New York Architecture

When I tell people that we live in Vancouver, the usual response involves saying something about Vancouver being a beautiful city.   Which is not exactly true; Vancouver is a city with mostly bland, mediocre architecture, located in an extremely beautiful environment, with beaches, mountains and water.      People also say that Paris is a beautiful city;  what they are talking about is the grand vistas and famous architectural landmarks such as Notre Dame, as well as the stylistic unity of the majority of the buildings.   I have never heard anyone say "New York, what a beautiful city!"    I actually think, by some measures, New York is a beautiful city.  In terms of streetscapes and architectural variety, New York is remarkably varied and beautiful, but in a heterogenous way.  Pockets of extraordinary architecture mix with areas of ugly, modern glass and concrete boxes.  And the ubiquitous Manhattan grid somehow makes everything seem utilitarian; grand vistas of the grid?  Maybe.    And there is all the noise and constant human activity. But if you walk around almost any area of New York, you can find all kinds of beautiful and interesting architecture, with an astonishing variety of influences and styles.

Evidence:

The facade of the Metro Theater on Broadway near us (under renovation):

Some townhouses and buildings near us:

More...

The brickwork on this building is of a technique called "diapering"