4hr. Stop in Boston. doable?

[darksike]

hello all. We're going on vacation to Acadia National Park July 9th and thinking of stopping by Boston for 4 hours. We're leaving New Jersey around 10pm Thursday and I wanted to get this shot of Zakim bridge at dawn/sunrise. We never been to Boston before but planning on a 4hour stop before Acadia. is this doable? Any suggestion on this timespan?
thank you in advance

[Harm]

You just have to watch out for rush hour traffic!! Otherwise, what you say is doable.

Looking at your "location" it is a short drive up to Boston, you can get to "North Point Park" to get the sunrise behind the Zakim Bridge, but don't hold your breath from the angle and buildings behind it.

Other possibilities would be from East Boston to get the colours over the city as the sun rises etc.

As for the timespan, it is doable.

[Rsuslow]

I agree with Harm. The angles may be a bit tough because of the downtown, northside buildings. Best bet as Harm said is the colors over the sky.

I often went to the Museum of Science parking garage, top level, which is at the beginning of the Charles (and not an arm and a leg to park for an hour or less) and shot out down the river. I've only done this after sunset or during the afternoon. But I can imagine if your there are the right time, the colors over the actual city are beautiful.

I forget what the view is on the other side of the garage looking toward the Zakim. You might be blocked by the T bridge, but it's another option to think about. It's not far from the Zakim at all.

Also, if you stand on top of the entrance to the tunnel, just next to the TD Garden, you may be able to get a nice shot of the bridge looking down the road toward a sunset (not sure if the angle is right).

I'm now having some regrets of shots I should have taken when I lived there for the past 10 years!

[Harm]

http://harm.smugmug.com/City-Life/Boston/IMG8498/785439031_mmfo2-XL.jpg

Looking at that photo, *IF* you were to take the same photo at sunrise, the sun would be behind you.

If you "wanted" the sun in your photo too, you would naturally be on the other side of the Zakim Bridge. But you can see a 2nd ricketty old metal bridge, a building in the middle (the State Police & locks controllers), and further behind that, there is a large bridge that you cannot see here, for the commuter train (which opens and shuts for boats, so it is a large structure).

In essence, you'll get a pretty crap view from the other side. Plus you'd be closer to the TD Garden and a few other structures that would encroach your view and sky that you would like to see too.

Blame the designers for being like Stevie Wonder and coming up with a crap design of things surrounding a magnificent bridge and an huge improvement over the old stuff in Boston (before I moved over here, thankfully).

[darksike]

hey guys. thank you sooo much on the ideas on where to go. I just looked at Google Earth and you guys opened my options. Harm, that's one of the angle I have in mind and that is truly a great photo.
Are all the parks in Boston open 24hrs/day? We figure we will be there 3-4am. Is the parking that hard early in the morning (street parking by the park)?
option #1. If East Boston, looks like Lo Presti Park will give me a nice straight shot on the bridge with the reflection. maybe the same as Harm's angle (great inspiration but I hope I won't copy).

option #2. Paul Revere Park. it's nice and close to the bridge but worry about parking plus I don't know about Boston cops if they bother people taking picture of the bridge that early in the morning.

option #3. Museum of Science. it looks like the parking if on the north side. from Google Earth, I'm not sure if the train tracks is on the way (next to the road). plus is the parking lot open 24 hours?

All options are distance from each other so we might only go to 1 place. so far I'm liking option East Boston. hopefully my 70-300 will be long enough for similar angle as Harm.

thank you again guys

[Harm]

hey guys. thank you sooo much on the ideas on where to go. I just looked at Google Earth and you guys opened my options. Harm, that's one of the angle I have in mind and that is truly a great photo.

Thanks

Are all the parks in Boston open 24hrs/day? We figure we will be there 3-4am. Is the parking that hard early in the morning (street parking by the park)?

Not all parks are open 24/7. Some have bizarre rules of being "closed" late at night, but you never see anyone paying attention to that. Parking - depends on where you want to be, but also no traffic wardens are about in the wee hours of the morning. I suppose the only thing to watch out for are the over anal police who "may" suspect you're up to something...

option #1. If East Boston, looks like Lo Presti Park will give me a nice straight shot on the bridge with the reflection. maybe the same as Harm's angle (great inspiration but I hope I won't copy).

option #2. Paul Revere Park. it's nice and close to the bridge but worry about parking plus I don't know about Boston cops if they bother people taking picture of the bridge that early in the morning.

option #3. Museum of Science. it looks like the parking if on the north side. from Google Earth, I'm not sure if the train tracks is on the way (next to the road). plus is the parking lot open 24 hours?

All options are distance from each other so we might only go to 1 place. so far I'm liking option East Boston. hopefully my 70-300 will be long enough for similar angle as Harm.

thank you again guys

As per your options, I actually took my photo from Charlestown (North of Boston) at the 1st really long pier by the Boston Navy Yard (just past the USS Constitution). a 70-200mm was sufficient for the photo I posted.

East Boston will get you more of the financial side of the city, and less so, of the Zakim Bridge. If you only want the bridge, and some of the city, Charlestown will be your best bet - usually there is ample parking about in the streets around it that you won't need to pay.

Paul Revere park will give you a crappy view - I wouldn't really recommend this if you're there for a short period of time. There would be too much around (buildings that is) that would ruin a good photo that you want.

Museum of Science is not too bad, but you wouldn't get much of a photo of the Zakim Bridge - you would however have a good chance to go along Memorial Drive to get a good photo of the city (non-financial side).

From East Boston:
http://harm.smugmug.com/City-Life/Boston/IMG0311/762467062_CgdKu-L.jpg

From Charlestown:
http://harm.smugmug.com/City-Life/Boston/coastguard-scaled/785341776_FAxLK-L.jpg

Also from Charlestown, a LARGE panoramic, so if you click on the photo, you'll get to see a better version - may take time to open up:
http://harm.smugmug.com/Landscapes/Panoramic/Boston-Harbour-Panoramic/786713712_DUzY7-L.jpg (http://harm.smugmug.com/Landscapes/Panoramic/6727549_GoSDj#786713712_DUzY7-O-LB)

From Memorial Drive:
http://harm.smugmug.com/City-Life/Boston/boston-at-dusk-II/376060103_4r2qC-L.jpg