Aia Guide to New York City: The Classic Guide to New York's Architecture

by Elliot Willensky, Norval White, American Institute of Architects, et al.

Book Overview

Hailed as "extraordinarily learned" (New York Times), "blithe in spirit and unerring in vision," (New York Magazine), and the "definitive record of New York's architectural heritage" (Municipal Art... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812931076
• ISBN13: 9780812931075
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (CA)
• Length: 1056 Pages
• Weight: 2.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 4.8" x 10.1"

Customer Reviews

Ultimate of its Type

I absolutely devour the 4th edition, though I am familiar with all previous editons as well. As one of the Principal Editors of the "Guide to Cleveland Architecture," 2nd edition (readers: please seek out our great book), a lover of New York and this book type in general, and a professional librarian and architectural historian, I can certainly appreciate the gigantic amount of research that went into creating what is actually a massive volume like this. Therefore I forgive some details such as inconsistency of Index selection, some date inaccuracies (very, very little percentagewise) or actual typo's, or details such as some maps of which the lettering goes in too many directions. I do wish there were some way suburban areas could be included - for the "total picture." Perhaps a companion volume? But - wow - what that would involve!The text has so very many splendid sentences, phrases, and attitudes I can really appreciate the strong subjectivity in this case. Our text was actually criticized by our main Cleveland newspaper architectural critic as not being sufficiently opinionated like the NYC book... I did counter-criticize that critic in the "Plain Dealer" in that there are reasons for more objectivity in an urban architectural guidebook but, I can surely appreciate the magnificent writing of this book. Of course I can't agree with some of it either but, so what? The point is this book gives architectural, urban design, etc. the major, major significance it deserves. They're sure a big part of my life! Bravo!The book also takes on an even higher relevance after 9/11, as the entire fabric in that fair-sized area of Manhattan is covered.Nothing anywhere near up to it (Chicaco's AIA guide is the closest I've seen) and there are times I can barely put the book down! Now if I could only get to New York more...

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.

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.

nifty & educational

I'm a new yorker who walks from home in the village to work in the world trade center. The AIA guide has opened my eyes to the buildings I pass on my routes each day. Now I just want to walk all over the city with this book in hand!

A truly classic treasure trove of NYC info.

This book is amazing in its depth of analysis and thoroughness of its study of the vast amount of architectural treasures in all five boroughs. As a native New Yorker (born in The Bronx, raised in Queens, high school in Manhattan) I was pleasantly surprised to find so many buildings that I admired to have a history behind them. A lot of little tid-bits are included in the book, for example did you know the park benches in the Battery Park Promenade are from the 1939 NY World's Fair? I didn't! Did you know that the same Guastavino tile vaulting found outside the Oyster Bar in Grand Central can be found at the Municipal Building at Centre Street? And at the NY Telephone Building at 140 West Street?A must-have for anyone who loves New York. A true walker's handbook that includes suggested walking tours all over the city. Find out the story behind that old building you walk by on your way home to your Flushing apartment! I also found it fascinating to compare this third edition with the earlier "revised" edition of 1978 to see how much had changed and been lost. The 3rd edition was almost twice the size by the way! I hope a 4th edition is in the works by now.