explore-blog:

Striking panoramic aerial view of NYC’s grid by photographer Sergey Semenov, one of the winners of this year’s Epson International Photographic Pano Awards.

Complement with the story of how NYC got its famous grid.

Slowing Down The City That Never Sleeps

Photographer Matthew Pillsbury explores his surroundings with a large format 8 x 10 camera and spontaneously captures New York City life. - Check out Slate for more photos.

Photo by: Matthew Pillsbury/Courtesy Bonni Benrubi Gallery

Ed note: Are you a talented photographer? Submit your photo to our 11th Annual Photo Contest!

Photo of the Day: Memorial Day at Ground Zero.

Photo by: Carly Paterson (Gales Ferry, Connecticut); New York, New York

Evolution of the New York City Skyline

Spanning 137 years, this image shows how New York City expanded and evolved into what it is today.

Photo: tier1dc

Ed note: In 1950, one magazine depicted what an atomic bomb would do to New York City—in gruesome detail.

h/t Retronaut

The Underground Art of the New York City Subway

Explore the arts in the NYC subway system! If you want to learn more about it join Ruddy on his “Art Crawls” through the subway stations in September.

Video: Tim Sessler and Brandon Bloch

Ed note: A brief history of death by subway in New York City.

Photo of the Day: Photograph of my great-grandmother’s hands.

Photo by: Hannah Mishin (Brooklyn, New York); Moorseville, North Carolina.

Photo of the Day: The Statue of Liberty

Photograph by Nick Beckner (West Newton, Pennsylvania), New York City

Coming Soon: The New York City Math Museum

Mind-opening experiences are the whole point of Manhattan’s Museum of Mathematics, which has what many consider a tough mission: teaching kids that math is exciting.

Photo: Brad Trent

Ed note: Read more about New York’s newest museum at Smithsonian.com.

Thank You Mom

We went around New York City asking real people on the street to say thank you to their mothers.

Video: Michael Marantz

Ed note: After you have thanked your mom, give her one of these unorthodox foods for Mother’s Day.

theatlantic:

In Focus: Historic Photos From the NYC Municipal Archives

The New York City Municipal Archives just released a database of over 870,000 photos from its collection of more than 2.2 million images of New York throughout the 20th century. Their subjects include daily life, construction, crime, city business, aerial photographs, and more. Alan Taylor spent hours lost in these amazing photos, and gathered this group together to give you just a glimpse of what’s been made available from this remarkable collection.

See more. [Images: NYC Municipal Archives]

Everyone one of these — every single one — is fantastic.