The Panorama of the City of New York

I never thought I would say this but Robert Moses really wow’d me… in a good way. About a week ago I went to visit the “Panorama of the City of New York” at the Queens Museum of Art. I had heard rumors that this ongoing exhibit at QMA was a model created in the exact image of the entire city of New York. Impossible, I thought. How could that be true? How could Robert Moses find the time to dedicate 3 years and 100 people to rebuilding a mini- New York City when he was already so busy turning the already existing one into a car culture?

Well believe it. I saw it with my own eyes… and I took pictures! The Panorama of the City of New York DOES exist, and it is wonderful. My friend and I spent over an hour and a half studying the variations in districts, boroughs, architecture and park structure. Here are some interesting facts about the Panorama of the City of New York:

– It was built for the 1964- 65 World’s Fair

– It was intended to help with city planning prior to be exhibited at the fair

– It’s 9335 square feet!

– It includes EVERY SINGLE BUILDING in the entirety of New York City built before 1992 (resulting in a total of 895,000)

– The Panorama took 3 years and 100 people to build

– Raymond Lester Associates were an original hand in the making of the Panorama, and Lester updated it again in 1992 changing over 60,000 structures!

Now for the pictures of the Panorama of the City of New York:

 

This is a view of Manhattan looking South on the "Panorama of the City of New York." Constructed for the 1964 World's Fair by Robert Moses and Raymod Lester. Updated by Lester in 1992

 

View of Midtown Manhattan in the "Panorama of the City of New York." Constructed by Raymond Lester and Robert Moses in 1964. Now on view at the Queens Museum of Art.

 

Prospect Park in the "Panorama of the City of New York." Ongoing exhibition at the Queens Museum of Art constructed by Robert Moses and Raymond Lester for the 1964 World's Fair.

 

A view of beautiful Brooklyn in the "Panorama of the City of New York." Can be seen indefinatley at the Queens Museum of Art

 

Queens and Manhattan in Robert Moses' and Raymond Lester's "Panorama of the City of New York."

 

Brooklyn in the "Panorama of the City of New York." Constructed by Richard Haymond and Robert Moses for the 1964 World's Fair. Now showing at the Queens Museum of Art

The Queens Museum of Art will have the Panorama of the City of New York as a constant exhibit. 

QUEENS MUSEUM OF ART INFO:

Museum Summer Hours
Wednesday – Sunday: noon – 6 pm
Friday: noon – 8 pm

Location
New York City Building
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Queens NY 11368
TEL: 718 592 9700

Admission
Admission is by suggested donation. Adults: $5 
Senior and Children: $2.50 
Members and Children
under five: Free

WWW.QUEENSMUSEUM.ORG

C.A.

G.W. Bridge

View of George Washington Bridge from Washington Heights. Taken on Nov. 8th 2008.

C. A.

Washington Heights Undiscovered

While living in New York and commuting to school there for 6 years I had never held a desire or need to go to Washington Heights. It wasn’t until March 4th when I was pawing through the Metro Section of the New York Times I read an article titled “New Winds at an Island Outpost” I learned that curtained behind the view from the West Side Highway there was a gem of a dying generation keeping the community alive. After that article I vowed to visit the area and see it for myself. It took a year and half but last Friday, November 8th I paid Washington Heights a visit.
Washington Heights is something that had always left a vague and unreal impression in my mind. For my whole life I had witnessed the shell of its existence from a car window while driving on the West Side Highway. I had always wondered where the tall, seemingly historic grassy hill and the gates compressed with trash against a cliff fit in with the rest of the city. These traits you get a glimpse of while remaining in the comfort of your own automobile feel as if they’re so distant from Manhattan. Its aesthetic appeal has a sort of awkwardness as the footpaths to the water slice around the highways and spaghetti entrance to the George Washington Bridge. The fact that Washington Heights is also the home to the highest natural point in Manhattan requires buildings resting off cliffs and curvy inclines in sidewalks New Yorkers aren’t used to. The interesting thing is that none of these things prevent the main avenues like Broadway from thriving with privately owned businesses and high foot traffic from the community. While being there I witnessed people shopping rolling racks outside of stores after dark and blasting music from their apartments and cars while chatting with their neighbors on the sidewalk.
After I walked to the water and it got quieter and quieter I gained a great appreciation for the unique twisted appearance the outskirts of Washington Heights had. It almost seemed as if all of the life existing on the inside of the district pushed everything else up onto the edges and it all ended up tossed together in a protective nest. The outsiders on the highway would always be so distracted by the mess that they would never understand the potential in Manhattan’s highest district.

I’d like to thank Manny Fernandez for writing that article that invited me to Washington Heights.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/nyregion/thecity/04domi.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=washington+heights&st=nyt&oref=slogin

C. A.