ROOSEVELT ISLAND

The first days I spent in New York felt unbelievably long and hectic. Thanks to the time difference I would wake up around five in the morning, and the moment the first café opened I'd head out into the city to make the most of every hour. On top of that, the city was still relatively empty at that time (roughly like Brno at rush hour). Otherwise I really felt battered by the noise from the street, where there are countless cars and most of them honk, by the din of construction work, and by the racket made by the several million people who are all around you.

Every attempt to find some quiet spot on Manhattan ended in failure. Even though New York is unquestionably charged with some incredible energy that radiates onto you, it still sometimes felt like a bit too much for me. Helicopters were constantly circling above the city. Either they were carrying tourists, or it was the police, the media, or perhaps some businessmen. I did wonder whether it might be worth seeing the city from above as well. It would surely have been an unforgettable view. But the roughly $250 USD price tag put me off. So I wandered the city until, about the fourth day, I stumbled upon an absolutely fantastic thing - the Roosevelt Island Aerial Tram.

Roosevelt Island is a small island lying in the East River in New York. It sits between the island of Manhattan to the west and the borough of Queens to the east. It is roughly 3 km long and 250 m wide. As you've probably gathered, there's a cable car running out to this island. Not only does it offer you a truly beautiful bird's-eye view of the city, but at the same time, as the name suggests, you'll pay just $1.25 USD here, because it isn't some tourist attraction but public transport. Such a sum is utterly negligible in New York, and if you skip a single double cheeseburger, you can ride it ten times over.

What's more, Roosevelt Island is a pretty peaceful place, and even though more than 11,000 people live here, you can stroll around at your leisure and spend hours drinking in the view of nearby Manhattan. It's a great spot for taking photos, filming time-lapses, and relaxing. Whenever the frenzy of the big city gets too much for you, hop on the cable car and head out to this little island for a rest.

Tram station: 59th Street and Second Avenue, Midtown, New York City, NY 10022

Enjoy the cable car at dusk. Manhattan slowly lighting up and beginning to welcome the night is truly magical.

There's also an interesting bridge crossing over to Roosevelt Island, and it's very photogenic.

Tip 4: When you shoot through glass (in this case inside the cable car cabin), watch out for various reflections. Keep the lens as close to the glass as possible, but not right against it, so the cabin's vibrations don't transfer to the camera, and wear dark clothing so that above all you yourself aren't reflected in the glass. A black T-shirt will help you a lot in places like this.

Gear: Even though I didn't have anything like this when I was filming my New York video, a camera with time stabilisation or some kind of camera stabiliser will come in handy. That way your footage from the cable car will be beautifully smooth. On the island I'd then have appreciated a better tripod, because I tried to shoot a hyperlapse here. In the end I had to do it handheld, because my tiny tripod couldn't manage it, but it turned out pretty well.