New York City is endlessly photogenic and a recent study has the data to prove it. Covers.com editor-in-chief James Bisson analyzed millions of Instagram posts and confirmed what locals already know. Five of America’s twenty most photographed places are right here in the city, more than any other town in the country.
While Disneyland and Walt Disney World take the top two spots, Central Park is the number three most photographed place in the country with 8.47 million tagged posts. This park is beautiful any time of year and, no matter the weather, someone is lining up a shot of Bow Bridge with skyscrapers hovering behind it or stitching a panorama from the edge of Wollman Rink.
With 4.5 million posts, the Empire State Building takes the number five spot. It rises into view long before you reach 34th Street, an iconic example of American architecture. Visitors reliably step out into the street for a quick upward telephoto shot.
The Brooklyn Bridge, at number ten with 4 million posts, offers the sort of dramatic shots that draw professional and amateur photographers alike. From sunset photo overlooking lower Manhattan to views framing the Empire State Building, Instagrammers can’t get enough.
The Statue of Liberty is a landmark that seems impossible to shoot poorly. The 2.4 million posts that earn it the number 16 spot include shots from the ferry, golden hour shots that give Lady Liberty an extra glow and shots with Lower Manhattan in the background, all capturing the symbolism of this American icon.
Times Square comes in at number eighteen with 2.1 million posts. It’s sensory overload that begs to be photographed, from the nonstop LED walls to the cast of characters that roam the streets at all hours.
If Instagram is a popularity contest, New York City continues to come in at the top.
20 most Instagrammed places in the U.S.
Disneyland, Anaheim
Walt Disney World, Orlando
Central Park, New York City
South Beach, Miami
Yosemite National Park, California
Epcot (Disney World), Orlando
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Empire State Building, New York City
Niagara Falls, New York City
Brooklyn Bridge, New York City
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Joshua Tree National Park, California
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colo.
Statue of Liberty, New York City
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
Times Square, New York City
White House, Washington, D.C.
Big Sur, California