prettymaps (nyc) by Aaron Straup Cope

Good morning collector friends, it's Sara. prettymaps (nyc) is finally here! We toured around the West Coast before arriving home sweet home with today's third edition by Aaron Straup Cope from Stamen Design.

Succeeded by the dizzying brilliance of prettymaps (sfba) and prettymaps (la), the prettymap of the city nearest and dearest to us (though SF is a close second!) does not disappoint. Manhattan appears, as I think Aaron was aiming for, to shimmer between the Hudson and East Rivers, nestled next to Long Island, its bounds most visible from great heights. Flying above and wandering among the streets below provide two disparate views of the city and somehow this map, cleverly, manages to capture both.

There aren't many things that compare with circling the five boroughs in a plane at dusk. Golden light arrows across landmarks as skyscrapers illuminate and pierce the horizon. As you near the ground the stillness breaks--tiny trucks, cars and boats motor about like ants and tadpoles--evidence of the nine million plus people that populate the city.

All these inhabitants make NYC so great--friends and most-often friendly strangers--and the encounters with all sorts--secret societies, scoundrels and smiling subway riders. Our trodden paths, where we go everyday, and where we've traveled to take pictures--commemorating occasions and documenting our small space in a vast polis--are highlighted in prettymaps (nyc), glowing in memory as much as in archival inks on smooth paper. All this information was culled and organized with the help of the good people at OSM. So good are the efforts of these folks that Aaron and Stamen are offering up their share of proceeds from all three of the prettymaps editions to the humanitarian arm of OSM. The good deeds of good people abound!

The West Coast certainly has no lock on good, whether in people or in deed. We were happy to see many of you good people at the Affordable Art Fair last weekend. We can't wait to see the good things you do with the great art you acquired from us, so do send pics once you've decked your walls. We'd love to see your prints in-situ. We're also cooking up a good-deed edition with one of NYC's more prominent denizens. More on that next week, but I have a feeling that Jen might drop a hint or two when she's back tomorrow with a new print from a 20x200 photographer much beloved--till then!