New York City's best photo-ops

New York City is a photographer's dream — amazing architecture, beautiful parks and streets lined with bright neon lights. Yet there's so much more to this city than the typical tourist photos of Times Square or Central Park. Photo fanatics: Check out these photographers' haunts for something raw and off the beaten path.

If you are a city-street photographer, be sure to explore DUMBO in Brooklyn. You can shoot some great views of the Manhattan Bridge through alleyways, or wander the cobblestone streets for photos that appear to be from an earlier time. This is also the place where the famous poster for the 1984 film, "Once Upon a Time in America," was taken.

One of the hidden gems of New York is 5 Pointz, in Queens. Near P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center, 5 Pointz is a cluster of abandoned warehouses where graffiti and street artists were once commissioned to paint. Climb the rickety stairwells to shoot different angles of the completely painted-over walls. Take a look inside or venture out on the roof. As the colorful painting styles and graffiti mold into one, it's like one huge mural covering the entire building. The warehouses will give your photos an especially gritty, urban feel.

Spring will be arriving sooner than you think, so be ready to check out the beautiful medieval garden at the Cloisters Museum & Gardens once the ground turns green. If you need a break from smoke, cars and concrete, grab your camera and discover the delights of this garden, complete with stained-glass windows and arcades. It will feel like you are in a 15th-century courtyard in southern France. Enjoy the medieval artwork while you are there, including the famous unicorn tapestries.

Walk westward on 10th Street until you hit the Hudson River Piers with great panoramic views of both New Jersey and Manhattan. The river is especially good to photograph at night, when the city lights reflect in the water. When the air starts to warm up, the park will be filled with sunbathers, runners and bike riders.

A defunct elevated train was recently transformed into the High Line Park, a public park overlooking Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. The Chelsea Grasslands along this walkway are illuminated by soft lighting, along with the park's other plants and flowers, a nice complement to the city lights in the background. As a bonus, you will feel like a true photographer acting as a voyeur when you pass The Standard Hotel by the park, famous for having no curtains.