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is there any city in the world that is easier to traverse than new york? i have been partly around the world, and still haven't found a place with such a logical way about it. maybe cities like buenos aires and paris, where one neighborhood or district slips into the next are more sexy, romantic, or more mysterious. but new york, she is smart.
today is the 200th anniversary of the grid--certainly worth commemorating, so cheers to the nytimes for the quick history lesson and the interactive map .
i like to (try to) imagine what it was like to be the person whose job it was to survey this town. it took john j randall three years of walking up- and downtown, to determine the grid (a seven mile hike a day isn't too bad--it's about the distance i run from home, through the long loop in central park, and back) but having to ax your way through the trees and shrubbery along the way? that is wild.
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if you're interested in expanding your sense of the city, i'm going to suggest "mapping new york" (on my wish list). more than street plans, it offers clues to its social and cultural developments, dating back to the 16th century, and some fun artistic renderings.
I'm going to leave you with one of my favorite aerial views of ny, circa 1961, courtesy of daniel l. fapp, the director of photography for west side story. the nyc views start at the 5:42 mark.
