Raymond W. Gastil

In 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped the price of a single ride on the NYC Ferry to $2.75, the same price as the subway. Since then he has expanded service on the waterborne transportation now serving every borough but Staten Island, which already has a free ferry. The popular service has drawn attention to the East River and the many developments and landscapes built upon its shores. It also pushed me to develop an architectural walking tour with short walks in Manhattan, Queens and on Roosevelt Island strung together by ferry rides. Though predating many of the projects now lining the river, this book by the Van Alen Institute's Raymond Gastil was invaluable in my research. Gastil provides a history of the city's modern waterfront, looks outside the city to see how other cities built on their shores, and presents the many plans proposed and/or underway at the time. Considering that many buildings and parks along the East and Hudson Rivers have their roots in earlier plans (e.g. Hunters Point South and Queens West in Long Island City), it's helpful to grasp the city's myriad attempts at turning industrial waterfronts into 21st-century spaces for living and playing.

Given that I found this book as a remainder (and that the book is going for $2.36 on Amazon), Beyond the Edge must have had a large print run, at least for architecture books. If found, a bonus is getting one with the wraparound cover, which doubles as a poster -- a map highlighting the many projects inside the book.… (more)