Our Top 5 Insta spots New York and Washington

1. Fly Nyon (New York)

Number 1 is easy and it’s also not for the faint-hearted. We did this on our second night in New York, and it was one of the best and most mental experiences I have ever done. So, what happens? A company called flynyon, (Instagram - @nyonair), create an incredible doors-off helicopter flight over New York, and you literally cannot believe it is actually allowed. We had a sunset flight departing at 7.30 pm, but you need to arrive at least an hour before. If you do try this out, make sure you leave a comfortable amount of time to get there as its quite hard to find and lies in the outskirts of New York, a 10 minute Uber from Journal Square. As you can see from the photographs, the helicopter literally has no doors, your feet will be hanging over New York city flying at speeds of 60 knots - it is crazy! It is also the best experience you can do in New York and you will capture pictures irreproducible anywhere else, meaning an Instagram that will really get everyone’s attention. I can’t recommend this enough, so if you’re in New York, it’s a must do. I know it’s expensive, but it’s definitely worth it!

2. Brooklyn Bridge Park (New York)

This spot is for any photographers out there, wanting to capture an epic picture of New York. The park lies just over Brooklyn bridge, and is located along the East River in New York City. It is a really nice park, so just coming to hang out with friends is worth doing, but it is also amazing for photos. If you go at night you can take breath-taking images of the New York skyline shimmering over the river. This is exactly the photo @henry.nathan managed to shoot, available for sale here.

3. United States Air Force Memorial (Washington DC)

The next spot is moving on to Washington. This memorial is slightly less well known than the classic ones and lies slightly outside Washington in Arlington, Virginia. It was only built 10 years ago, under George Bush and thus develops a very modern appearance. It contains three spires ranging in height from 61m to 82m, and symbolises the image of flight, creating a very artistic image. It is great to go to for the history and in remembrance, but also allows for amazing photographs. The shot we have featured, is actually taken on iPhone. The angle from below really emphasizes the image of flight, the memorial tries to create.

4. Pennsylvania Avenue and Capitol Hill (Washington DC)

This is one of the most well-known spots for a shot in Washington. Pennsylvania Avenue, runs from the white house to Capitol Hill and it’s amazing to see the long street leading up to such a grand building in Capitol Hill. I would suggest the best place to see this, despite not being amazing for photographs, is up the Trump Tower. From this, you get an amazing view of the whole city and especially of Pennsylvania Avenue leading up to the Capitol Building. In terms of a tour of the actual Capitol building, I am not sure it is worth it as you don’t get to see that much. However, one very sneaky trick, which I did (not on purpose) is to lose a personal item in the building. It is likely to get picked up by police security there and when you go back to pick it up, you will get a tour of a lot more.

5. Bar 54, Hyatt (New York)

This is must go destination for pre-dinner drinks if you ever find yourself in New York. It is just off Times Square, at the top of the Hyatt Hotel. My brother, Henry, met a friend up here for drinks one night and assured me it’s one of the coolest spots near times square. The bar features awesome cocktails, but the view is the best part. It is sometimes difficult to find great spots for photographs over New York City, other than from the obvious locations (Rockefeller Centre, Empire state etc.). However, this really fits the bill, and you can have a nice drink with friends whilst you’re at it and avoid the tourist hustle and bustle.

If you have any questions about this blog, please leave a comment below!

Our Top 5 Insta Spots New York and Washington