An Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn [Paperback]

Francis Morrone (Author), James Iska (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2001

A sophisticated blend of ambience and attitude.

From cobblestones to churches, row houses, fishing boats, and tree-lined streets, Brooklyn boasts enriching public spaces and diversely beautiful landscapes.

The illustrious history of Brooklyn comes to life in this guide, which focuses on northern and central Brooklyn, including the oldest urbanized areas, the vast "brownstone belt," and some of the principal industrial areas such as:

Downtown

Brooklyn Heights

Prospect Park

Fort Greene and Clinton Hill

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Contents Introduction Downtown Around City Hall Brooklyn Heights North/Fulton Ferry/DUMBO/Vinegar Hill Brooklyn Heights South Fort Greene and Clinton Hill Williamsburg and Greenpoint Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens/ Boerum Hill Park Slope Prospect Park Institute Park General Index

From the Back Cover

A sophisticated blend of ambience and attitude. From cobblestones to churches, row houses, fishing boats, and tree-lined streets, Brooklyn boasts enriching public spaces and diversely beautiful landscapes. The illustrious history of Brooklyn comes to life in this guide, which focuses on northern and central Brooklyn, including the oldest urbanized areas, the vast "brownstone belt," and some of the principal industrial areas such as: Downtown Brooklyn Heights Prospect Park Fort Greene and Clinton Hill

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 481 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586850474
• ISBN-13: 978-1586850470
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #880,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Factually dead on, but a tad fatiguing, March 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: An Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn (Paperback)

Everything in this book is 100% correct: Mr Morrone is doubtless a perfectionist in his research and I mean that as a compliment. You want to know the history of a building, an area in Brooklyn or an architect, this book is the ne plus ultra.

I give it 3 stars because his writing style is a tad heavy. It reminds me of Frasier Crane, he of the tv show "Frasier".

But it is good enough to merit a double purchase: One you keep at home and the second you rip out pages at a time as you work your way through the various sections/chapters in Brooklyn. I am never in favor of destroying books, but given the size of this tome, buying two and giving one of them a good going over in the streets of Brooklyn is entirely acceptable.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars passionate and intelligent, April 5, 2002

By 

Elizabeth (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn (Paperback)

Morrone's passion for urban life is infectious. He puts things in a broad historical and cultural context to give a real sense of how and why the neighborhoods of Brooklyn evolved. Few books of this kind even attempt to do that, let alone do it well. The book is well written, with many astute observations, and often very funny.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful compendium from our citys best tour guide, April 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: An Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn (Paperback)

Rare is the architectural guidebook that merges intricate depictions of the masterpieces with compelling tales about how they came to be. Yet that is precisely what Mr. Morrone has accomplished with this tome, which shows off a borough he clearly loves to great effect. This is a book you can, and should, hold in your hands as you walk through the neighborhoods Mr. Morrone has chosen to include. He made me love Brooklyn even more than I thought possible, and made me wish I lived both in this era and some many years ago, when the many buildings and neighborhoods he describes were coming into being. A must-have book for anyone who intends to look at the buildings of Brooklyn, whether for scholarly pursuits or for pure weekend pleasure.