A photographer captured these incredible aerial photos of New York City and Los Angeles

jeff milstein
An aerial view of Times Square in New York City. Jeffrey Milstein/Instagram

New York City and Los Angeles can feel like chaotic metropolises at the ground level, with cars and people shuffling through the streets at all hours. 

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But New York-based photographer Jeffrey Milstein shows that they can look much more neat and tidy from above.

A recent recipient of a 2016 PDN Photo Annual Award, Milstein has been taking aerial photos of NYC and LA for over a decade. Check out a few of his incredible shots, which give a radically different perspective of the two cities.

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Milstein captured the photos from a helicopter 1,000 to 2,000 feet in the air. Pictured below is a shot of Stuyvesant Town, a residential development near the East Village in NYC.

Stuyvesant town housing. NYC. #nyc #stuyvesant #aerialphotography

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on May 5, 2016 at 11:14pm PDT

Source: Architectural Digest

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Manhattan's Financial District is full of skyscrapers.

NYC financial district from 🚁#newyork_instagram #nyc #aerialphotography #helicopter

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on Jun 7, 2016 at 10:38pm PDT

 

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Lady Liberty sits on a star-shaped platform.

Statue of Liberty - shot from above #statueofliberty #newyork_instagram

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on Apr 11, 2016 at 3:27pm PDT

 

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The Empire State Building is one of Manhattan's architectural masterpieces. Although you typically see it from the ground, here's a rare view of the building's point.

Empire State Building. #empirestatebuilding #newyork #nyc #aerialphotography #newyork_instagram

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on May 8, 2016 at 9:15pm PDT

 

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Bryant Park's trees stand out amongst the towers in Midtown.

Shot from 🚁- Bryant Park and NY public library #NYC # bryantpark #newyork_instagram #aerialphotography

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on May 25, 2016 at 9:13pm PDT

 

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While Times Square is full of lights.

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein)

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In LA, you can see the curve of Venice Beach.

Venice Beach from helicopter. #venicebeach #la #aerialphotography #beach #cool

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on May 9, 2016 at 3:25pm PDT

 

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Visitors to Santa Monica's pier look like ants.

Santa Monica Pier - shot from 🚁 #santamonica #pier #aerialphotography #la #rollercoaster #santamonicapier

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on May 18, 2016 at 9:55am PDT

 

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Universal Studios in Hollywood looks even more whimsical from above.

Universal Studios Hollywood. From helicopter. #universalstudioshollywood #aerialphotography #nightphotography #la #hollywood

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on May 6, 2016 at 8:34pm PDT

 

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Who knew Long Beach's shipping containers were so colorful?

Port of Long Beach container ship. From helicopter. #portoflongbeach #la #aerialphotography #longbeach #cool

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on May 10, 2016 at 7:31pm PDT

 

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Here's another view of the containers loaded onto trains.

Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles containers on trains. #aerialphotography #portoflongbeach #portoflosangeles #la #helicopter

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on May 31, 2016 at 8:06pm PDT

 

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The boats in this marina are just as neatly aligned.

Long Beach Shoreline Marina from helicopter. #longbeach #marina #aerialphotography #boat #la

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on May 17, 2016 at 8:29pm PDT

 

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Milstein's photos offer a lens into the beautifully intricate nature of urban planning. Just look at how LA's freeways weave around each other.

La freeway interchange 110 and 105 freeways #la #aerialphotography #helicopter #freeway #instagram

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on Jul 13, 2016 at 6:47am PDT

 

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They're a testament to the fact that humans are capable of building amazing cities.

#beverlyhills the streets of Beverly Hills from a helicopter

A photo posted by Jeffrey Milstein (@jeffreymilstein) on Sep 2, 2015 at 9:04pm PDT

 

To see more of Milstein's work, head over to his Instagram or website.

Cities New York City Los Angeles
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