Review: The City Observed, New York: A Guide to the Architecture of Manhattan

Goldberger, Paul. The City Observed, New York: A Guide to the Architecture of Manhattan. New York: Random House, 1979.
Photography by David W. Dunlap
Cartography by David Lindroth
ISBN 0-394-50450-x
347 Pages. Illustrated

Manhattan’s architectural landscape is as diverse as the inhabitants who live and work within the borough. Despite new modern buildings replacing deteriorating early ones, there is still a healthy dosage of historic sites that are engrained into Manhattan’s blueprint. The City Observed, New York: A Guide to the Architecture of Manhattan is a good starting point for a basic understanding of the various architect’s work which stood at the time the book was first published in 1979 by Random House, New York. Although, in today’s digital information age, a physical printed guide of Manhattan’s ever-changing landscape is likely not the most helpful for research.

The author of this guide is the highly esteemed architectural critic, Paul Goldberger whom the Huffington Post once called “the leading figure in architecture criticism.” Five years after this book was published, Goldberger’s architecture criticism for The New York Times awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Criticism, the highest award in journalism. This guide carefully divided up Manhattan into 26 parts including the usual neighborhoods such as “Chelsea” and the “Financial District”, but also specified sections such as the “East and West Thirties” and “The West East Side: Fifth to Lexington.” Each entry is accompanied by a rudimentary map created by cartographer David Lindroth which includes pinpointed numbers marking each notable architectural landmark mentioned. The book would be severely weakened if not for the incredible photographs by David W. Dunlap which display the architectural elements in a clear, elegant way opposed to the flowery, opinionated text. The book’s layout is expertly designed with an easy-to-follow navigational system as well as a complete index in the back.

David W. Dunlap’s photographs of the Flatiron Building and the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Headquarters. Page 96.

Within 347 pages, all of the well-known sites such as Carnegie Hall and the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine are represented, as well as buildings atypical tourist sites such as the Martin Luther King Jr. High School. The entries vary in length from a few sentences to a page or two. Although the entries make note of previous building names, there is a severe lack of factoids about the architectural style or the architect’s other works. Understandably this is a guide to the architecture, but the author’s descriptions sometimes seem too personal and lack historical and cultural significance to make the places truly come to life. The author’s description of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine on 112th street is a highlight where he describes it as “the world’s biggest hybrid – a Byzantine-Romanesque apse, choir, and crossing, and a French Gothic nave and front.” (pg. 276) Goldberger was not afraid to voice strong opinions such as that of the Madison Square Garden Center which he describes as, “still terrible – a graceless, sloppy, cheap entertainment and office complex that would be an insult to an empty site in the middle of nowhere.” (pg. 117)

While all of the high class and famous buildings are represented in the book, architectural discussion about the design of lower class facilities and housing were seemingly left out. For the casual browser, this guide would be a decent starting resource, much like a New York Post critic’s review of a play before going to see the show. But for in-depth research into the local history of Manhattan, there are likely an abundance of other resources with up-to-date information that would be a better choice.

-Ailina Mayer