New York City Gardens Hardcover – October 1, 2010

Very nice book! Well made!! Heavy too. Great photos as well.

What a feast for the eyes, and oasis for the mind, is this lush depiction of what gardeners, designers, architects and nature itself have done to enhance some of the spaces-- both public and private-- of this great but turbulent and formidable city. New York can seem a cold and steely place, but when all that concrete and glass and, yes, steel, are juxtaposed to the imaginative and aesthetically exciting gardens that are adjacent to, or even a part of, the imposing structures, the result is a kind of revelation. For the gardens are beautiful and many of the buildings striking, but it turns out that they need each other in order to be their best selves. It has never seemed more true that New York is a city of contrasts. And the lavish, lovingly photographed settings, along with a most interesting text on the history and planning of so many of New York's most beautiful spaces, make for a deeply satisfying experience with a book. The most jaded New Yorker, as well as the wide-eyed out-of-towner, could draw sustenance from this splendid effort.

New York City Gardens is a perfect book to take you on a fabulous vicarious voyage into wondrous gardens that you probably never new existed in this complex city. Even if you think you have seen some of them before -- certainly not this way through the creative lens of Betsy Pinover Schiff. Enjoy the trip!

New York City Gardens is a perfect book for the pleasure of the eyes. The pictures are just splendid. This time, I had as much pleasure to read the text, the author knows so well what she is writing about and I learned so much.

The photographs in this handsome publication capture the sophistication and charm created by NYC's juxtaposiiton of gardens and concrete. The photographer's use of light and color bring the viewer into the beauty and tanquility of these glorious spaces.