Bridges are typically very important structures, always providing that essential connection between here and there, but I can’t imagine any place where they are more critical than in Manhattan, an island in a city of islands ( 4 out of 5 boroughs are islands or on islands – only the Bronx is on the mainland). Our survival is absolutely dependent on bridges and tunnels. Perhaps this is one of the many reasons why bridges are so iconic here: we have many, they are well-known, and they are lifelines. Anything so essential that is simultaneously well-designed takes on an additional beauty – that classic weave of form and function. Add to the equation the vistas and lights at night, and you have a formula for the romantic.

The intricate steelwork of the cantilevered Queensboro Bridge (formerly the 59th Street Bridge) has an attractive quality. It was designed by Gustav Lindenthal in collaboration with Leffert L. Buck and Henry Hornbostel and completed in 1909. You can read about its history and construction here. It is an NYC icon – one of the most recognizable bridges in the city. Some of my feelings about the bridge, however, are tarnished by my initial experience of it during its decades of neglect (it went through a renovation in 1987). In those early years, I saw it primarily from a utilitarian perspective: to get in and out of Manhattan and to afford vistas of the city and the river. It was more a symbol of what it could provide than a thing of beauty.

If you want to see a true love affair with new York City, I highly recommend Manhattan by Woody Allen. Its opening montage of city images set to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is wonderful, culminating with a fireworks display with NYC as backdrop (you can see the intro clip here). There is a scene in the film, used in posters for the film, of Woody and Diane Keaton sitting on a bench with a view of the Queensboro Bridge  click here).
This image, enmeshed with Gershwin, is one of my strongest connections to the bridge…

Note about the film: Be forewarned, however. Woody plays a 42-year-old who is dating a 17-year old high school girl. A little disturbing, almost foreshadowing his real life involvement with Soon-Yi Previn. Art predicts life again…

Note about the photo: This photo was taken on East End Avenue looking south.

I never tire of seeing the Chrysler Building, particularly in the evening when lit. I have posted numerous times on various aspects of the building, such as the gargoyles, elevators, lobby, murals, entrance, and the Trylon Towers. Since 9/11, most large office buildings have increased security, and in the case of the Chrysler Building (and Woolworth Building), they are off-limits entirely, unless one has specific business in the building.

During Open House New York 2006, I was able to get into the lobby and stairwells and photograph at my leisure. For me, the Chrysler Building is many things: assurance that there is some permanence in a world of change, a link to old New York, a beautiful art deco masterpiece, a metaphor for our aspirations, dreams, and hopes with its gleaming stainless steel spire reaching upwards, and a reliable NYC icon, letting me know at a glance, without any doubt, of where I am…

Chrysler Building Posts: Crown Jewel, Gargoyles, Stairwell, Back in Time, Mural, Going Up, Trylon Towers, Contrast

Real estate developers, along with architects, define the look of a city, and the empire and legacy of William Zeckendorf Sr. (1905-1976), his son William Jr., and grandsons Arthur and William Lie continue to endure and impact New York. These are the Zeckendorf condominiums (read about them here) at One Irving Place, as seen from Union Square in the evening with the Con Ed tower. I have photographed these towers before for this website, but I have not shown all four in one photo. Real estate developers are typically not seen in a very positive light by the average citizen; rather, they are resented by many for their wealth and the power they have over the primary assets of a city – the land and buildings themselves. However, they are absolutely necessary to the city’s infrastructure, growth, and reconstruction, and when there is a good design aesthetic and sensitivity to appropriate architecture, they can be a force for the good.

William Zeckendorf, Sr. is considered one of America’s foremost developers and has worked with architects I.M. Pei and Le Corbusier. He is credited with projects which were seminal in the redevelopment of troubled areas, such as these towers in Union Square and the Columbia at 96th Street on the Upper West Side. His most notable transaction was taking an option on 17 acres along the East River to build a dream city. Unable to exercise his option, and seeing the city about to lose the United Nations because it was unable to find a location for it, Zeckendorf called Mayor William O’Dwyer, who persuaded Rockefeller to buy the land for $8.5 million and then donate it to the U.N. In 1965, his company Webb & Knapp collapsed and went into bankruptcy. The family business was rebuilt with William Jr. at the helm.

Style and personality also play a factor in the public’s view of a real estate mogul. Donald Trump, for example, is seen by many as a pompous, arrogant, egotistical media hound with a celebrity lifestyle surrounded by supermodels. Combine that with buildings known for their veneer, and one could understand why architecture critic Paul Goldberger once referred to his work as the “triumph of image over substance”…

My recent interest in the evening and night sky prompted this photo. It is remarkable how out of touch with the natural world city dwellers can be – there is a serious dearth of knowledge in subjects like plants, animals, insects, astronomy, etc. Recently, I have noticed some very brightly lit heavenly bodies, however, I was not able to find anyone who knew what these objects were (by studying some online star maps, I was able to confirm my suspicion that Venus was one of them). The photo was taken at sunset of the Bobst Library, which houses over 3 million volumes and is one of the largest academic libraries in the US.

This massive red sandstone edifice on Washington Square South was designed by Philip Johnson for NYU (New York University) and was completed in 1972. It has been steeped in controversy since its construction:
1) To begin with, there were substantial delays in its construction.
2) There has been much criticism of its bulky, monolithic form and how it towers over Washington Square Park. The work of Johnson himself has been the subject of much criticism.
3) The library was named after Elmer Holmes Bobst, who made a $6 million dollar contribution. There was embarrassment for the University, however, when it was learned that Bobst was a Nixon supporter, had been accused of a corrupt contribution to Nixon, and made antisemitic remarks.
4) In 2003, Bobst made big news with two suicides in one month – students jumped from the open-air catwalks to the marble floor below.
5) Steven Stanzak, an NYU student unable to afford his housing costs, became homeless and took up residence in the basement of the Bobst Library for eight months from 2003-2004…

One of the great things in the city is to happen upon a juxtaposition of architecturally and/or historically important structures. It is surprising that we can still be awed and not jaded, even when exposed daily to vistas and landmarks. I think most New Yorkers still really do appreciate the things they see daily, such as crossing a bridge by car or subway. I always enjoy being in a part of town I do not frequent; it gives me that sense of newness one has as a visitor.

This photo was taken on Fifth Avenue. In the background, we have, of course, the Empire State Building, clad in Indiana limestone and granite. In the foreground, at 29th Street and Fifth, you have the Marble Collegiate Church, a Romanesque/Gothic building constructed from white marble, a contemporary of Grace and Trinity churches (the term collegiate refers to the practice of churches sharing ministers as colleagues). Apart from having such a prime address with photo op potential, this church has a very interesting history. Marble Collegiate Church is the oldest Protestant organization in North America. The congregation was founded as the Collegiate Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in 1628; the building dates to 1854. Read about it here. The church is perhaps best known for pastor of 52 years, Norman Vincent Peale, the highly influential author of 46 books, including the bestseller The Power of Positive Thinking. Granite, limestone, marble – I love stone. And some things are just etched in it…