What’s the school of visual Arts like for photography? I’m from a small city and I have never been to NYC but I’ve always dreamed of going. What is it like going to SVA in NYC? Will bringing a car be wise? Can you tell me about your experiences with the school? Are there a lot of opportunities where you can showcase your work, make connections, and do other things such as internships, jobs, study abroad? What are some tips on creating a great photography portfolio? My interest is fine arts photography and I really need that 15,000 scholarship so any help would be great. Can you tell me about the residences. I wanted to live off campus but I have no idea how I am going to be able to afford an apartment. I was looking into the new residence and the Ludlow residence, can you tell me about them? Lastly From your personal experience of being there was it difficult getting around to take photographs? I’m from a very small city and I am used to just driving to wherever I want to go to shoot. Is it hard getting models to shoot, and getting people to do hair, makeup, and costumes. What about landscapes and nice scenery. I know NYC is a huge city but does the city have beautiful nature scenery where you can shoot at?
A couple nature/green space in Manhattan that come immediately to mind are: Central Park (huge!), and The Cloisters Museum (a branch of the Met). More broadly, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. All accessible by subway train.
I’ve seen large green spaces on maps of Staten Island but have no idea what those are like.
Long Island, NJ (the Garden State), the rest of NY state, Connecticut, and most of New England are a train-ride away. All trains depart from Midtown.
There’s a lot going on in NYC. My guess is that you’ll be plenty busy with more interesting locations to shoot than time to shoot them.
You don’t want to bring a car to Manhattan due to the prohibitive cost of parking and horrendous traffic. You’d also need to figure in accelerated wear and tear, cost of fuel (city driving will blow through your gas budget), tolls, theft protection and, finally, the increased cost of insurance. The occasional need for a car might be solved by befriending local photography students who DO have access to wheels (because their family lives in the area).
Thanks for the quick response! I’ve been hearing a lot about how bad it is to bring a car to NYC so I will not be bringing one. I looked up all the locations you suggested and they are perfect! Do you know any beautiful historical places and buildings that you can shoot in as well?
Oh my goodness - in NYC??? Where do I even begin? It’s a historical, cultural, and architectural treasure-trove, among other features 
You should do some research into periods of time that you like or historical events and see what NYC has to offer for that. Or choose a specific type of dwelling - churches, gov’t buildings, hotels, burial sites, for instance - and do your historical research from that angle. Or an architectural style that you like. Or focus on famous locales such as SoHo or Harlem. Or focus on the museums (as NYC has some of the best in the world). Your local library or Amazon will have books containing hundreds of significant locales and sites, and even googling something like “top 10 historical places to visit in Manhattan” will cough up a whole bunch of ideas.
For something very specific as well as fun be sure to pay a visit to Grand Central Terminal on 42nd St. (AKA Grand Central Station). Study the exterior as well as the interior, particularly the main concourse and ceiling. It’s probably one of the most recognizable locales in NYC. Be sure to read up on it first so you will know where to focus - it’s a massive building. Don’t forget to check out Oyster Bar and Restaurant on the lower level because the tiled vaulted ceilings are very famous and make for some GREAT photography.
There are a few New Yorkers who comment on the art major forum so hopefully they will chime in with valuable commentary.
Remember, though, that it’s not only the famous stuff that will attract you artistically. It just might be the everyday stuff of New York as seen through YOUR lens that renders your most interesting works of photographic art.
Good luck!
Thank you!!