Product Description

Since the AIA Guide to New York City was first published in 1967, it has been recognized as the ultimate guide to the metropolis's buildings, in all five boroughs -- Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island -- from nineteenth-century brownstones and tenements to modern high-rise apartments and museums. The latest edition of this urban classic takes a fresh look at the architectural treasures that define New York -- from its most characteristic landmarks to its less famous local favorites.

To prepare this edition -- the first revision since 1987 -- Norval White has visited and revisited more than 5,000 buildings, making this by far the most complete guide of its kind. This generously illustrated handbook presents the structures of the New York City--from the magnificent to the obscure -- in over 3,000 new photographs, more than 130 new maps, and hundreds of revised and new entries. Beyond the skyscrapers and historical buildings, the guide also leads the way to the city's bridges, parks, and public monuments.

From the tip of the Empire State Building to the brownstones in Brooklyn, the AIA Guide to New York City reveals how the city's spirit, fortitude, and character are captured and expressed in its architecture. Thoughtful and humorous descriptions include fascinating bits of local information that bring the city's history to life, telling the stories behind the bricks and mortar. Together, the maps, photographs, and expert critiques invite you on a special grand tour of the city at your own pace.

This guide is a definitive record of New York's architectural heritage and provides a compact, authoritative directory for lovers of New York City all over the world. Its portability and encyclopedic quality make it an ideal traveling companion for any walker in the city. For the sightseer, the architect, or anyone on a casual stroll, the AIA Guide to New York City is the book to grab on your way out the door.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #86143 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1088 pages

From Library Journal
This very up-to-date new edition of AIA's Guide to New York City is a descriptive and interesting look at the city's changing assortment of architecture, including firehouses, parks, schools, parking garages, churches, bridges, and other landmarks. Composed of over 2000 new photographs (several per page), 100 maps, and hundreds of new short but brutally honest entries, the guide is arranged geographically by borough, and while it does indeed cover each one, the book inevitably focuses on Manhattan. White, an architect and educator, and Willensky (When Brooklyn Was the World) have divided each borough into sectors and then into neighborhood areas, and fairly lengthy commentaries under each heading describe the character of each division. There is an extensive index and a fairly interesting glossary at the beginning of the book. There is also a picture of a library that completed construction in late 1999. It has been 12 years since the last edition, so public and academic libraries may desire an updated copy, especially if there is interest in New York or its architecture.DAlison Hopkins, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Blithe in spirit and unerring in vision."
-- New York Magazine

"An architect's romp though five boroughs."
-- The Daily Record, New Jersey

"A book for architectural gourmands and gastronomic gourmets."
-- The Village Voice

"Keen wit and perceptive observations."
-- The Book of the Month Club

"A definitive record of New York's architectural heritage . . . a witty and helpful pocketful which serves as arbiter of architects, baedeker for boulevardiers, catalog for the curious, primer for preservationists, [and] sourcebook to students. For all who seek to know of New York, it is here.
No home should be without a copy."
-- Municipal Art Society

"Smart, vivid, funny, and opionated."
-- The New York Times -- Review

Review
"Blithe in spirit and unerring in vision."
-- New York Magazine

"An architect's romp though five boroughs."
-- The Daily Record, New Jersey

"A book for architectural gourmands and gastronomic gourmets."
-- The Village Voice

"Keen wit and perceptive observations."
-- The Book of the Month Club

"A definitive record of New York's architectural heritage . . . a witty and helpful pocketful which serves as arbiter of architects, baedeker for boulevardiers, catalog for the curious, primer for preservationists, [and] sourcebook to students. For all who seek to know of New York, it is here.
No home should be without a copy."
-- Municipal Art Society

"Smart, vivid, funny, and opionated."
-- The New York Times

Customer Reviews

Complete guide to New York City Buildings.
This is a wonderful guide to many of the thousands of buildings in New York City. It is not, however, strictly an architectural piece. A study of the significant edifices in Manhattan this is not, since the photographs are mostly the size of postage stamps, and the text is limited. What it is is likely the most complete guide to the significant and not-so-significant buildings and monuments in New York's five major boroughs (Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island). The most surprising aspect of this book is its sheer size and complexity. There are hundreds of small photographs (all in clear black-and-white) of nearly every building mentionned, and dozens of others of a more substantial size. There are also over 100 maps of each area, in sufficient detail to be useful for navigation, and a compehensive glossary and index.

Overall, this is a monumental book, and one which is definitely worth the price for anyone who is interested in the landscape of one of the most exciting cities in the world - New York. For the type of book it attempts to be, The Forth Edition AIA Guide to New York City is virtually without flaw.

Maximum coverage at the cost of excessive brevity
With any guide of this type, there is the dilemma of whether to cover briefly as many buildings as possible, or to cover relatively few buildings in greater depth. This book opted to maximize the number of buildings covered, about 5000 in all, each of which has a 1 x ¾ inch photo and a description that is often a single sentence. Those seeking a more intense treatment of individual buildings will not be satisfied. The emphasis here is on quantity of buildings covered, and of these, roughly half are beyond Manhattan Island. The book, which includes many detailed maps, seems written for someone wandering the streets investigating these buildings on foot, but the very awkward dimensions of this book make it impractical to put in a pocket.

Definitive
If you live in New York or you are fascinated by its architecture, you really should buy The AIA Guide to NYC. It is a remarkable tome, including more than 5000 buildings and 3000 stamp album style photos of structures in all five boroughs, ranging from Brooklyn to far Queens and from Staten Island through Manhattan and up to the extreme Bronx. It will hit your coffee table with a serious thunk, and provide endless browsing enjoyment. If you're visiting New York on a quick trip or want a selective overview, I discovered a new book that makes a good companion volume: The Architecture Traveler, by Sydney LeBlanc, which covers 250 American buildings. The author is evidently a New Yorker. About 60 of the buildings are in and around the city. It presents fewer buildings but presents a full page story on each of them. I bought both books: the AIA guide for comprehensiveness, the more selective Architecture Traveler for it's intriguing stories and for the rest of America, which it also includes.