AIA Guide to New York City

Rating:
Summary: Maximum coverage at the cost of excessive brevity
Review: With any guide of this type, there is the dilemma of whether to cover briefly as many buildings as possible, or to cover relatively few buildings in greater depth. This book opted to maximize the number of buildings covered, about 5000 in all, each of which has a 1 x ¾ inch photo and a description that is often a single sentence. Those seeking a more intense treatment of individual buildings will not be satisfied. The emphasis here is on quantity of buildings covered, and of these, roughly half are beyond Manhattan Island. The book, which includes many detailed maps, seems written for someone wandering the streets investigating these buildings on foot, but the very awkward dimensions of this book make it impractical to put in a pocket.