The sorry state of the American side (commerce)

[Matt]

the first 17 shots in the gallery, including my favorite, the cover shot, was taken from the American side.... That cover shot was from the tower.
And you can actually get closer to the falls from the American side from the park without having to pay for an attraction.

[spartacusii]

matt - you're being obtuse & not really replying to my comments. if you go back & read what i wrote, i agreed with you that the tower affords you as good a view of the AMERICAN falls as you're going to get . . . from the american side of the river. where i took complete exception to your comments was where you stated that the view from the tower afforded you a full panoramic view of both sets of falls, which i took to mean the american falls & the canadian falls. & as i pointed out, very little of the candian falls is visible from the observation tower.

perhaps you only intended to mean american & bridal veil falls when you used the term 'both'? in which case, would probably boil down to personal taste. i am quite sure that most people would prefer the much broader perspective of the american falls from across the river at some point. sometime down the road i hope to make it across & i'll be able to share my own opinion on the matter once i have been able to experience it for myself.

BTW - i have a handful of pics of niagara falls that i thought i would share, & i know most falls you have a thread for that purpose. i will look around again, but i don't think i saw a thread for other people to share pics of niagara.

jp

[hobkyl]

Insert fiesty smilie

I've only viewed the falls from the Canadian side twice and both times I was less than impressed. There is a great deal of mist covering the falls when viewing from that side, as well as its near impossible to stay dry and keep your lens from accumulating little moisture beads even 1-2 blocks away. The view of the falls is much clearer when standing on the American side as the mist travels away and toward the Canadian side.

[Kelly]

BTW - i have a handful of pics of niagara falls that i thought i would share, & i know most falls you have a thread for that purpose. i will look around again, but i don't think i saw a thread for other people to share pics of niagara.

jp

JP - you can share your photos here. Niagara Falls
And please, if you don't see a topic already started, feel free to start your own.

[Matt]

matt - you're being obtuse & not really replying to my comments. if you go back & read what i wrote, i agreed with you that the tower affords you as good a view of the AMERICAN falls as you're going to get . . . from the american side of the river. where i took complete exception to your comments was where you stated that the view from the tower afforded you a full panoramic view of both sets of falls, which i took to mean the american falls & the canadian falls. & as i pointed out, very little of the candian falls is visible from the observation tower.

perhaps you only intended to mean american & bridal veil falls when you used the term 'both'? in which case, would probably boil down to personal taste. i am quite sure that most people would prefer the much broader perspective of the american falls from across the river at some point. sometime down the road i hope to make it across & i'll be able to share my own opinion on the matter once i have been able to experience it for myself.

BTW - i have a handful of pics of niagara falls that i thought i would share, & i know most falls you have a thread for that purpose. i will look around again, but i don't think i saw a thread for other people to share pics of niagara.

jp

I guess a way to explain it would be... seeing the whole of the American Falls from a distance isn't exactly seeing the best view of the American Falls, it's just seeing the whole falls. when I say American Falls, I mean the Rainbow Falls and Bridalveil Falls. When I was on the American side last, I really enjoyed just being close to the falls and the rapids. You get a real sense of the power, and you can feel the vibrations. I enjoyed hopping from island to island over pedestrian bridges and seeing all the nooks and crannies in the park (places where you can pretty much jump in). On the Canadian side. You don't get that level of intimacy with the Falls.

The mist problem is covered in a documentary you can watch in some hotels or on the History Channel. The building of the Hilton and the Casino on the Canadian side seemed to have changed the air flow out of the gorge, resulting in mist getting stuck in the gorge and obstructing the view.

[spartacusii]

matt - you're being obtuse & not really replying to my comments. if you go back & read what i wrote, i agreed with you that the tower affords you as good a view of the AMERICAN falls as you're going to get . . . from the american side of the river. where i took complete exception to your comments was where you stated that the view from the tower afforded you a full panoramic view of both sets of falls, which i took to mean the american falls & the canadian falls. & as i pointed out, very little of the candian falls is visible from the observation tower.

perhaps you only intended to mean american & bridal veil falls when you used the term 'both'? in which case, would probably boil down to personal taste. i am quite sure that most people would prefer the much broader perspective of the american falls from across the river at some point. sometime down the road i hope to make it across & i'll be able to share my own opinion on the matter once i have been able to experience it for myself.

BTW - i have a handful of pics of niagara falls that i thought i would share, & i know most falls you have a thread for that purpose. i will look around again, but i don't think i saw a thread for other people to share pics of niagara.

jp

I guess a way to explain it would be... seeing the whole of the American Falls from a distance isn't exactly seeing the best view of the American Falls, it's just seeing the whole falls. when I say American Falls, I mean the Rainbow Falls and Bridalveil Falls. When I was on the American side last, I really enjoyed just being close to the falls and the rapids. You get a real sense of the power, and you can feel the vibrations. I enjoyed hopping from island to island over pedestrian bridges and seeing all the nooks and crannies in the park (places where you can pretty much jump in). On the Canadian side. You don't get that level of intimacy with the Falls.

The mist problem is covered in a documentary you can watch in some hotels or on the History Channel. The building of the Hilton and the Casino on the Canadian side seemed to have changed the air flow out of the gorge, resulting in mist getting stuck in the gorge and obstructing the view.

not having been to the canadian side, i again, can't comment on what is available from their side. but where you state that you can experience the falls a number of different ways & from a number of different vantage points, & all they have to offer, we are very much in agreement.

i grew up about 3 hours drive away from niagara falls, & had been there when i was entirely too young to remember anything. fact was, all i really remembered was BEING there but nothing of the falls or any of the rest of the area. near as we could calculate, i was prob something around 4-5 years old, back around '62. i wanted to go back, but i have to concede that i wasn't exactly sure what to expect. it is 1 of those places that is so 'familiar' from so many photos, when you don't go there, you almost have this sense that you know the place. we were there for 2 days, & i can honestly tell you that it exceeded any expectations that i had going in . . . i can assure you that i will remember this trip for the rest of my life. & it very likely won't be my last trip to see the falls. anyone living in NY that hasn't been is truly cheating themselves of a very special place.

jp

[Matt]

I took a trip to the USA side on Sunday and it was nice to see the park packed... and more shops than I saw in 2008 open and doing well. Things are looking better, but still very sad compared the nonstop construction on the other side.

[Matt]

This would make a good case-study/article... which side is better for photography?