My most vivid memory of photographing the New York Panorama sunset was from the Rockefeller Center on a rainy day.
The rain was on and off, creating ever-changing reflections over the streets below. But I knew the best moment was coming after the rain stopped, when the atmosphere still lingered in the air. That’s when the light is at its best, no longer blocked by clouds, and the city reveals itself in a way most people don’t get to see.
With my camera in hand, I searched for a perspective wider than the usual New York Panorama sunset shots. I wanted to capture the full depth of the city, to see beyond the standard frames. It was Pride Month, and the buildings glowed in rainbow colors, their brilliance standing out against the golden sky. Yellows from the city lights were matching the yellow sky and contrasting with Times Square pulsed with energy in the distance. And if you looked closer, beyond the usual city landmarks, you can spot the Statue of Liberty, a tiny silhouette far off, and a helicopter hovering nearby, on the right in just over the horizon.
New York Panorama Architectural Model
There is a unique and amazing New York Panorama on small scale. Unmatched bird’s-eye perspective of all five districts is provided inside the 9,335-square-foot Queens Museum replica. Designed at a scale of 1:1,200, this expansive model was first constructed for the 1964 New York World’s Fair to highlight city inventiveness and function as an urban planning tool. Every structure, every roadway, every bridge has been hand-built. A task requiring almost three years of about three hundred full-time labor.
The Empire State Building is barely 15 inches tall at this scale, and the Statue of Liberty is just under two inches without its base. Strolling around the glass walkways surrounding the model, guests can experience a gently rotating simulation of day and night.
A Legacy Saved
Celebrated with a newly published book exploring its development and relevance, last year was the 60th anniversary of this remarkable model. In addition, a 12-minute film including rare footage from the last significant renovation in 1992 vividly shows the model’s past.
One contributor, Tom Jarrow, remembers first seeing the model as a boy at the 1964-1965 World’s Fair. A plastic-tracked helicopter flight let guests virtually view the metropolis at 20,000 feet back then. Today, the model is still an honor to both New York’s architectural grandeur and its always changing skyline.
Check out as well the amazing Billionaires’ Row in Manhattan New York at Night captured from the 54th floor of our hotel.
