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Tag Archives: New York City
Getting used to Fane tower
In “Once It Was a New Building,” my former editor and longtime friend Robert Whitcomb defended the proposed 600-foot Fane tower in this morning’s GoLocalProv. He writes: GoLocal’s mock editorial last week headlined “Dateline 1924: Don’t Let Them Build That … Continue reading
NYC, drawn from memory
Stephen Wiltshire’s remarkable ability to draw a city from memory came to my attention several years ago in a segment on 60 Minutes or some such show. A British citizen, he was diagnosed with autism at age 3, but his … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Art and design
Tagged Architectural Drawing, Autism, Canaletto, Cities, Drawing, Manhattan, New York City, Pepys, Stephen Wiltshire
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Stuart Little’s aerie in NYC
Reading E.B. White’s 1945 masterpiece, Stuart Little, to my little boy, Billy, at bedtime brought the illustration above to my attention last night for the first time in, um, shall we say, several decades. The artist, Garth Williams, drew the … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture
Tagged Aprtment Buildings, E.B. White, Garth Williams, Manhattan, New York City, Penthouses, Providence RI, Smith Building, Stuart Little
2 Comments
Landmarking the NYPL
The New York Landmarks Preservation Commission has spoken. May we strive to decipher its garbled voice? Who can deny the good sense of protecting the glorious interiors of the New York Public Library – from the likes of its own … Continue reading
Save twin B’way cast-irons
In its length and breadth, Manhattan is a free art museum for all of those who will open their eyes, whether they are Knickerbocker heirs or hoboes from Hoboken. To walk down the street is to encounter museum-worthy works of … Continue reading
Whoa! Driving in N.Y., 1928
This video is a riot, even though I’m sure “Driving Around NYC – 1928” was mostly if not all staged. Still wild and crazy stuff, including Harold Lloyd taking Babe Ruth to Yankee Stadium. Anybody know who, just before that, … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Humor, Photography, Uncategorized, Video
Tagged Babe Ruth, Driving, Harold Lloyd, Historic Cityscapes, New York City, Taxis, Video
1 Comment
Best skyscrapers 2016: Yawn
No surprise here, but Dezeen has published a list of the ten best skyscrapers of 2016. I’ve chosen to spotlight the pyramidal monstrosity in New York City by Bjarke Ingels, the Danish architect and founder of the firm BIG. The … Continue reading
Stairway to nowhere in N.Y.
Above is “The Vessel,” so-called. Jim Kunstler has selected it for October’s Eyesore of the Month, on his website. “The Vessel” is designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the British architect who specializes in the ridiculous. It is apparently an attempt to mimic … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Uncategorized
Tagged Hudson Yard, James Howard Kunstler, M.C. Escher, New York City, The Vessel, Thomas Heatherwick
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