New York Streetscapes: Tales of Manhattan's Significant Buildings and Landmarks

by Christopher Gray, Suzanne Braley

Christopher Gray's engaging tales of historic Gotham locales transport readers back in time for a stroll through the streets of old New York. The noted architectural historian, who writes the popular "Streetscapes" column in The New York Times, here gathers 190 of the best-loved of those columns to captivate readers with his wealth of information about sites and buildings and the intriguing lives of the people connected to them. From the Bridge Cafe (New York's oldest surviving bar) on Water Street to the Revolutionary War-era Morris-Jumel Mansion in upper Manhattan, Gray turns the spotlight on both obscure and familiar landmarks, and each of his witty, urbane essays is illustrated with at least one period photograph, Gray's vast enthusiasm and love for New York's vast architecture is evident in all that he writes, as is his concern for the preservation of the city's architectural treasures.

Genres: New York, Architecture, Nonfiction, Travel, History

448 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

Christopher Gray was an American journalist and architectural historian, noted for his weekly New York Times column "Streetscapes", about the history of New York City architecture, real estate and public improvements.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Joyce]

Pocket histories of the origins of New York buildings. Many of the best ones are buildings which are not truly architecturally remarkable -- like you'd never hear about them on a walking tour -- but have local historical (often mercantile) significance.

These profiles started out as the "Streetscapes" column in the New York Times, and despite the glossy paper they seem less engaging as a book. The biggest loss is that the newspaper column almost always prints a current photograph as well as a historical one. Possibly in a bid to be more "timeless", the book versions cut out almost all mention of the present day -- but often the most interesting thing about the building isn't its origins, but the many changes it has experienced over the years.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the help of researcher and “building genealogist” Suzanne Braley, Christopher Gray gives us the lowdown on nearly 200 Manhattan buildings and landmarks. Originally published in the New York Times, each write-up is about two pages, including photos. There’s talk of architectural details, but the brunt of the pieces is the social history of each site, ranging from the American Surety Building down at Pine Street and Broadway up to the Seaman-Drake Arch at the island’s top. The cast of characters span from European immigrants to once the world’s richest man, Andrew Carnegie. I ate up this book and could’ve easily enjoyed dozens more like it. I’m disappointed there isn’t a second volume, but at least the late Gray’s column work is available through the Times.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book consists of photographs of buildings and landmarks in NYC on one side of a page and on the opposite page information about the structure in the photograph. The book is over 400 pages long so it covers a lot of places. I loved looking at the photos and reading all the information the author included in his write-ups about them. This book would be interesting to anyone who likes architecture, history and/or NYC.

[Cari · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy architecture or just the story behind a building, then this is your book! Most of the buildings were built in the 1700s & 1800s, including a short article on Alexander Hamilton's own Hamilton Grange. The book is a compilation of newpaper articles written for a column by the name "Streetscapes" for the NY Times. Each article is accompanied by a picuture of the feathured building from various museuems and sources. I enjoyed the book.

[Karen]

A collection of Gray's "Streetscapes" columns from the New York Times. Very interesting for anyone (like me) who finds reading about the history of NYC architecture fascinating; probably not so interesting for others!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this (mostly) short snippets about important structures throughout the city. Some really fascinating tidbits - there's a story behind every building!

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical archeologists will eat up this authoritative guide. Buildings talk. Here's how to read the language.

[NEWMARKJRESEARCH]

Please check display cabinets and shelves.

[Michael Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely interesting book. If you have an interest in NYC, architecture or history you will like this book.

[Sally Struniewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

great reference book; borrowed it from the library then had to own it