This past Saturday on June 13th, 2010 I took a guided cruise around Manhattan to view the amazing architectural sites. We met at Chelsea Piers, near 22nd St on the Hudson River at 2PM and stepped aboard the teak decks of the Manhattan, an elegant, 1920s style yacht, for a leisurely ’round-Manhattan architecture tour, hosted by members of AIA New York.
On this 2.75 hour cruise, we completely circumnavigated the entire island of Manhattan (passing under all 18 bridges) while we took in the sites that the AIA of New York planned. Our tour guides were architects Michael Bisehoff, Arthur Platt, and Kyle Johnson.
Some highlights from our expert guided tour included:
West Side “Starchitecture”: Todd Schliemann’s The Standard Hotel, Frank Gehry’s IAC, and Jean Nouvel’s opulent Eleventh Ave condos
Coverage of the most classic icons of lower Manhattan: Pier A, Trinity Church, and the Woolworth Building
Latest updates on the development of Governor’s Island, the Brooklyn Waterfront, and the Domino Sugar Factory
Back story on Manhattan’s urban planning and the allocations of low income housing
East River icons: the UN, the Seagram Building, and Gracie Mansion
The Harlem River unveiled – tales from the unseen end of Manhattan
The Cloisters, Riverside Church, and Grant’s National Monument