Viewing NYC Articles Categorized Under Books

[BOOKS] Check Out Jeffrey Milstein's "LA NY: Aerial Photographs of Los Angeles and New York"

2025-12-04T12:00:00-05:00

A unique dual aerial portrait of Los Angeles and New York, in a stunning case of compare and contrast from a bird’s-eye point of view

LA NY is a dazzling visual tale of two cities, Los Angeles and New York, as seen from the air. Photographed straight down at a ninety-degree angle to emphasize the particular patterns of place, how the urban grid adapts to local topography, and how the topography itself adapts to human purposes, these two cities are revealed as never before in astonishing detail. Photographer Jeffrey Milstein explores residential and commercial neighborhoods, parks and recreation spots, as well as industrial districts and the infrastructure of transportation. Iconic buildings and landmarks are easy to spot, alongside suburban housing developments, apartment complexes, commercial hubs, entertainment and financial centers, and airports and shipping terminals. Milstein’s work deftly combines architecture, science, and art.

Using high-resolution cameras mounted to a stabilizing gyro, Milstein leaned out of helicopters over Los Angeles where he grew up and over New York where he now lives, looking for shapes and patterns of culture from above, continually awed by the difference an aerial view makes. In addition to the urban topography, events and activities have also been captured, such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and outings at the beach.

LA NY: Aerial Photographs of Los Angeles and New York is available for just $29.95 on Amazon.

The post [BOOKS] Check Out Jeffrey Milstein's "LA NY: Aerial Photographs of Los Angeles and New York" appeared first on Viewing NYC

[BOOKS] New York's Original Penn Station: The Rise and Tragic Fall of an American Landmark

2025-11-19T12:00:00-05:00

The original Pennsylvania Station was a historic railroad station, opened in 1910 and demolished a short 54 years later. Its grandeur matched or exceeded that of Grand Central Terminal, and was one of the architectural jewels of the City. A new book from author/historian Paul Kaplan titled "New York's Original Penn Station: The Rise and Tragic Fall of an American Landmark" tells the story:

In early twentieth-century New York, few could have imagined a train terminal as grandiose as Pennsylvania Station. Yet, executives at the Pennsylvania Railroad secretly bought up land in Manhattan's infamous Tenderloin District to build one of the world's most spectacular monuments. Sandhogs would battle the fiercest of nature to build tunnels linking Manhattan to New Jersey and Long Island. For decades, Penn Station was a center of elegance and pride. But the ensuing rise of the airplane and automobile began to diminish train travel. Consequently, in the mid-1960s, the station was tragically destroyed. The loss inspired the birth of preservation laws in the city and the nation that would save other landmarks like Grand Central. Author Paul Kaplan recounts the trials and triumphs of New York's Penn Station.

Pick up your copy of "New York's Original Penn Station: The Rise and Tragic Fall of an American Landmark" for just $15 on Amazon.

The post [BOOKS] New York's Original Penn Station: The Rise and Tragic Fall of an American Landmark appeared first on Viewing NYC

[BOOKS] A Block in Time: A New York City History at the Corner of Fifth Avenue and Twenty-Third Street

2025-10-27T12:00:00-04:00

Gotham meets The Island at the Center of the World in this dazzling history of a single block in Manhattan from the Age of Exploration to the present.

This is the story of New York City, told through the prism of one block, bordered by Twenty-third Street to the south, Twenty-fourth Street to the north, Fifth Avenue and Broadway to the east, and Sixth Avenue to the west. It's a story of forest and cement, bird cries and taxi horns, theaters and factories, gambling dens and gourmet foods. It's also the story of high life and low life, immigrants and tourists, farmers and aristocrats, crooked cops and moral reformers, toy stores and social climbers--from Solomon Pieters, a former slave who was the first owner of the block, to Alexander “Clubber” Williams, the notorious police officer of the 1870s who accepted bribes and wielded his club with equal impunity, to Marietta Stevens, whose Sunday-night socials and scheming became the stuff of legend. Greed and generosity, guilt and innocence, extravagance and degradation--all have flourished on this one Manhattan block, emblematic of the city as a whole.

Venturing from the opulent halls of the Fifth Avenue Hotel to grimy Sixth Avenue brothels, from the era of the Lenape to that of the Dutch, from the Gilded Age to the twentieth century, when the block and the city were transformed into something closely resembling the Manhattan we know today, A Block in Time takes us on a dynamic, exhilarating tour of history. Welcome to New York, past and present, and hear all the sordid and edifying stories this small patch of land has to tell.

A Block in Time: A New York City History at the Corner of Fifth Avenue and Twenty-Third Street by author Christiane Bird is available for purchase on Amazon.

The post [BOOKS] A Block in Time: A New York City History at the Corner of Fifth Avenue and Twenty-Third Street appeared first on Viewing NYC

[WATCH] Touring a Live-in Gallery Apartment in the Heart of Manhattan

2025-04-22T12:00:00-04:00

The World of Interiors presents Visitors’ Book with Alex Tieghi-Walker. Alex welcomes us into his hybrid fifth-floor Manhattan apartment, which serves as both his home and a venue for his gallery, Tiwa Select, in New York City. A warm and lived-in space, Alex’s New York City apartment plays host as a living gallery, where no artwork or furnishing is too precious to be handled and used, and every object carries a reverence for materials and the mark of its maker’s hand. “I love the history in this building, stripping away the layers of paint to see all the different colours that have been applied here,” Tieghi-Walker admits. Watch the full episode of Visitors’ Book as we explore Alex Tieghi-Walker’s walk-in exhibition venue and NYC home.

The post [WATCH] Touring a Live-in Gallery Apartment in the Heart of Manhattan appeared first on Viewing NYC

[BOOKS] Nonstop Metropolis: Stunning Collection of Original New York City Maps

2025-03-11T12:00:00-04:00

Author, historian and activist Rebecca Solnit authored an interesting book titled Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas that includes a stunning collection of unique and original New York City maps that speak more to locals than tourists.

Nonstop Metropolis, the culminating volume in a trilogy of atlases, conveys innumerable unbound experiences of New York City through twenty-six imaginative maps and informative essays. Bringing together the insights of dozens of experts—from linguists to music historians, ethnographers, urbanists, and environmental journalists—amplified by cartographers, artists, and photographers, it explores all five boroughs of New York City and parts of nearby New Jersey.

Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas is available for purchase on Amazon.

The post [BOOKS] Nonstop Metropolis: Stunning Collection of Original New York City Maps appeared first on Viewing NYC

[BOOKS] A New York City Christmas: Ho-Ho-Ho at Gothamtide!

2024-11-17T12:00:00-05:00

Local author, tour guide, and holiday-season fanatic Sibyl McCormac Groff has written a great book called A New York City Christmas: Ho-Ho-Ho at Gothamtide! that celebrates and reveals the history of Christmas in New York City.

A book that captures all of the magic, beauty and spirit of Christmastime in New York. Learn of the histories of Christmas traditions, notable sights you should definitely see, unusual holiday activities, and the joys to be shared by a lover of a New York Christmas!

A New York City Christmas: Ho-Ho-Ho at Gothamtide! is available on Amazon for $20.

The post [BOOKS] A New York City Christmas: Ho-Ho-Ho at Gothamtide! appeared first on Viewing NYC

[BOOKS] This Photo Book Explores the History of Corona, Queens in Detail

2023-12-24T12:00:00-05:00

Corona: The Early Years is a photobook from author and historian Jason D. Antos and Arcadia Publishing that details the varied history of the Queens neighborhood of Corona.

Nestled between old Newtown (today's Elmhurst) and the village of Flushing in the borough of Queens lies Corona. Blessed with an enchanting landscape, the area attracted development as early as 1854, when the West Flushing Land Company sought to create a suburban residential neighborhood in its midst. For Corona's cherished way of life, represented by Colonial-era farms, dirt roads, and gaslight streetlamps, this marked a distinct break from the past. Developer Benjamin Hitchcock's novel installment-plan system had helped place Corona on the map for good by 1870, laying down a historical precedent for later communities like Forest Hills and Jackson Heights to take shape. Before Mets baseball and the US Open were fixtures on the local scene, New Yorkers flocked to the National Race Course, one of the first such complexes in the entire country, for an exciting day at the races. Meanwhile, in its Corona-based factory, the Tiffany Glass Company forged distinctive lamps and glassware that in time would become world famous.

You can purchase the book for just $28 on Amazon and other retailers.

The post [BOOKS] This Photo Book Explores the History of Corona, Queens in Detail appeared first on Viewing NYC

[VIDEO] "American Ramble": A Writer's Walk From D.C. to New York City

2023-10-08T12:00:00-04:00

In March 2021, former Wall Street Journal writer Neil King Jr. embarked on a walk of 330 miles, from his home in Washington, D.C., to New York City – his way of contemplating America, past and present, and, at 61, his own life after surviving esophageal cancer. The 26-day journey formed the basis of his new book, "American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal." He retraced his steps with correspondent Martha Teichner, and talked about the America he found along the way.

Puchase American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal for as low as $19 on Amazon.

The post [VIDEO] "American Ramble": A Writer's Walk From D.C. to New York City appeared first on Viewing NYC

[VIDEO] James and Karla Murray Explore New York City: The Strand

2023-08-16T12:00:00-04:00

Local pro photographers James and Karla Murray have a YouTube series in which they explore neighborhoods around New York City from their unique perspective. In this recent episode, watch as they give you a tour of New York City's largest bookstore: The Strand.

In our NYC BIGGEST BOOKSTORE: STRAND BOOKS we visit the Strand Book Store in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan with our dog Hudson. We browse their vast selection of over 2.5 million used, new and rare books and also check out their vinyl record selection.

The post [VIDEO] James and Karla Murray Explore New York City: The Strand appeared first on Viewing NYC

[BOOKS] Nonstop Metropolis, a Stunning Collection of Original New York City Maps

2023-07-26T12:00:00-04:00

Author, historian and activist Rebecca Solnit recently released her 15th book titled Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas a stunning collection of unique and original New York City maps that speak more to locals than tourists.

Nonstop Metropolis, the culminating volume in a trilogy of atlases, conveys innumerable unbound experiences of New York City through twenty-six imaginative maps and informative essays. Bringing together the insights of dozens of experts—from linguists to music historians, ethnographers, urbanists, and environmental journalists—amplified by cartographers, artists, and photographers, it explores all five boroughs of New York City and parts of nearby New Jersey.

Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas is available for purchase on Amazon.

The post [BOOKS] Nonstop Metropolis, a Stunning Collection of Original New York City Maps appeared first on Viewing NYC