Synopses & Reviews
With a foreword by Mayor Bloomberg and the full cooperation of the Gracie Mansion Conservancy, this book is the first-ever tribute to Gracie Mansion, New York Citys mayoral residence―from its construction as Archibald Gracies country home in 1799 to its importance as the home of New York Citys mayors and their families (starting with Fiorello LaGuardia in 1942) to its splendid 2002 restoration and new role as the “Peoples House” under Michael R. Bloomberg.
Combining a detailed architectural history of the mansion (including the Susan E. Wagner wing built by Mott B. Schmidt and the contributions of such master decorators as Albert Hadley, Mark Hampton, and Jamie Drake) with anecdotal portraits of the mayoral inhabitants, lavishly illustrated with more than 150 images (including paintings and watercolors, letters and maps, invitations and elevations, designers sketches and before-and-after photos), and enhanced by exclusive interviews and the recollections of those who have lived and visited there, this handsome volume will be the definitive work on a charming landmark that is more popular today than ever before.
About the Author
Ellen Stern has been a writer and editor at
New York, GQ, and
The Daily News, and her books include
Best Bets and
Once Upon a Telephone. She lives in New York.