New York City, once a lush and verdant group of forested islands, is still home to a rich collection of diverse tree species, each with a story to tell about the city's past. This gorgeous book by naturalist and photographer Benjamin Swett offers stunning color photographs, personal narratives, and fascinating historical observations about a select few of the thousands of trees that thrive in the five boroughs-from the sprawling New York Botanical Garden in spring bloom to the snow-laden residential blocks of Queens in winter. Swett's warm and welcome voice adds depth and perspective to his collection, as well as an unmistakable charm unique to his city's cosmopolitan character. The stories of these trees-some dating back to the Revolutionary era and before-link the living with the past in a visceral and engaging way that will leave readers with a renewed and lasting appreciation of their own environments. This book is a new edition to New York City of Trees.

Since Henry Hudson first sailed up the Hudson River in 1609, the valley he explored has exerted a hold on the imaginations of people around the world. Today this beautiful, historic valley is experiencing a cultural renaissance not seen since the founding of the Hudson River School of painting more than 150 years ago.In celebration of the 400th anniversary of Hudson s voyage, the Alliance for the Arts has produced a cultural guide to the Hudson Valley arranged by county, from Staten Island to Lake George. It includes more than 500 performing-arts centers, museums, historical homes, parks, nature sanctuaries, fairs, and festivals along the Hudson River. The guide celebrates not just the big museums and historic locations for which the valley has long been famous but also the little-known gardens, hidden masterpieces of municipal architecture, local theater companies, and small rustic lodges where local musicians play chamber music under the stars."

Route 22 is a 350-mile highway that connects Manhattan and Montreal. One day while driving on it, Benjamin Swett was struck by the contrast between the landscape he could see through his car window and the more romantic one he remembered from his childhood. Without any particular plan, he set out to discover how the upstate New York of James Fenimore Cooper and Thomas Cole became this other place a seemingly lost, untended region of Off-Track Betting Parlors and Tattoo Emporiums, abandoned diners, and ancient buildings crumbling into forgotten canals. The result of his exploration is this book an insightful and deeply personal meditation on this complicated and beautiful landscape, accompanied by ninety evocative photographs."