Jake Rose
Illustrations by Various Artists
Color NYC Landmarks
Color Our Town COLORING BOOKS
A celebration of the beauty and diversity of America’s Cities
Welcome to New York City
New York City is a city unlike any other, celebrated for its towering skyscrapers, renowned cultural institutions, and the relentless energy of its inhabitants. From the historic streets of Lower Manhattan, where the United States' founding was shaped, to the multicultural neighborhoods of Queens and Brooklyn, each borough offers a unique blend of cultures, languages, and flavors. The city's skyline, dominated by the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building, serves as a beacon of freedom and ambition. With its Broadway theaters, world-class museums, and a culinary scene that spans the globe, New York City invites you to explore, dream, and savor the countless experiences it has to offer. It's a place where dreams are made, where the past meets the future, and where the possibilities are as boundless as the city itself.
1. Empire State Building
Designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates and built by Starrett Bros. & Eken in 1930, the Empire State Building is an Art Deco engineering marvel and an icon for the Big Apple. Situated on the location of the original Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Fifth Avenue, the Empire State Building was the world’s first 100+ story building when it was completed in 1931. Made into a household name with 1933’s King Kong, the Building’s edifice is best known for its simple yet elegant exterior, its magnificent antenna, and gorgeous lighting events. The Building is also the host of spectacular events like the Annual Run-Up and the Valentine’s Day weddings. Constantly evolving with the times, the Empire State Building has recently been augmented with a restored ceiling and mural, a new visitor entrance, and a reimagined observatory. Honored by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the National Parks Services, and the American Institute of Architects, the Empire State Building is a true piece of New York history and a symbol for everything great in the City that Never Sleeps.
Photo by perseanz
3. Times Square
Originally known as Long Acre Square, Times Square obtained its current name from the New York Times in 1904. The Times then brought their headquarters to the Square the following year–and in the process starting the tradition of the New Year’s Eve ball drop. Made into the Great White Way in the mid-1900’s with the addition of electrified advertisements and streetlights, Times Square became a major transit hub by the late 1920s. But the Great Depression began Times Square’s seedier phase, as grindhouse theaters, peep shows, drugs, and prostitution steadily proliferated within the district. By the mid-1980s, Times Square was seen as America’s sleaziest district. Yet despite Times Square’s reputation, it maintained its symbolism, due to its action, pedestrian activity, and its role as entertainment district. The redevelopment project in the 1980s and 1990s shifted Times Square into a theater and entertainment center by moving the district towards kid-friendly stores and musicals. As tourist activity increased, Times Square continued to improve. Further construction made the plaza more inviting to pedestrians. Today, Times Square has retained its place as the crossroads of the world with its vibrancy, activity, and electricity.
Photo by Jean-Christophe BENOIST
4. Grand Central Terminal
Formerly known as Grand Central Depot and Grand Central Station, Grand Central Terminal opened in 1913 as an epicenter of luxurious long distance travel. Designed by Reed & Stem, Warren & Wetmore, and Sylvain Saliéres, the Terminal is best known for its marble carvings, and sculptures of Mercury, Hercules, and Minerva. Transforming into a regional commuter hub after the post-war decline in intercity trains, Grand Central was saved from demolition in the 1970’s thanks to the efforts of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Though it was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court as a landmark, it was not until Metro-North repaired and reimagined the station in the 1980’s that Grand Central once again became the city’s crown jewel. Grand Central is still evolving, as its new East Side Access project will connect Long Island Rail Road trains to a station that combines modern design with Beaux-Arts references modern design with Beaux-Arts references.
Photo by Axel Tschentscher
5. Statue of Liberty
Given as a gift of friendship from France to the United States in 1886, the Statue of Liberty is considered to be a New York City icon and an emblem of hope for immigrants everywhere. Designated as a National Monument in 1924 and tended by the National Park Service on Liberty Island since 1933, the 305-foot tall Statue is a universal symbol of freedom, liberty, justice, and democracy to millions worldwide. Thanks to the efforts of Edouard de Laboulaye, Auguste Bartholdi, Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, Emma Lazarus and her New Colossus, Joseph Pulitzer, and Robert Brand, the statue went from an idea into a reality. The “Mother of Exiles” has Lazarus’ sonnet written on a plaque and placed on the inner wall of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal. Today, the plaque is on display in the Statue of Liberty Exhibit. The broken shackle and chain on the Statue is a constant reminder of the determination to end servitude and oppression.
Photo by William Warby
7. Brooklyn Bridge
Designed by John Roebling in 1869 and completed by his son Washington in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge has loomed large over New York City’s East River. Offering a safe and scenic passage to millions of pedestrians and vehicles, the connection it provided between Brooklyn and Manhattan changed New York City forever, as it eventually led to the formation of Greater New York. Designated as National Historic Landmark in 1964 and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972, the Brooklyn Bridge has lived up to its title as the “eighth wonder of the world” with its stately towers and a design that is unlike any other suspension bridge. Accompanying the Bridge is Brooklyn Bridge Park, an 85-acre post-industrial waterfront site that spans from Jay Street to Atlantic Avenue. Built by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates in 2010, the Park contains Piers 1-6, Empire Fulton Ferry, Jane’s Carousel, the historic Empire Stores and the Tobacco Warehouse properties, Greenway Terrace, and Picnic Peninsula.
Photo by gpkp
11. American Museum of Natural History
Created in 1869 by Albert Bickmore, the American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Located between West 77th and 81st Streets next to Central Park, the Museum advances its mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition. The Museum’s renowned exhibits and scientific collections serve as a field guide to the entire planet and present a panorama of the world’s cultures. The landmark Museum includes such fascinating areas as the Rose Center for Earth and Space, which contains the massive Hayden Sphere and Space Theater, and the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, which exhibits the world’s highest freestanding dinosaur display. Though the equestrian statue of Theodore Roosevelt has been recently removed, the Museum has still retained its luster among New Yorkers. In fact, its basis for the Night at the Museum trilogy has led some to call the American Museum of Natural History as the New York institution.
Photo by Jake Rose
Photo by Jean-Christophe BENOIST
13. Guggenheim Museum
An internationally renowned art museum and one of the most significant architectural icons of the 20th century, the Guggenheim Museum in New York is both a vital cultural center and an incredible educational institution. Designed in 1943 by Frank Lloyd Wright to house works of art collected by Solomon Guggenheim, its completion in 1959 marked the birth of New York City’s most unique museum. Known for its spiraling ramp and unique architecture, the Guggenheim provides visitors with a distinctive forum for presenting contemporary art. A monument to modernism, the Guggenheim Museum is an everevolving institution devoted to the art of the 20th century and beyond.
19. New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is where icons and disruptors come to build on their success and shape the future. They’ve created the world’s largest and most trusted equities exchange, the leading ETF exchange and the world’s most deterministic trading technology. Their data, technology and expertise help today’s leaders and tomorrow’s visionaries capitalize on opportunity in the public markets. The New York Stock Exchange traces its origins to 1792, when 24 stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement for trading securities on a commission basis. In 1817, those brokers formed the New York Stock & Exchange Board, which became the New York Stock Exchange in 1863. After implementing its famed opening and closing trading bell in 1865, the Exchange moved to its current location at 18 Broad Street in 1903. In 1939, the NYSE opened its trading floor gallery to the public. Today, the New York Stock Exchange helps companies raise the capital that raises the world.
Photo by udo_r
21. Broadway Theaters
Through its history, New York City’s Theater District has reflected and shaped New York’s character. The Theater District was established in 1895 when Oscar Hammerstein’s Olympia Theater moved to the area. While the city had yet to install electric street lamps in the area, Hammerstein bathed his theater in electric light, starting a trend that converted the Theater District into the Great White Way. By 1910, Broadway’s dazzling lights became an iconic part of New York City. Broadway has made actors like Mae West, Will Rogers, Julie Andrews, and James Earl Jones household names, and created songs like “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business” that have entered American culture. While the area struggled in the 1970s, the Marriott Marquis Hotel’s completion in 1985 led to the District’s revival. By 2000, the area regained its signature visual flare due to the city adding a vast array of lit signs and amusements. Today, the Theater District is once again a riveting destination for the best in urban entertainment.
22. Apollo Theater
Since introducing Amateur Night in 1934, the 125th Street Apollo Theatre has played a key role in the emergence of jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, and soul, and has also been the place where stars like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis Jr., Sidney Poitier, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, and Gladys Knight began their road to stardom.
Opened as a burlesque joint in 1914, the building became the Apollo Theater in 1934. Percy Sutton revitalized the theater in 1981 by equipping it with a recording and television studio. In 1983, the Apollo received state and city landmark status as Harlem’s oldest functioning theater. In 1985, the Apollo celebrated its 50th Anniversary by re-launching Amateur Night. In 1991, the Apollo Theater Foundation was established as a not-for-profit organization that managed, funded, and oversaw programming for the Apollo. Today, the Apollo presents concerts, performing arts, and community outreach programs.
Photo by Ajay Sures
24. Bronx Zoo
Opened in 1899, the Bronx Zoo is the United States’ largest urban zoo at 265 acres. Operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Zoo houses 4,000 animals from 650 species, with its most noted creatures being Pattycake the gorilla, Samantha the python, Temujin the gyrfalcon, Jose the beaver, and the elephants Gunda, Patty, Maxine, and Happy. The zoo also includes several official city landmarks like the Rainey Gate entrance, Astor Court, Rockefeller Fountain, and Rocking Stone. The zoo contains the cage-free naturalistic areas of the African Plains habitat, Lion Island, Congo Gorilla Forest, Tiger Mountain, the Elephant and Lion Houses, Butterfly Garden, a sea lion pool, and the Wild Asia, Himalayan Highlands, World of Reptiles, and “Madagascar!” exhibits. But the Bronx Zoo is best known for its inventive zeal, as it built the world’s first animal-hospital at a zoo, the world’s first major exhibit of nocturnal animals, and the world’s first large-scale exhibit to integrate various species into a single shared ecosystem.
Photo by Paulo JC Nogueira
Through its 24 beautiful illustrations and detailed descriptions, “Color NYC Landmarks” masterfully highlights what makes the City that Never Sleeps so special.
Color NYC Landmarks is filled to the brim with iconic settings such as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Times Square, Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center, and the Brooklyn Bridge, among many others.
