Field Guides
Raleigh skyline from the Boylan bridge
Where to stand on the Boylan Avenue bridge and at Dix Park for the skyline in each season, and when the city lights balance.
The bridge
The Boylan Avenue bridge crosses the rail yard west of downtown and looks straight across the tracks to the skyline. Stand on the downtown side of the walkway, near the middle, so the rails lead the eye into the frame.
By season
The bridge looks northeast, so the setting sun is behind you and the towers are front-lit at golden hour. In winter the sun sets almost directly behind you and the light is even. In summer it sets in the northwest, off your left shoulder, and rakes across the buildings. Dix Park is the other spot: from the hill in the Big Field the skyline sits above the grass, and in July above the sunflowers.
Blue hour
The best balance between the sky and the office lights comes 20 to 30 minutes after sunset. On a weekday more windows are lit. Bracket three frames one stop apart. A train under the bridge during a long exposure adds a streak of light.
Getting there
A ten-minute ride from Five Points. Boylan Heights is a quiet neighborhood: park on the street, keep voices down, and do not block driveways.