AIA Guide to New York City

by Norval White, Elliot Willensky, American Institute of Architects

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 Society), Norval White and Elliot Willensky's book is an essential reference for everyone with an interest in architecture and those who simply want to know more about New York City.
First published in 1968, the AIA Guide to New York City has long been the definitive guide to the city's architecture. Moving through all five boroughs, neighborhood by neighborhood, it offers the most complete overview of New York's significant places, past and present. The Fifth Edition continues to include places of historical importance—including extensive coverage of the World Trade Center site—while also taking full account of the construction boom of the past 10 years, a boom that has given rise to an unprecedented number of new buildings by such architects as Frank Gehry, Norman Foster, and Renzo Piano. All of the buildings included in the Fourth Edition have been revisited and re-photographed and much of the commentary has been re-written, and coverage of the outer boroughs—particularly Brooklyn—has been expanded.
Famed skyscrapers and historic landmarks are detailed, but so, too, are firehouses, parks, churches, parking garages, monuments, and bridges. Boasting more than 3000 new photographs, 100 enhanced maps, and thousands of short and spirited entries, the guide is arranged geographically by borough, with each borough divided into sectors and then into neighborhood. Extensive commentaries describe the character of the divisions.
Knowledgeable, playful, and beautifully illustrated, here is the ultimate guided tour of New York's architectural treasures.

Acclaim for earlier editions of the AIA Guide to New York City:

"An extraordinarily learned, personable exegesis of our metropolis. No other American or, for that matter, world city can boast so definitive a one-volume guide to its built environment."
— Philip Lopate, New York Times

"Blithe in spirit and unerring in vision."
— New York Magazine

"A definitive record of New York's architectural heritage... 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

"There are two reasons the guide has entered the pantheon of New York books. One is its encyclopedic nature, and the other is its inimitable style—'smart, vivid, funny and opinionated' as the architectural historian Christopher Gray once summed it up in pithy W & W fashion."
— Constance Rosenblum, New York Times

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

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

653 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Norval Crawford White was an American architect, architectural historian and professor. He designed buildings throughout the U.S., but he is best known for his writing, particularly the AIA Guide to New York City (with Elliot Willensky). White was widely considered to be one of the great figures of New York architecture.

Reviews

[Jn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This covers the whole city; go right for the parts you're interested in.
Soon you'll be saying, "Actually, Zed, Heather makes a good case for this building being Romanesque Revival. Now kiss and make up!"

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is the greatest thing. Seriously the book is life-affirming. I need to get their Chicago guide. I mean, i know, architecture, whatever, hitler's hobby was architecture, but this shit is ENTERTAINING. and there are some BUILDINGS in NYC that i needed to know about.

[Julie Brock · Rating 2 out of 5]

American Institute of Architects, I expected better from you! Small black and white photos, mostly close-ups of windows and doors, don't do justice to NYC's architecture and boroughs. Here's hoping for an improved Sixth Edition.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be completely honest, I'm not completely finished ... but my trip to NYC is over, so I won't be reading any more until my next vacation. I'll assume the sections on Staten Island or Kips Bay were as interesting as the sections on Chelsea or Riverside Drive.

First, some quick minuses: it's a tricky book to manage as a Kindle read, it's difficult to navigate back to maps (so you mostly just ignore them and follow addresses as best you can), and the order of neighbourhoods was maddening: almost always south to north, so you might finish one tour, and then have to walk 20 blocks back to begin the next, rather than laying it out so one could simply begin, and just keep going (which is totally doable).

On the plus side, it's pretty exhaustive. I got an awful lot of steps in, and whenever I was just wandering and decided to start a tour, I had but to look around me, pick a likely building, and, oh yes, there it is in the book, voila. I ended up visiting streets I'd never seen before (I don't live in New York, but I normally go twice a year for a week or so at a time, so I know it fairly well), seeing buildings I'd never seen (or noticed) before, and had really the thrilling experience of visiting someplace brand new ... even though I've spent almost a full year there, when you add it all up. Fresh eyes, and all that.

It's from 2010 and could use an update again already (there seems to be a current mini-building boom, or maybe not so mini, though I supposed not when compared to the 19th century!), but aside from the new Billionaire's Row or the most recent High Line adjacent additions, it covered everything I'd want to know about.

(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

An indispensable guide to New York. Witty, well written, intensively researched, this is a pleasure browse through, or to use to look up a specific neighborhood or site. Alas, it weighs in at a hefty four pounds, so you can't carry it with you on walks. Here's hoping they get it online sometime soon!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m never going to read this cover to cover. But the info provided is detailed and thorough! Good reference piece to add to my bookshelf.

[Jeff Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitive.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

1988 Edition. Not so much as currently-reading as currently taking out for walks.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've got the time- then this is a great book to read through and learn about all the different architectural buildings in the city.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever for NYC buildings!

[Daniel E Leinker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good if you like new york city or architecture or beautiful data artfully presented.

[Alex]

AIA Guide to New York City by Norval White (2000)