Gapstow Bridge as your background (second/right pic).
Photo tip: if you have a scarf with you, make it your prop! Throw the scarf mid-air as your photographer takes pictures to add movement and an interesting element to your photos.
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As you can see, NYC has never-ending photo opportunities, especially around Autumn. I hope this guide has been useful for your Fall Content Creation and tag me on your final photos!
Happy shooting!
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