The Manhattan Project

In our opinion, nothing quite captures the quintessential New York City experience like James Baldwin's Another Country. The 1962 book strips the universe's creative center of its collective veil and poignantly explores the city’s violent and racist tendencies, the depression of its transplanted residents, the unparalleled art scene, and its class divisions through perfect prose.

If the infamous tome could have been captured through the lenses of the best classic photogs, it would look something like the "On the Street: The New York School of Photographers" exhibit, a 60-plus silver-gelatin photographic survey. The exhibit showcases 18 famous "New York School" photographers such as Diane Arbus, Lisette Model, and William Klein representing the city with grainy, soft-focused, and improvisational black-and-white prints. Some of the most impressive and unique works in this show include Paul Strand's stirring and intimate contact prints shot in the early part of the 20th century. And, of course, an exploration of NYC wouldn't be complete without schizoid shutterbug Garry Winogrand and his spontaneously composed imagery, as well as one-of-a-kind compositions by Weegee, king of the Naked City.