Ok here are your options:
1) For the crispest shot with very little "noise" (noise being static looking areas in the black sky or very dark areas of the shot) you will need a tripod, or at least a mini tripod. I use a mini and just put it on top of a trash can. If you have a remote, that is best so you don't touch the camera to make it blur.
Put the camera on a ISO of about 50 (roughly) and change the shutter speed to about 30 seconds (if you have that much) and move the aperture as high as it will go.
Doing this will do several things. First of all the black areas will be purely crisp and the color perfect. The aperture being moved all the way up will make the screen VERY dark if not black before you take the picture. Lowing the ISO (as to 50) does this also. If you can't see anything on the screen, don't panic, when you use a long shutter it will bring it out on the photo, if not, simply reduce the time on the shutter for several pics until you get it perfect.
Lastly, the longer the shutter you use, the more you "remove" people in the photo. Basically if someone walks in front of your camera or people are walking around in an area they wont be there since the shutter took 30 seconds. The only way they will be there is if they stand in one spot. It basically blurs them out to non-existence.
NOTE: The longer the shutter you use, the more "still" your camera must be. The slightest shake or bump will blur the photo.
IF you want to be able to take a "fast" shot with no tripod at night, you need to raise the ISO as high as you can get it and lower the aperture as far as you can get it, and then adjust the shutter speed faster and faster until you get the brightness and color you want.
However, Note: Doing it in this manner will create more "noise" and your color in the very dark areas will not be crisp.
You definately need a mini-pod. You can get them anywhere even at
walmart and target for a few bucks.
Advice:
If you are using a digital..............take multiple pictures of EACH thing on multiple settings. Sometimes you dont know how it truly comes out until you get home and you can decide which photo you like best.
If you want BEAUTIFUL night shots, get a "cross screen" filter, which will give you a "starry" look on the brighter lights.
Let me know if you have anymore questions. I take about 300 high res photos every 2 days or so that I'm there.
