Description:
New York looms large, inundated with skyscrapers and traffic and crowds and noise. Like the pedestrians, the buildings jostle for space and get lost in the cement and brownstone sea. But there are jewels of preserved landmarks throughout the five boroughs that are well worth the search. If you want to appreciate orchids and violets, you need a botanical field guide. If you want to enjoy the rich structural heritage of New York, you need Barbaralee Diamonstein's guide to New York's landmarks. Who would think to find the oldest building in New York State hidden in the flatlands of Brooklyn? But that's where the Pieter Claesen Wyckoff House is, dating back to 1636. Also in Brooklyn is the Old Gravesend Cemetery, established in 1650. Staten Island is full of beautifully preserved homes from the 1600s up through the 1800s, and there's one prerevolutionary house that has survived in Manhattan. The Morris-Jumel Mansion on West 160th Street and Edgecombe Avenue was built in 1765 by British Executive Council member Colonel Roger Morris (his wife, Mary Philipse, was rumored to have had an affair with George Washington before her marriage). And off on Roosevelt Island there's the picturesque Smallpox Hospital from 1857 and the even more picturesque Lighthouse, built in 1872. There are in fact more than 1,000 landmarks and 70 historic districts, all with quality historical write-ups and excellent photography. It's a wonderful reference, a fine new way to see the city, and a pleasure to glance through. Just flipping the glossy pages is an enjoyable and educational experience, and the armchair tour is undeniably easier on your lungs and feet. --Stephanie Gold
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