Synopses & Reviews
The Municipal Art Society of New York recently celebrated its fiftieth year of offering walking tours to the public; in 2007 more than 10,000 people participated. This illustrated guidebook to highlights of architecture, preservation, urban planning, and public art described by two experienced guides, with pictures, route maps, and travel information, covers Manhattan from downtown skyscrapers to Harlem by way of Madison Square, Art Deco Midtown, Grand Central Terminal, Columbus Circle, Central Park, and more.
Review
"References to other buildings are thoughtfully keyed, aware of the manner in which a book allows for the walking tour to devolve into something more personal, less scripted....It furthers [the MAS] mission of celebrating the city's many layers and appreciating them firsthand." John Hill
Review
"The MAS's expertise in conducting tours is highly evident; the book provides extraordinarily precise directions on where to walk, where to look up and when to turn around. The text, by architectural tour guide Francis Morrone and architectural historian Matthew A. Postal, is rich without being overly dense, and striking high-resolution photography by Edward A. Toran makes the volume useful to armchair travelers as well." Modernism
Review
"[I]f you can't fit a tour into your schedule while you're in town, the Municipal Art Society has just come out with a guide that allows you to do it yourself." Associated Press
Review
"This is an outstanding book, hard to top in its knowledge and structure that practically calls you to walk the city's streets and drink in its history and beauty." Archidose.org
Synopsis
The Municipal Art Society of New York recently celebrated its fiftieth year of offering walking tours to the public; in 2007 more than 10,000 people participated. This illustrated guidebook to highlights of architecture, preservation, urban planning, and public art described by two experienced guides, with pictures, route maps, and travel information, covers Manhattan from downtown skyscrapers to Harlem by way of Madison Square, Art Deco Midtown, Grand Central Terminal, Columbus Circle, Central Park, and more.
Synopsis
Highlights of architecture, preservation, urban planning, and public art described by two experienced guides, with pictures, route maps, and transit information.
Synopsis
The book is a suitable gift for out-of-town visitors or city residents, and it could serve as the basis for a group excursion, if you"re looking for a cheaper, D.I.Y. approach to teambuilding.[I]f you can't fit a tour into your schedule while you're in town, the Municipal Art Society has just come out with a guide that allows you to do it yourself.The MAS"s expertise in conducting tours is highly evident; the book provides extraordinarily precise directions on where to walk, where to look up and when to turn around. The text, by architectural tour guide Francis Morrone and architectural historian Matthew A. Postal, is rich without being overly dense, and striking high-resolution photography by Edward A. Toran makes the volume useful to armchair travelers as well.This is an outstanding book, hard to top in its knowledge and structure that practically calls you to walk the city's streets and drink in its history and beauty.
About the Author
Francis Morrone is an art and architecture critic who writes book reviews, film criticism, and design criticism for many publications. He has written architectural guides to Philadelphia and New York City. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. He is also the recipient of the 2012 Arthur Ross Award in History/Journalism, given by The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA).Matthew A. Postal is an architectural historian, specializing in twentieth century architecture and urbanism.Robin Lynn conceived and edited 10 Architectural Walks in Manhattan by Francis Morrone and Matthew Postal (W.W. Norton & Company, 2009), and co-authored A Walking Tour of Cast Iron Architecture in SoHo with Margot Gayle (Friends of Cast Iron Architecture, 1983; second edition, Victorian Society New York on behalf of Friends of Cast Iron Architecture, 2011). She organized architectural walking tours for the Municipal Art Society for over ten years. Robin teaches English and New York City history to new New Yorkers at the College of Mt. St. Vincent's Center for Immigrant Studies and Columbia University's Community Impact program.