Astoria Park is right around the corner. It has a nice running track, but is otherwise not the nicest park. The fact that the Triboro Bridge is under renovation doesn’t really help. Close up it’s still an ugly bridge. The Hells Gate Bridge has much more class, although it could use a bucket or two of that hells-gate-red. But, over on Astoria Blvd, a block east of the world manor, is the best Gyros NYC is to offer. And as far as day panoramas are concerned, I think I stick with the night panoramas…
Digital, about 100 megapixel.

David and Jeff were so kind to let me up on John’s rooftop, and while I was waiting for the sun to set completely, I took 2 quick panoramas during the sunset. Great view from up there.
Digital, about 110 megapixel.

Sunday morning in Manhattan

Digital, about 9000×6000px.

I moved into my appartment in Astoria 5 years ago. It’s a great neighbourhood and I call it sometimes East Manhattan, because it doesn’t feel like Queens. It had a great view to the north of the Triboro Bridge and I could see Manhattan from the windows on the south side of my building.

Some day in the summer of 2005 the small two story building across the street was demolished, and I started documenting the new construction in October 2005, trying to take a picture every morning. November 30, 2005 was the last time I was able to see the Triboro Bridge from my appartment.

The basic construction was finished in May 2006, but it took them another 6 months or more to finish the interior. When I took the last picture of the sequence on January 19, 2007, nobody had yet moved in.

This is not really a panorama of the 360 degree kind, it’s a 470 day panorama. And you need QuickTime to watch this one.

The front of Grand Central Station shortly before sunset.
Analog, about 13000×6000px.

Sunrise over the southern tip of Manhattan and the South Street Seaport.
Digital, about 19000×4000px.

The famous New York Stock Exchange, where money becomes liquid and flows and flows and flows and where it lands nobody knows.
Digital, about 17000×6500px.

The Fuller Building or as it is better known, the Flatiron Building, a name it acquired because it’s shape resembles the irons of its day, was one of the tallest buildings in New York City when it was built in 1902. Since it was one of the first buildings to use a steel skeleton, the building could be constructed to 285 feet, which would have been very difficult with other construction methods of that time. It was designed by Chicago’s Burnham and Root on a triangular island at 23rd St., Fifth Ave., and Broadway. Because of it’s unprecedented height locals began betting when it will fall down. The building is also said to have helped coin the phrase “23 skidoo,” or scram, from what cops would shout at men who tried to get glimpses of women’s dresses being blown up by the winds created by the building’s triangular shape.
Analog, about 24000×7200px.

It’s not easy to find good places to shoot Manhattan. Lots of the good ones are owned by Con Edison or other companies, and they don’t let anyone on their property. I was trying to get a shot of the bridge from the south, but no such luck.
Digital, about 17000×4500px.

There is actually a really ugly/beautyful dump right under the bridge, right on top of the subway tunnel.
Digital, about 17000×6000px.

Now, four months later, the construction is almost finished, the facade is coming up. I plan to take another panorama from the exact same location when it’s finished.
Digital, about 17200×6500px.

This is the analog version of a digital panorama two months earlier from almost the same location, just a bit closer to the water.
Analog, about 9600×3700px.

This is the view from my desk. The weather in NY is usually like this at this time of year, but these embellishing clouds are a rare and welcome sight. I just placed my Graflex on the sill outside the window and took 3 shots. Once upon time Park Ave was called 4th Ave and still is at certain places in Manhattan.
Analog, about 12000×6000px.

So far this is my largest panorama.  I especially like the ghost people…
Analog, about 24200×8700px.

I shot this quickly one clear and pristine morning with my 3MP Nikon at 105mm. Unfortunately, I was in a hurry that day and the location wasn’t a very good place to shoot, so it’s just a single row panorama.
Digital, about 23000×1700px.

Astoria and Astoria Park have some great views of the city.
Digital, about 13000×3500px.

Among the nice things Queens offers are the magnificent and dramatic views of the Manhattan skyline.
Digital, about 18500×1300px.

I’m still not sure what the deal is with this building.  My guess is that it’s an atelier for artists, since the PS1 is right next door.
Digital, about 11700×3500px.

Digital, about 9800×2000px.

The MTA(?) is doing something for over a year now, but every day I drive by with the subway, it just looks like a crane playground, with no real work done. Or a place where you could get your crane drivers license. Or just bulldozing for fun? A complete mystery, like most of the MTA’s operations.
Digital, about 12000×2000px.

I got up at 4 in the morning to see the new Fulton Fishmarket. The subway/bus took a bit longer than I wanted, I was a bit too late for the fish, but at least I got sunrise over the Long Island Sound.
Digital, about 14000×1400px.

This is actually my first multi-row panorama, very carefully shot and stitched from 50+ images.
Digital, about 18800×5500px.

My home station for the last 7 years, I think they painted it once and build a small maintenance shack at the end of the platform, but no other changes.
Handheld, digital, about 7700×1500px.

Hmm, trains, machines, steam. My poor GF endured a whole afternoon as I indulged my fetish for industry and technology.
Digital, about 6700×2000px.

My friend Jen decided to move away from the big city. Her boyfriend has a great house in the middle of PA, and we spent a great summer weekend with them.
Handheld, digital, about 14500×2000px.

Handheld. PTgui didn’t like stitching this panorama, but I was able to straighten it out at the end. I liked the artifacts from the individual shots in this one and didn’t crop them away.
Handheld, digital, about 20000×2600px.