Taking a bite out of the Big Apple

The second year class is on a trip to New York City to See and Learn about photography in one of the most photogenic locations you can find.  Follow along for the next five days as we share their experience with you.  

Day 1 report and photos by Spencer Drake

The day started out like any other, except 5 hours earlier.  Waking up at 3 am to drive to the Detroit Airport to catch our 8:30 flight was quite the experience, but completely worth it when we spotted the New York skyline from 30,000 feet.

Upon getting our luggage we all piled into two SUV’s to get to our Best Western Hotel in Queens. Once we sorted out our accommodations, we made our way to the subway station. We boarded the Number 7, which took us straight downtown to Times Square. When we emerged from our subterranean transportation we were greeted with glass monoliths towering above us, reflecting the clear blue sky.  

We then proceeded to make our way to the Highline, a park on top of old railway tracks suspended above the city streets.  The view was spectacular and there was ample things to photograph, and photograph we did. After walking on the Highline for a short period we entered the Chelsea Market that was filled with people. Customers were coming and going, buskers plying their trade and stores vying for your attention.

After the market we made our way to the Pace/McGill gallery where we enjoyed an exhibition of masterful work by Irving Penn. After the gallery we headed down to which could only be described as the jewel of bookstores, The Strand Bookstore.  The Stand is a towering 3-story store, where every nook and cranny was crammed with books.  

We made our way through the winding streets to a little Indian restaurant called the Raj Mahal. Upon entering the restaurant our senses were bombarded with delicious smells wafting from the kitchen, Indian art adorning the walls and traditional music drifting through the restaurant. Upon further inspection we found that the music was coming from two very traditional looking Indian men, who smiled at us kindly, making us feel welcome.

After enjoying a fantastic meal we wandered the streets, ending up on the subway heading back to our hotel. What an exhausting, yet fantastical day. 

Update, Some more images of the group exploring and experiencing NYC.