Doors of New York’s Upper East Side
Thursday Doors – 11.14.2019
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Tag Archives: New York buildings
Thursday Doors – 10/31/2019
It should be expected that the most beautiful building in New York City, an Art Deco masterpiece, would also have beautiful doors. Since we were in NYC last week, I made sure I’d check that, and I wasn’t disappointed. A short visit to the lobby of the Chrysler Building confirmed that it has indeed some very interesting doors. Sometimes it’s more about what’s around the doors than the doors themselves. This post includes shots of all the doors from around the lobby and main entrances, as well as some shots of the ceilings, walls, and other areas of the lobby.
WPC: Place in the World
Like Erica, who’s challenging us to share our Place in the World, I too have a thing for the Big Apple. This has to do with the combination of several things: beautiful architecture (I die for those art deco buildings); the proximity to water and substantial green areas (making it more than just a concrete jungle); and the abundance of cultural activities (wonderful museums, great theater and musicals, jazz clubs, etc). There’s something magic about NYC that puts me in a great mood, makes me want to go out and soak the energy around me. I feel inspired and experience a “joie de vivre” there that I experience nowhere else in the world. The last time I was in New York, in 2016, I arrived at our hotel after two flights (one of them international) and a long taxi ride from the airport, in terrible traffic jams. All of that while still recovering from the a severe cold I got at the end of our Brazil visit. I collapsed in bed, slept for a couple of hours, and when I woke up I felt a burst of energy and a strong urge to go out, walk for a while and stop somewhere for a good dinner. And so we did. And, like magic, I felt strong and healthy again. Only in New York!! Time to go back… 😉
NYC Architecture
The Prettiest of Them All
Approaching the subject.
Getting closer.
Well, hello lover…!
Let me see if I can get a long shot of you.
OK, maybe from across the street?
Can’t get the Crown but please admire the masonry. This the tallest brick building in the world.
Appreciate the details.
More details…
Salute to the flag! And here are the radiator caps…
Behold the Eagles!
The Crown.
If you love architecture and Art Deco, you’ll LOVE the Chrysler Building, on the East Side of Midtown Manhattan, in New York City. The Chrysler was designed by architect William Van Alen and completed in1930. The Art Deco ornamentation at the crown of the Chrysler is considered a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture. It is based on features used on Chrysler automobiles. On the 31st floor, the corner ornamentations are replicas of the 1929 Chrysler radiator caps. The corners of the 61st floor are graced with eagles, replicas of the 1929 Chrysler hood ornaments.
Another outstanding feature of the Chrysler building is its terraced crown, composed of seven radiating terraced arches. The entire crown is clad with stainless steel. The flush windows, the stainless steel crown, the spire, and the eagles were all fabricated from sheet metal shops on the 65th and 67th floor. Unlike other buildings, the Chrysler was virtually sculpted by hand. A true work of art. I think it is the most beautiful building in New York and perhaps the world, although I haven’t seen all the buildings in the world…
So, given my strong admiration for The Chrysler, when I was in New York this past summer I decided to photograph it up close, which proved to be VERY difficult. The massive structure is squeezed between other buildings and so tall that standing across the street from it won’t allow you to shoot its whole extension. You can get the building but not its beautiful crown. And when you get the crown, you cut half of the building. That’s why I decided to photograph it in parts. I also didn’t have my 300mm lens with me on that trip so I wasn’t able to get some of the details as I would have liked. C’est la vie! I still owe it to myself a decent set of pics of The Chrysler, which shall happen the next time I’m in the Big Apple.
At the Top
In a city like New York, you must look up if you want to fully appreciate the architecture. And if you are photographing those beautiful buildings, their tops are really worth zooming in on. Just a few here.
On Top of The World
The One World Observatory, on the 102nd floor of the beautiful new One World Trade Center offers spectacular views of Lower Manhattan and Midtown. Thick glasses, harsh light, reflections, and hordes of people are not conducive to good photography, but I had a lot of fun, especially finding subjects and points of view where no one else would… 🙂
Weekly Photo Challenge: Mirror
Mirrored images, from mirrors and reflections, including this photographer in a couple of them. 🙂
Weekly Photo Challenge: Mirror
Weekly Photo Challenge: Angular
Art Deco sculpture. 30 Rockefeller Center, New York.
9/11 Museum, New York City.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACMA.
Covent Garden, London.
The Eye, London.
See other Angular posts.
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