The Landmarks of New York

This fifth edition of a catalog of New York City's architectural and historical landmarks adds 183 new landmarks and 39 new historic districts, with information current through June 2011. B&w photos of landmarks on every page are accompanied by neighborhood maps. A 47-page opening essay by author Diamonstein-Spielvogel (Historic Landmarks Preservation Center; New York State Council on the Arts) chronicles the work of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission from its creation in 1965 to the present. The 1,276 individual landmarks and 102 historic districts described in the book have all been deemed landmarks by the Commission. Entries are arranged chronologically, from colonial farmhouses to 20th-century structures, within sections on individual landmarks; lampposts, bracket lights, and sidewalk clocks; and historic districts. Entries give details on architectural features, original and later purposes of the building, and original and later occupants. Each entry includes a neighborhood map and a fact box on construction and restoration dates, architect, street address, and date of designation as a landmark. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, writer, interviewer, and activist, is widely known for her involvement in the fields of architecture and the arts. Actively engaged in the cultural life of New York City, she is the chairperson of the Historic Landmarks Preservation Center and vice-chair of the New York State Council on the Arts, a commissioner of the American Battle Monuments Commission, and a director of the Trust for the National Mall. A former White House assistant, she served as the first director of the Office of Cultural Affairs of New York City, and was the longest-serving commissioner of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, having served from 1972 to 1987, under four mayors. The first woman vice-chair of the United States Commission of Fine Arts, she was also appointed to the Public Design Commission of the City of New York and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council in Washington, D.C. The author of nineteen other books, she has conducted numerous television interviews with leaders in the arts, architecture, and design for A&E and other networks, many of which can be viewed on YouTube. The recipient of many honors and awards, she was elected an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects. In addition to her earned doctorate from New York University, she is the recipient of three honorary doctorates: from Longwood University in Virginia, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Pratt Institute in New York City. She serves on a wide range of cultural, education, and social services boards in the United States and abroad; Diamonstein-Spielvogel lives in New York City and is married to the international business executive Ambassador Carl Spielvogel.