A history of New York in 27 buildings : the 400-year untold story of an American metropolis / Sam Roberts ; contemporary photography by George Samoladas.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Roberts, Sam, 1947- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Historic buildings.

History.

Architecture.

New York (N.Y.)--History.

New York (N.Y.).

National Book Committee.

Buildings--History--New York (State)--New York.

Buildings.

New York (State).

New York (State)--New York.

Architecture--New York (State)--New York--History.

Historic buildings--New York (State)--New York--History.

Physical Description:

xiii, 285 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Other Title:

History of New York in twenty-seven buildings

400-year untold story of an American metropolis

Four hundred-year untold story of an American metropolis

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.

Summary:

As New York is poised to celebrate its four hundredth anniversary, "New York Times" correspondent Sam Roberts tells the story of the city through bricks, glass, wood, and mortar, revealing why and how it evolved into the nation's biggest and most influential. From the seven hundred thousand or so buildings in New York, Roberts selects twenty-seven that, in the past four centuries, have been the most emblematic of the city's economic, social, and political evolution. He describes not only the buildings and how they came to be, but also their enduring impact on the city and its people and how the consequences of the construction often reverberated around the world. A few structures, such as the Empire State Building, are architectural icons, but Roberts goes beyond the familiar with intriguing stories of the personalities and exploits behind the unrivaled skyscraper's construction. Some stretch the definition of buildings, to include the city's oldest bridge and the landmark Coney Island Boardwalk. Others offer surprises: where the United Nations General Assembly first met; a hidden hub of global internet traffic; a nondescript factory that produced billions of dollars of currency in the poorest neighborhood in the country; and the buildings that triggered the Depression and launched the New Deal. With his deep knowledge of the city and penchant for fascinating facts, Roberts brings to light the brilliant architecture, remarkable history, and bright future of the greatest city in the world.

Contents:

(from table of contents) The Bowne House

St. Paul's Chapel

Federal Hall

City Hall

Domino Sugar Refinery

Tweed Courthouse

The Marble Palace

21 Stuyvesant Street

The High Bridge

123 Lexington Avenue

Pier A

The IRT Powerhouse

The Bossert Hotel

The Asch Building

The Flatiron Building

The Lyceum Theater

Sixty-Ninth Regiment Armory

The American Bank Note Plant

Grand Central Terminal

The Apollo

The Coney Island Boardwalk

Bank of United States

The Empire State Building

The Hunter College Gymnasium

First Houses

134 East Sixtieth Street

60 Hudson Street

Epilogue.

Notes:

Includes index.

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Albert M. Greenfield Memorial Fund.

ISBN:

1620409801

9781620409800

OCLC:

1076510653