Historic Signs of New York

The tourist sees the Empire State Building or Rockefeller Center on a postcard and thinks they know Gotham. But you ask a native New Yorker and they will tell you that the real Gotham is found at their favorite corner, sidewalk, storefront, or weathered lettering from a business long gone — things, which gives our city its special feel, texture and meaning — that which distinguishes native from tourist. People such as Walter Grutchfield are part of a small fraternity of urban explorers who documented the New York that New Yorkers know and love. Registration is now closed.