Hunter College's North Building, finished in 1940, splits the difference between Park Avenue and the IRT 6 train subway station at 68th St and Lexington Ave. 

It has the same feel of other buildings built by Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon–740 Park Avenue, up the street, 500 5th Avenue, just across 42nd St from the New York Public Library, and their famous Empire State Building.

The modern building is sleek and smooth and has some interesting details, including an inscribed quotation by Ralph Waldo Emerson on its 68th St. facade, but it was the 69th St. facade that caught my eye. 

While the surface is a clean sequence of lines and forms, the air conditioners dot the landscape like seemingly random people, no rhyme or reason, suggesting the individuality of the students within.

So un-uniform.

David Paler

On the Hudson River you can find all kinds of architectural interest. 

One of the coolest intersections of line, form and structure can be found in the curved hull of the Intrepid aircraft carrier, located in Hell’s Kitchen.  

I used to live in the neighborhood, and often biked by.  One day, during New York City’s Fleet Week, I observed the underside bathed in the late afternoon sun. The welded steel plating, which had protected American sailors from the enemy during World War II, was glowing in long, warm light, and framed the shadow of a modern destroyer down by the waterline. 

Rather than the “Rising Sun” striking the ship, it was set ablaze by the setting sun.

In addition, the anchor looked like some fearsome Star Wars toy, except 1,000 times larger. I couldn’t resist the scene, and shot it. 

Still one of my favorites.

David Paler