Book Review: New York at Night

By Sandy Amazeen Oct 11, 2010, 0:56 GMT

Anyone who has flown into a major metropolitan area at night has witnessed firsthand the amazing transformation sundown brings to a big city. Almost magically, darkness hides the squalor and garbage piles while turning frustratingly gridlocked traffic into elegant lines of glittering lights. Aerial photographer Jason Hawkes celebrates this nightly reinvention of New York City while Christopher Gray provides a running commentary giving readers the sensation of being on a private guided tour. Naturally, iconic addresses like the Chrysler Building, Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State Building are included as well as lesser-known places like the Marc Regent Tower featuring a spectacular lighting display of violet, blue and ruby.

The book is divided into Downtown, Midtown and Uptown with additional chapters for Skyscrapers and Movement, which primarily focuses on roads although there are some stunning shots of ferry traffic set against the glowing Statue of Liberty. Simple maps provided at the start of each chapter provide helpful orientation points. You don’t need to be a fan of the Big Apple to enjoy this book although if you have ever visited the city, it would certainly add to your appreciation. Budding architects might want to check this out when designing buildings with more visual aerial appeal.