Incredible, Close-Up Photos Of The Intricate Architecture On Manhattan's Gold Coast

Sometimes I avoid marveling too long at the buildings here in New York because I don't want to look like a tourist. But those who don't marvel are missing out. New York gratifies the gesture of looking up, perhaps more so than another city in the world. Often, though, you can't make out the finer details of tall buildings with the naked eye. So last weekend I went up to the Gold Coast—the most opulent section of the Upper East Side, roughly between 59th and 87th Streets and Fifth and Lexington Avenues—with a giant lens on my camera to capture some of those details.You'd be surprised at how much work has been put into them: the frozen, ironic face of a grotesque I photographed looks like it's in on some joke that nobody will ever know; the cornices that stick out from the tops of the buildings hide all sorts of stone flowers and filigree and lions' faces in their shadows.For the sake of simplicity, I only photographed buildings along Fifth Avenue, and with the exception of the Ukrainian Institute (whose details are so funny and shocking), I stayed between 59th and 78th Streets.The pictures are rounded up here in order, from south to north, so you can take a stroll up Fifth Avenue and look at them yourself. You might want to bring a pair of binoculars. It's worth it.In the mid-1800s, Central Park was constructed to serve a rapidly growing population of New Yorkers—Irish and German immigrants especially.A Le Vieille Russie, 781 Fifth AvenueSource: AIA Guide to New York CityThe park divided upper Manhattan in two; the West Side—known for its rough terrain—and the more accessible East Side.A Le Vieille Russie, 781 Fifth AvenueSource: AIA Guide to New York CityTenements dominated the East Side; the poshness the area is known for is a recent conception.Metropolitan Club, 1 East 60th StreetSource: AIA Guide to New York CitySee the rest of the story at Business InsiderPlease follow The Life on Twitter and Facebook.See Also:Chinese Tourists Are Almost Single-Handedly Propping Up Europe's Luxury Goods MarketThis Tiny Arab Kingdom Has Emerged As The World's Leading Modern Art CollectorPHOTOS: Inside A Quirky New York Park Where Flowers Bloom In The Middle Of Winter

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