touring about architecture
December 14, 2018 9:10 AM   Subscribe

I'm in search of a NYC architecture or photography tour -- or some other experience I'm not thinking of -- for a serious hobby photographer who is interested in architecture. I am avoiding tours that focus on pointing out landmarks, or anything that assumes unfamiliarity with a city.

I am a NYC native now living in another city. My partner and I will be visiting NYC for a couple of days and I'd like to give him a Xmas gift of a NYC experience that will allow him to take interesting photos and learn more about NYC architecture. I'm not sure how to phrase my aesthetic here, but I grew up in Manhattan and lived there for 20 years as an adult and don't want to take a tour aimed at tourists. I also don't want it to be about history. I'd like it to be the kind of tour a NYer would enjoy, to learn more about the city through a visual perspective. My partner is not a NYer but he's spent time in the city as a visitor and more important, has a lot of experience of other great cities walking and snapping photos on his own, from Shanghai to Sidney to Chicago etc., so he's not the target audience of a Big Apple tour bus. He's also knowledgable about architecture in general and is serious about his photography.
I am hoping for Manhattan based.
I want to get him a guided experience that we both enjoy. I can't really tell what's good from tripadvisor or Google, and would appreciate personal recs and leads. Thanks.
posted by nantucket to Travel & Transportation (3 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
Their online calendar is somewhat inscrutable, but it would be worth calling AIA New York, as they regularly give interesting guided tours. Guiding Architects is also a little vague online, but offers tours of newer NYC buildings and developments led by design and architecture professionals.

You might want to also get him a copy of Kevin Walsh's wonderful Forgotten New York, which will provide fodder for many, many hours of self-guided exploring corners of the city that most tourists never visit, with hundreds of engaging opportunities for photography along the way.
posted by ryanshepard at 9:44 AM on December 14, 2018 [2 favorites]


The American Institute of Architects operates walking and building tours, but unfortunately these are over until April. However, the boat tours go on year-round. These are aimed at, and conducted by, people who are serious about architecture, but they're from a distance and rather pricey.
posted by ubiquity at 9:45 AM on December 14, 2018


Many people use the AIA Guide to New York City to make their own tours.
posted by ckridge at 11:11 AM on December 14, 2018 [2 favorites]


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