Last week I was in New York City for meetings and as I was there mainly to work I decided it would be an ideal time to embrace my iPhone for snaps on the go. Recently my friends Megan and Mike challenged themselves to put down their DSLR and shoot their weekend trip to New Orleans with their iPhones alone. Don’t get me wrong, I love shooting with my professional camera (as I did in Norway and Santorini) but I thought as I had limited free time for lengthy photo safaris on this trip that it would the perfect time to embrace my iPhone’s camera.
The first pictures I took where through the plane window: one showed the extent of the polar vortex that had gripped much of America last week, while the other gave an impressive ariel view of Manhattan and Central Park. The first two days were crisp and cold with clear blue skies as far as the eye could see. As I hurried from SoHo, Tribeca and Chelsea up and down the island, from the Lower East Side to the Upper West Side, jumping on and off subways between Manhattan and Brooklyn, I tried to stop each time something caught my eye to capture it with my iPhone. Here’s 10 of my favourite places I visited while I was in town:
– Jacobs Pickles: This adorable/cosy/effortlessly stylish eatery on the Upper West Side serves delicious Southern-style comfort food with a twist. The beer’s great, too.
– Steven Alan Home: The product assortment fashion designer Steven Alan’s home branch is quite something. I won’t lie, I left with quite the loot! Expect more on the blog soon. Plus, be sure to check out his new collaboration with West Elm. The collection is already available in the US and will be in the UK in a few weeks, too.
– Joe Fresh: This Canadian brand stocks an assortment of affordably priced colourful and striped apparel for men and women. They don’t have any stores in the UK so it was very tempting to shop, shop, shop while I could!
– Dish: I was very kindly treated to lunch at this Dumbo restaurant and on recommendation ordered their vegetable pappardelle – now I must recommend it to you!
– Shillers: Geek alert! Ever since I saw this bar used as a location in the film, Morning Glory, I have wanted to visit. I yelped with excitement when our cab from the airport whizzed past it unexpectedly; three days later I headed back to see it.
– Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria: Located in NoHo, this rustic Italian restaurant is a must-try. I shared a divine dinner there with Susan and William, Raina and my fiancé; William told the chef to order for us and it was possibly the best decision of the trip. It was fun not knowing what was coming and meant we could all chat instead of reading the menu!
– Mercer Kitchen: I enjoyed a great meal at this SoHo hotel last Spring so it was an easy to choice to go back there for brunch with Lynn.
– The Brooklyn Roasting Company: Great coffee and atmosphere. Good for working in if you have a spare hour or so between meetings.
– Buttermilk Channel: This is a great stop for a cosy brunch – the pancakes are incredible!
– Canvas: A small interiors store that stocks beautifully tactile linens and ceramics.
I think my favourite snap is the one of Shiller’s facade with the proud poodle sauntering along outside. It was one of those moments were everything just came together to create a great picture – such a buzz! What places do you love to shop and eat at while you’re in New York City?
// Photography by Will Taylor
60 Comments
Wow-you make that iPhone look GOOD! I love the way you label your pics-very stylish. Thanks for sharing these great trip moments. Isn’t it amazing how you ride the subway a few blocks and arrive at what appears to be a totally different city? That’s the great thing about NYC I guess-so diverse.
@Niki – Thank you so much! And, yes, I totally agree that each area of the city holds its own unique and fascinating vibe. A wonderful place!
Awesome! I love your choice of typography + placement in addition to such beautiful shots. I also enjoyed Megan’s NOLA iPhone challenge! I might have to do the same…just not in Paris. 😉
@Susan – So pleased you enjoyed the post; I do love choosing the typefaces! Can’t wait to see your snaps of Paris. 🙂
I came to your blog by complete accident and I just had to say that I think your view of the city is absolutely candid. I am a little country southern girl born and raised. Have never gotten farther north than Kansas/Missouri but I am in love with the world over, but I too enjoy the rawness of just shooting with my iPhone. I feel as though you truly captured the beauty the city has to offer and I hope I get to visit one day.
@Marsha – Thank you for the kind words. I hope you get to visit one day as well because it’s a truly inspiring city!
So glad u had time to enjoy yourself a bit while you were in town. I’m a native who recently moved back from LA (bad move). My fave restaurants: Lupa, Maialino, danji, abc kitchen, tipsy parson (southern comfort food in my hood) eataly & artichoke for pizza, momofuku milk bar, rice to riches. Places: the met museum wollman rink, shop: love canvas too, Haus interior in Nolita, Erica weiner, housing works. Abc home (to gawk) blu dot. I could go on and on…
@TF – Great suggestions to try, thank you! I walked passed Artichoke and thought to myself it looked good!
That’s a long time I haven’t been in New York and I would love to. So next time I go I will tell you my favorite places.
Enjoy your trip 🙂
@2moiselles – Thank you! 🙂
See! You don’t need to lug around that big camera 🙂 Professional-caliber shots right here!
@Lindsey – I have to admit I am proud if myself for sticking to the challenge. My shoulders were pretty happy about it, too! 😉
What a great idea and beautiful outcome Will!! I love it, I want to go to NYC now!!
You’re ads also forced me to buy that Toast sweater dress I’ve been dying to get, reduced from £149 to £59 so thanks to that.
I can’t make it to Cologne today so I wish you all the best and a fun day.
@Yvonne – So pleased you liked the pictures; you must visit if you can! You will be missed today!
WOW – amazingly captured Will, well done 🙂
Happy weekend my friend,
Ax
@Anya – Means a lot hearing that from your stylish perspective, Anya! Have a great weekend, too! x
Wow! stunning photos, makes me want to take a plane to New York now. Love using my iphone too. Your aerial views are so beautiful. Happy weekend and see you soon. xx
@Geraldine – Thank you so much! I have only just arrived home and I’m itching to go back – I love it there! Have a lovely weekend. x
I just savoured this post over lunch at my desk! Absolutely love the variety of photos you’ve captured – they are so inspiring! Amazing that you used the iPhone to capture them, and love the typography overlays you’ve selected! Makes me wanna go back there now 🙁
Brings back lovely memories for me from my trip last year, especially brunches at Schiller’s! I fully explored the Lower East Side – we stayed at Hotel on Rivington, and nearby I absolutely loved Beauty & Essex, Son’s of Essex, The Stanton Social and The Clinton St Baking Co – amazing for brunch! Also had an amazing dinner at Gramercy Tavern!
@Meera – Isn’t the Lower East Side just fantastic? I love it! Great places for me to try next time I’m in the city, too. Thank you!
love these photos! they make me want to go back to new york! xo jillian – cornflake dreams
@Jillian – Yay! I guess I did something right then! 😉 xo
This is so fantastic! Your recs are awesome too. I am so glad you have it a shot. You have to watch that skill share class I recommended I think you will love it! Also that poodle shot is the best. I had 2 shots like that while in New Orleans and it seriously is a rush. So fun. So glad we inspired you Will and thanks for sharing 🙂 xoxox
@Megan – It’s on my To Do list, for sure! Thanks again for being such an inspiration! xo
Great shots!
@Kate – Thanks, Kate!
You sure make my city look magical through your iPhone lens Will! I especially love the Central Park pic! The LES is one of my favorite spots for dining and shopping. Preserve24 is a great brunch spot and the Meatball Shop is always fun.
@Rowena – Thanks for the kind words and those tips! 🙂
Oh my! I love love love these photos! Soooo NY!
Thank you for sharing this post.
x
@Alison – Thank you so much!
Great shots Will. Faye and Sara from our team are heading to New York to man our stand at the NYNOW gift fair in a couple of weeks and I might well set them this same challenge. Shall recommend they try out some of your tips too! x
@Poppy – How fun! I hope it goes well for you and the team over there! 🙂
Will I love it! This is so amazing to see and such a compliment to know we helped encourage this. I loved the selfies with the same pose, it made the phone pop!
@Mike – Right?! That’s totally the OCD in me coming out!
As I haven’t been to NYC for 20 years now I can’t really recommend any foodie places but I truly loved visiting lots of different places when I visited. My fave thing was climbing up inside the Statue of Liberty and looking through her crown out towards the sea. I understand that you can no longer do that. I also loved MOMA as I adore art and I got up close to my favourite Van Gogh ”Starry Night”. I love your pictures and the typography, it is amazing how much your iphone camera can do. I use Hipstamatic for some of my photographs. Thanx for sharing and welcome home,
Jo x
@Jo – Lovely to read your memories of this great city – thanks for sharing them! x
I am sure you’re a genius in taking pictures – whether it’s with an iPhone or a DSLR. 😉 They all look stunning, but my favourite has to be the sunrise in the city (and the mysterious picture with all the fog taken in Central Park).
I have been there with my husband in May 2008 and it was super hot, we had sunshine everyday. That city stole my heart, and we’d love to go back someday. I can say that we saw so many things, but our walk with a Big Apple Greeter (a retired guy named Bill, super sweet man) was memorable. We had lunch in Chinatown where the ducks were hanging in front of the window (yuk eeeewww), but it was surprisingly good and tasty in that Chinese restaurant. Forgot the name though… These pictures definitely bring back memories. Hope you had fun while working there, and I’m glad you’re safe home again!
Big hugs, Inge x
@Inge – So lovely reading your memories of this great city, Inge! x
Wow -wonderful trip WIll!. So great to see all your photos. xx
@Caroline – Thank you, lovely! x
for the last two years I only took pictures with my iPhone and from time to time I wonder if it’s the right way to go…
@DesignBreak – I can see how it would be easy to do that!
Super pics Will… they bring back such wonderful memories of my many stays in NYC!!! On my most recent trip with hubbie in February 2013, I used my iPhone to take pics and was thrilled with the results…
@Loraine – It’s amazing what they can do!
Love that city – my parents lived there as newlyweds and I too travelled across the Atlantic to get married there 🙂
Like your blog 🙂
@Elisabeth – That sounds very romantic!
A dog just makes every photo better, doesn’t it? Lovely images. I’m even more grateful I’m in Dallas… it’ll be 70 today. Hello, good Southern winters!
@Frankie – Right? Cute dogs make everything better!
Stunning photos, Will! I love how you processed the photo to create a very nostalgic mood across the entire set of photos. This post has inspired me to experiment with taking my future travel photos exclusively with my phone!
@Zhi – Thank you so much! Can’t wait to see the outcome of your travel iPhone photography challenge!
Great shots – the first one is my favourite… What a great time you’ve had in a great city! Magic!
@Tina – Thank you so much!
I so loved this post Will! I have a friend living in NYC and this makes me want to visit ASAP! My fave shot is also the one of Liquor Bar… I almost missed the poodle trotting by at first 😉
@Lana – You must visit if you can, Lana – it’s amazing! 🙂
Love these photos! I was in New York a couple of years ago and can’t wait to go back, there was just so much to see, so many places to go. I really love the way you’ve captured lots of different things about the city in these shots – the thing I loved most about it was the diversity.
@Domestikate – Thanks for the kind words, Kate. I agree, NYC is full of things to do – I love it!
So nice to see you both! NYC all the way! XO
@Susan – Great spending the evening with you and William, too! xo
I love this idea of just iPhone photos! They look incredible! Can you please share how you did that?
When we travel, my other half terribly dislike carrying around a DSLR, it just gets so bulky sometimes! I would love to try this out soon!
xox,
ML
@ML – Sure! I took pictures on my iPhone and then edited them with the VSCO cam app!