home... maps... my manhattan project

Proposal

Introduction: The following proposal outlines my ideas for a book of maps of Manhattan. These maps will present a broad range of information, primarily useful but also arcane. The book should be not only for reference but also have curiosity value. It will familiarize the average Manhattanite, new-comer or native, with the wonders and practicalities of this great city.

Design: The book may be designed as a spiral bound. There should be approximately one hundred maps included. The paper should be a crisp dull-coat white stock. The graphics should be high-tech but retain the charm and grace of hand-made maps. They can be produced on computer or done by hand, as were the accompanying maps originally published in The New York Observer.

The maps ought to be self-explanatory although there can be accompanying writing. Photographs are another possible addition. There should be a Table of Contents, which I will describe later, an Appendix and an Index.

The Appendix should list each denoted place alphabetically by proper name, with full address and phone number. Various hours or other comments can be included here. The Appendix can be at the end of the book, or can occupy the left hand page opposite the related map.

Sources: The design of the Base Map of Manhattan is an original graphic depiction using non-copy written maps from the United States Geological Service as the original source. Coastal charts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and various land use maps from the NYC Department of City Planning and from the Geologic department of the Office of the Manhattan Borough President are also useful. Accuracy is essential. A first hand knowledge of the city is helpful and necessary.

Composition: Composition of the individual maps allows the opportunity to explore a variety of mapping styles and techniques. This variety should best occur within the framework of a consistent outline and format of Base Map.

In composition, various elements such as titles, legends, detail boxes, scales and acknowledgements are moved about and treated with respect to their relative visual and contextual importance. All elements should be balanced and in proper relation to each other.

The different formats and styles developed to represent different kinds of information should be consistent with one another. As much as possible, all information of names and addresses (streets) should be labeled directly on the map. Key numbers and arrows should only be resorted to when absolutely necessary.

Graphics: The graphic elements of cartographic design are many. Clarity and legibility are prerequisite. Contrast, involving the use of varying lines and shapes and different combinations of pattern and value, is important in determining hierarchies and insuring readability.

The initial perception of a map is determined by the balance of its elements and especially by the layout and the nature of its figure-ground relationships. Through contrast and differentiation of color, value, form, contour, texture and size, priorities are established and emphases become apparent.

Typography: Cartographic typography is a very important design element. Symbols can be considered along with type. Style, form, color and size of type and symbols need to be considered in depth, as must the positioning of the lettering and the determination of names and the use of abbreviation. Again, a consistent format or rule of usage must be developed.

Color: Color can be a symplifying and clarifying element; it is also an unifying agent and is fundamental in attracting and holding attention. Color is very subjective, yet it can somewhat be described in terms of hue, chroma and value. Contrast and clarity are achieved by varying these elements.

Since the map is a singular graphic depiction of Manhattan and the borders do not vary from page to page, though the style may change, color is one element that may be used to enhance the communication of information and assist in creating variety.

While the map graphics should look high-tech, computer made or not, the color should be low tech and drawing on the vast history of map-making, use traditional American earth and watertones. These rich colors and their subtle tints and shades should be used liberally along with judicious use of luminous color.

Time Frame: Initial design decisions must be made to determine the style of the book. A list of subjects must be determined.

The preliminary design stage will be organized around the development of a prototype map. With this map the designer will determine the fundamental organization of the communication objectives and the presentation of the graphic elements.

Primary decisions will be made regarding various forms of symbolism, lettering styles, area patterns, color, layout and other important design elements.

After the development of the prototype Base Map, there will be preparation and organization of research material. Then there will be drafting and mechanical or computer artwork.

I estimate the entire project could be completed in a year. As much of the work is already done, it might be possible to rush this. But for the sake of excellence, it should be redone.

Table of Contents

Government

Services

  • Community Districts
  • City Council Districts
  • State Assembly Districts
  • State Senate Districts
  • U.S. Congressional Districts
  • Local Political Clubs
  • Zip Codes and Post Offices
  • Affiliation of Voters by Assembly District
  • Military Installations and Property
  • Police Precincts
  • Fire Districts, Battalions & Companies
  • Sanitation Districts & Environmental Facilities
  • Courts & Correctional Facilities
  • Power Supply
  • Water Supply

Culture

Recreation

  • Museums
  • Theaters
  • Cinemas
  • The Public Library System
  • Private Libraries
  • Concert Halls
  • Dance Spaces
  • Reading Rooms
  • Art Galleries
  • Auditoriums, meeting rooms &
    rehearsal facilities
  • Public Monuments
  • Parks
  • Playground facilities
  • Activities with children
  • Bus & Walking Tours
  • Illuminated Towers & Views
  • Community Gardens
  • Plazas
  • Health Clubs
  • Swimming Pools
  • Tennis Courts
  • Outdoor athletic facilities
  • Ballfields
  • Winter recreation
  • Bridge, chess & other games

Education & Religion

Public & Private Institutions

  • Public Schools & Districts
  • Private & Parochial Schools
  • Higher Education
  • Daycare & Headstart
  • Synagogues
  • Catholic Churches
  • Protestant Churches
  • Other churches & religious institutions
  • Hospitals
  • Ambulance Services
  • Nursing Homes
  • Public buildings & property
  • Foreign Consulates
  • Foreign Embassies
  • Clubs — Private, University &
  • Fraternal Unions & Union Halls

History

Environment

  • Landmark Districts
  • Notable Landmarks
  • Literary Landmarks
  • Archeological sites
  • Historic houses
  • Nostalgia — Lost New York
  • Former Indian Settlements
  • Neighborhoods of notable
    architectural interest
  • History of the Growth of Manhattan
  • N Y Harbor Then & Now
  • Geology
  • Topography
  • Landfill — added acreage
  • River Depths & Currents
  • Tidal Wetlands & Floodplains
  • Fish in NYC
  • Pollution & Toxic Waste

Transportation

Population & Housing

  • Bus Routes
  • Subway System
  • Ports, Terminals & Stations
  • Commuter Routes
  • Truck Routes
  • Bridge & Tunnel Traffic
  • Waterfront Use
  • Airports & Airlines
  • Street Direction
  • Remaining Two-way streets
  • Street number locator map
  • Taxi & Limousine Services
  • Car rental
  • Snow Emergency Streets
  • Population by Census District
  • Business Statistics
  • Income by Zip Code
  • Occupations & Employment
  • Race & Ethnic background
  • Crime statistics
  • Housing statistics
  • Who owns what? Real Estate in NYC
  • Temporary shelters for the homeless
  • Public Housing
  • Group Residence

Commerce & Entertainment

  • Public Markets
  • Commercial, Retail & Industrial areas
  • Restaurants
  • Financial Institutions
  • Radio & TV stations
  • Unwired residential areas
  • Newspapers & periodicals
  • Newsstands
  • Advertising agencies
  • Bookstores
  • Book Publishers
  • Brunch Spots
  • Hotels & Motels
  • Nightclubs
  • Saloons
  • Telephone Exchanges
  • Greenmarkets
  • Gas stations

Bold Indicates existing map

List of Manhattan Maps

Published by New York Observer 1988-1991

Research and design by Kathy Forer 1988

  • Snow Emergency Streets 1/25/88
  • Fire Districts, Battalions & Companies 2/8/88
  • Parks 3/7/88
  • Police Precincts 2/15/88
  • City Council Districts 2/22/88
  • Public Schools & Districts 2/29/88
  • Zip Codes and Post Offices 3/14/88
  • Public Library 3/21/88
  • Remaining Two-Way Streets 4/4/88
  • Theaters 4/11/88
  • Hospitals 4/18/88
  • Landmark Districts 4/25/88
  • Museums 5/2/88
  • Unwired Residential Cable Areas 5/9/88
  • Tennis Courts 5/16/88
  • Telephone Exchanges 5/23/88
  • Cinemas 5/30/88
  • Swimming Pools 6/6/88
  • Gas stations 6/13/88
  • Greenmarkets 6/20/88
  • Illuminated Towers 6/27/88
  • Ports, Terminals & Stations 7/4 – 7/11/88
  • Landfill — added acreage 7/18 – 7/25/88
  • Ballfields 8/1/88
  • Average Family Income by Zip Code 8/8/88
  • Waterfront Use 8/15/88
  • Bridge & Tunnel Traffic 8/22/88
  • Bridge, Chess & & Other Games 88
  • Community Board Districts 8/29/88
  • Ambulance Services 9/5/88
  • Newsstands 9/12/88
  • Synagogues 9/19/88
  • Foreign Consulates 9/26/88
  • Higher Education 10/3/88
  • Museums in Expansion 10/10/88
  • U.S. Congressional Districts 10/17/88
  • State Senatorial Districts 10/24/88
  • State Assembly Districts 10/31/88
  • Affiliation of Voters by Assembly District 11/7/88
  • Winter recreation 11/14/88
  • Manhattan Neighborhoods 11/21/88
  • Where to Donate Clothing and Other Items 11/28/88
  • Armories and their Uses 12/5/88

Research and design by NYO staff 1989-1991

  • Infant Mortality in Manhattan 12/12/88
  • Death by AIDS (per 100,000 population) 12/19/88
  • Municipal Parking in Manhattan 1/16/89
  • Off-Track Betting Offices in Manhattan 1/23/89
  • Car Theft in Manhattan 1/30/89
  • Burglaries in Manhattan 2/6/89
  • Total Felonies in Manhattan 2/13/89
  • Fast-Food Hamburgers in Manhattan 2/20/89
  • Major Water Main Breaks in Manhattan in 1988 2/27/89
  • Manhattan Congestion 3/6/89
  • Ethnic Centers in Manhattan 3/13/89
  • Behind the Scenes in Manhattan 3/20/89
  • Manhattan Restaurants with a View 3/27/89
  • Kosher Restaurants in Manhattan 4/3/89
  • Manhattan Curbside Recycling 4/10/89
  • Baseball Fields in Manhattan 4/17/89
  • Reported Murders in Manhattan in 1988 4/24/89
  • Community School Boards 5/1/89
  • Fire Fatalities in Manhattan 5/8/89
  • Rental Car Agencies in Manhattan 5/15/89
  • Phones in Central Park 5/22/89
  • Senior Centers and Service Programs in Manhattan 5/29/89
  • Manhattan Tax Lots 6/5/89
  • Manhattan’s Museum Mile 6/12/89
  • Manhattan Greenmarkets — 1989 Season 6/19/89
  • Restaurants with Sidewalk Permits 6/26/89
  • Landmark Hearings 7/3 – /10/89
  • Chess Outdoors in Manhattan 7/17 – 7/24/89
  • Most Popular Names of 1988 7/31/89
  • Bicycle Rentals in Manhattan 8/7/89
  • Treatment Centers in Manhattan 8/14/89
  • Post Office Special Services 8/21/89
  • Manhattan Mail Volume 8/28/89
  • Places to Buy and Rent Classical Instruments 9/4/89
  • Candidates in the Primary Elections 9/11/89
  • Manhattan Horse Stables 9/18/89
  • Public Exhibition Spaces in Manhattan 9/25/89
  • Manhattan Atriums 10/2/89
  • Archives in Manhattan 10/9/89
  • Crime in the Subways 10/16/89
  • Abortions in Manhattan 10/23/89
  • Pawnbrokers in Manhattan 10/30/89
  • Manhattan’s Cleanliness Scorecard 11/6/89
  • Retail Rentals in Prime Areas of Manhattan 11/13/89
  • Manhattan Holiday Highlights 11/20/89
  • Museum Shops 11/27/89
  • Motorcycle Parking in Manhattan 11/4/89
  • Radio and Transmisssion Facilities 12/11/89
  • Sale Prices of Luxury Apartments in Manhattan 12/18/89
  • Taxi Fares 1/8/90
  • Neighborhood Ratings 1/15/90
  • Manhattan’s Plazas 1/22/90
  • Average Asking Rents in the Office Market 1/29/90
  • Used Car Dealers in Manhattan 2/5/90
  • Unusual Bird Sightings in Manhattan in 1989 2/12/90
  • United States Presidents in Manhattan 2/19/90
  • Adopt-a-Monument in Manhattan 2/26/90
  • Service Modifications in Manhattan’s Expensive Restaurants 3/5/90
  • Letter Baskets in Manhattan 3/12/90
  • Vacant Lots Cleaned in Manhattan 3/19/90
  • Garbage Collection in Manhattan 3/26/90
  • Streets in Manhattan Named after Women 4/2/90
  • Manhattan’s Licensed Day-Care Facilities 4/9/90
  • Churches and Synagogues with Landmark Status 4/16/90
  • Reported Murders in Manhattan in 1989 4/23/90
  • Burglaries in Manhattan in 1989 4/30/90
  • Car Theft in Manhattan in 1989 5/7/90
  • Fire Fatalities in Manhattan in 1989 5/14/90
  • Top Industry Leasing by Business District in Manhattan 5/21/90
  • Antiquarian Book Dealers in Manhattan 5/28/90
  • Animal Hospitals in Manhattan 6/4/90
  • Museum Mile 6/11/90
  • Buildings Demolished in Manhattan 6/25/90
  • Car Collisions with Pedestrians in 1989 7/16 – 7/23/90
  • Car Collisions in 1989 8/13 – 8/20/90
  • Movie-Theater Seats in Manhattan 8/27/90
  • Art in the Subways 9/3/90
  • High School Results 9/10/90
  • Oldest Houses in Manhattan with Landmark Status 9/17/90
  • Crime in the Subways 9/24/90
  • Percent-For-Art Projects in Manhattan 10/1/90
  • New Housing in Manhattan 10/8/90
  • Manhattan’s Scenic Landmarks 10/15/90
  • Air Monitoring in Manhattan: What’s Tested For Where 10/22/90
  • Solo Drivers Entering Manhattan 10/29/90
  • Arson in Manhattan 11/5/90
  • Music in the Subways 11/12/90
  • An Architectural Bestiary 11/19/90
  • Traffic Crossing the Hudson River 11/26/90
  • AIDS Cases in Manhattan: Compared with Other Parts of the Country 12/3/90
  • Manhattan Holiday Highlights 12/10/90
  • Manhattan Crossings 12/17/90
  • Manhattan Blockwatchers 1/7/91
  • Animal-Holding Facilities in Manhattan 1/14/90
  • Infrastructure Disruptions 1990 1/21/91
  • Settlement Houses in Manhattan 1/28/91
  • Manhattan’s Tallest Buildings 2/4/91
  • Manhattan War Memorials and Tributes to American Military Heroes 2/11/91
  • Manhattan’s Designated Interior Landmarks 2/18/91
  • Manhattan Squares 2/25/91
  • Buildings Sealed and Demolished in Manhattan 3/4/91
  • Fire Department False Alarms in Manhattan 3/11/91
  • Drinking Fountains in Manhattan Parks and Playgrounds 3/18/91
  • Hazardous Waste Incidents in Manhattan 3/25/91
  • Restrooms in Manhattan Parks and Playgrounds 4/1/91
  • Percentage of Manhattan Streets Rates Acceptably Clean 4/8/91
  • Potholes Filled in Manhattan Streets 4/15/91
  • Abandoned Vehicles on Manhattan Streets 4/22/91
  • Manhattan Library Circulation 4/29/91
  • Reported Murders in Manhattan 5/6/91
  • Burglaries in Manhattan 5/13/91
  • Car Theft in Manhattan 5/20/91
  • One-Day Street Fairs 5/27/91
  • Famous Books and Where They Were Written 6/3/91
  • New York Reservists in Desert Storm 6/10/91
  • Manhattan Greenmarkets — 1991 Season 6/17/91
  • Festivals, Fireworks and Other Outdoor Events 6/24-7/1/91
  • Fire Fatalities in Manhattan 7/8 – 7/15/91
  • Housing Units in Manhattan 7/22 – 7/9/91
  • Population Change by Ethnic Origin 8/5 – 8/12/91
  • Movie-Theater Seats in Manhattan 8/19 – 8/26/91
  • Pediatric Health-Care Clinics in Manhattan 9/2/91
  • City Council and Judicial Candidates 9/9/91
  • Manhattan Dry Goods Emporiums 9/16/91
  • Rent-Stabilized Apartments in Manhattan 9/23/91
  • Street Nicknames in Manhattan 9/30/91
  • Big Apple Nicknames 10/7/91