New York so pretty.

Just when I've pretty much decided that London is the city for me, along comes a book like New York Skyscrapers (by Dirk Stichweh)and makes me realize that I've been a fickle lover. Oh, New York, you're still my only one--will you still have me?

I really loved this book. For one thing, it's oversized, and I love oversized books (now that I no longer work in a library, and I don't have to bitch and swear about shelving them). Any book of photography about New York City really needs to be an oversized book; it's particularly necessary when you're trying to do credit to its skyscrapers.* In this collection are photographs, histories, and facts about seventy-nine of the city's best known high-rise buildings, including the years when they were completed, their architects, and their height. The photographs, done by Jorg Machirus and Scott Murphy, are universally beautiful, and I'm getting just old enough to appreciate that even the text in this book is slightly larger than typical. And, in addition to the rather straightforward historical and arhictectural information, you get very readable tidbits like this:

"The unusual ground plan of the [Flatiron] building makes for a lack of standardized office spaces, but at the same time almost every office unit admits daylight." (p. 67.)

I was impressed by that, because who doesn't like to work where there's some daylight? Kudos to Daniel Burnham, the designer of the Flatiron Building, on that one. So if you need some New York eye candy, after checking out Stacy Horn's blog for her near daily New York pictures, you should definitely pick up this book.

*The cover of this book, featuring a rather standard shot of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler building, doesn't really reflect the many aerial and atypical (but beautiful) angles used for the photography of the seventy-nine buildings profiled.

Comments

[Laura]

I'm glad to hear of this book; my partner is obsessed with New York and now I know what to get him for Christmas - thanks!

[Citizen Reader]

Laura:
It's not a book for true architecture buffs; it's probably a bit simplistic for readers who either know a ton about NY buildings or buildings in general.
But for people who are enthusiastic about New York, it might be just right. I really loved it, and I too am thinking about getting it as a present for someone! I wouldn't suggest buying it through Amazon, but if you look at it there you can see a sampling of the inside photos. Beautiful stuff.

[Tripp Ritter]

Won't New York share you with London or can you give your love only to one city?

I adore these sorts of books too, mostly because I have a hard time comprehending the scale of the city. When you see it first hand you get it, but the memory recedes. These books bring it all back!

The same thing about scale can be said for London. You visit one neighborhood and there are twenty more behind it.

[Citizen Reader]

Tripp,
I'm pretty sure NYC is big enough to share me with London (and Edinburgh, and Montreal), but I do feel like a person should have one favorite city and stick with it. It's tough, though.

I agree with you about the scale of these books. I even love the weight and heft of them. Such a book makes you feel grand and decadent, just like the best cities do (in my opinion anyway).

Yes, London doesn't have as many skyscrapers; it needs a broader book rather than a taller one, to take in its horizontal scale.

[Roberta]

Ben is going to NYC WITHOUT ME this weekend. Ahem. So he will get to see the Tim Burton exhibit and eat muffins at Sarabeth's. But I digress, because I really want to know if you have seen/read Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York by William Grimes? I'm half way through, and it is wonderful, even if you have to read it near a fridge because you keep wanting a little snack to go with it. Like a few dozen oysters. LOTS of great pictures and menus included.

[Citizen Reader]

Roberta, ahem,
You should be stowing away in either the trunk of his car or his luggage. We're talking NYC here!!

I had not heard of "Appetite City," but now I must. have. it. Thanks for the suggestion, and happy thanksgiving, cara.

[Rachael]

CR, how jealous are you? I used to work in the Flat Iron building. I have to say, it's a fairly challenging space. The rest rooms were on alternating floors (men on one, women on the next), and my office was about the size of a closet. But it really was a cool building in general, and it's REALLY cool to be able to say "That one was my office, right...there!"

[Citizen Reader]

Rachael!
Are you back? How did it go?

I am SO JEALOUS of your Triangle work experience it's not funny. I often wish I could take just one year and either live in NYC or London, but that will probably have to stay a pipe dream. But did you get sunlight in your office there?

Can't say the alternating floors bathroom thing would bother me. I once had a job I hated so much I killed a lot of time just sitting in the bathroom--I could have killed even more time if I'd had to walk to a different floor to get there!!