Each letter of the alphabet corresponds with a famous NYC landmark:
A – Apple – I drew a lower-case a in the shape of an apple.
B – Broadway – Broadway actually has its own font, which made this letter easier.
C – Coney Island – This is the Funny Face man who once graced the entrance of Steeplechase Park on Coney Island. I especially
like the Funny Face man because he isn’t trademarked.
D – D Train – I couldn’t possibly have a NYC poster without at least one subway circle. The MTA gave me permission to use the D
train logo as well as the express trains (see X).
E – East River – I originally wanted the Empire State Building, but it was too expensive. East River works just as well. I drew a large
letter E floating in the river (as the cargo of a ship, not as a body).
F – Fashion – NYC is still considered a fashion capital. True to style, I drew the mannequins wearing black.
G –Grand Central Terminal – This may be my favorite letter. I drew a G as the face of the four-faced clock on top of the information
booth.
H – Hot Dog – I composed an H out of a hot dog and 2 condiment dispensers. This is my three year old daughter’s favorite letter.
I – “Imagine” Mosaic – The Imagine mosaic is a memorial to John Lennon, located in Strawberry Fields, Central Park, in front of the
Dakota.
J – Junior’s Cheesecake – Junior’s gave me permission to use their logo. Of course, I had to consume many, many samples of
their cheesecake to make sure I drew it just right.
K – NY Knicks – I could have used “knish,” but the Knicks are SO much cooler for the letter K. I obtained permission from the Knicks
and the NBA to draw this letter.
L – Statue of Liberty – Not only is this lady in the public domain, but when cropped just right she forms a perfect letter L.
Mets – I live in Queens, so I was thrilled to get the Mets. I got permission from the Mets and Major League Baseball to draw Mr. Met.
N – Natural History Museum – NYC has many wonderful museums. I especially love the dinosaurs.
O – Opera – I consulted my opera-singer friend for this drawing. Apparently the traditional opera-singer horns and braids come from
the Ring cycle of Richard Wagner.
P – Pretzel – I composed a P out of a half-eaten soft pretzel. My husband and I drove into Manhattan one Saturday to buy said pretzel
so I could draw it accurately. True story.
Q – Queens – This is the Unisphere, built for the 1964-1965 World’s Fair. (Well, it isn’t quite the Unisphere; I actually drew the world
inside a giant letter Q.)
R – Rockefeller Center – I drew Prometheus, one of the better known images of Rockefeller Center. I obtained permission from
Tishman-Speyer properties to include this image.
S – Staten Island Ferry – I didn’t realize until I drew it that the ferry is yellow, like a giant taxi cab.
T – Taxi – I drew a yellow and checkered letter T. The medallion number on top is my daughter Devon’s birthday (7D25 = Devon,
7/25).
U – United Nations – I composed a U out of various flags. The flags are Cameroon, Canada, Laos, Iceland, Jamaica, Ireland, and
Guyana. I chose the flags for purely aesthetic reasons.
V – Verrazano Narrows Bridge – The Verrazano is a beautiful bridge, and actually has an entire row of Vs built into the bridge’s
structure. I highlighted some of the Vs in orange to make them more prominent.
W – Washington Square Arch – I went to NYU, so I had to include the arch. In my drawing I replaced the statues of George
Washington with two large Ws.
X – Express Trains – I composed an X out of the express trains 2, 3, W, 4, and 5.
Y – York Avenue – I originally wanted the Yankees for Y, but they wouldn't let me use their logo. York Avenue works almost as well. I
drew a residential street with brownstones and such, marked by a typical NYC street sign.
Z – Zoo – My daughter Megan chose the animals for this drawing. I thought the giraffe was far more interesting without its head.
