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Vertical cities

 I read a joke about a NYC commuter some years back.. lived and worked in the city and he said about his commute - I spend more time in vertical travel than horizontal.

A recent visit to the Big Apple was much joy simply because as an architecture geek I was able to visit some familiar landmarks and visit new ones that had popped up since my last visit a decade ago.  Many as you guessed are vertical and really tall.  Building design is largely glass and concrete as is the case in certain heights to ensure integrity but the way it changed the skyline was indeed eye catching.

The trip also included visiting boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn at some length and breadth. Which meant crossing new bridges and travel through tunnels under the rivers and bays that surround NYC.

Here are some of those sightings and experiences..


From NJ to Staten Island over the Goethals Bridge

we traveled from Carolinas to NYC and traveled along a route that is depicted through these images paying our toll to the local governments as we went..


Verrazano Narrows bridge named for an early explorer connected Staten Island to Brooklyn



Of course an Apple slice in Brooklyn

Then on to Prospect Park in Brooklyn to visit a 120 year old shelter that is a reflection of Greco Roman architecture


The Peristyle

then a stop at a fave place of mine - Brooklyn's massive public library


design evokes an open book, with its spine on Grand Army Plaza and two wings opening like pages onto Eastern Parkway and Flatbush Avenue


Unisphere is a spherical stainless steel representation of Earth in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in the New York City borough of Queens

Our travel then took us into Queens to visit the home of USTA's US Open venue in Flushing neighborhood... what a sight

and finally into Manhattan island..


The Vessel - an art piece 10 stories tall - in mid town along the river - part of Hudson Mills shopping


My first glimpse of Freedom Tower at the former ground zero 



Oculus - transit hub designed by Francisco Calatrava of Spain



view from Central Park of Columbus Circle and the navigator standing tall





Iconic Grand Central Terminal at the foot of the Chrysler Building lit at night


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