--- product_id: 1702890 title: "Underneath New York" price: "€ 48.59" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 5 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/1702890-underneath-new-york store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # Underneath New York **Price:** € 48.59 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Underneath New York - **How much does it cost?** € 48.59 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/1702890-underneath-new-york) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Everyone wonders what goes on down a manhole. This book explores the mysteries beneath New York City's streets, telling the story of hidden pipes and cables and how they are kept in order. It might be called a Sidewalk Superintendent's Guide, but it is much more than that. It is a vivid account of a city in action. The author received the generous cooperation of the engineering personnel of the public utilities and the municipal departments of the city. The text is enhanced by numerous photographs, maps, and diagrams. Harry Granick's Underneath New York was the first book to describe the anatomy of a modern city. Review: Background on the need for the underground infrastructure. - Excellent review of the New York City underground infrastructure. Worth reading! Review: Loved this book even if dated. - What has a six­lane highway all sealed up and never used? And bomb-proof tubes 80 stories into the ground? Why, New York, of course. In 1947, Harry Granick wrote a tribute to technology entitled Underneath New York, which is a truly fascinating account of how a modern city works. If you've ever seen David Maoaulay's book City, you have an appreciation of what lies underneath those streets. New York has as many layers underground as the Chrysler Building is high. Robert Sullivan has added a long introduction which adds numerous modern examples. Did you know that sewer pipes must all angle down; that subways go as deep as 18 stories below the surface; that huge water tunnels are buried 800 feet below the surface; that the density of wires and cables in some places is so thick that excavation must be done with spoons? Just Graniok's history of how New York has provided clean water to its citizens is worth the price of the book. In early American society, clean water was a precious commodity. Virginia once had a $30 tax on bathtubs to discourage bathing. In Boston a doctor's prescription was needed to take a bath, as clean water was so precious. Aaron Burr designed the first reservoir in New York. It was made out of hollowed-out tree trunks, some of which were still in place and functional in 1947. The Romans were not the only experts on aqueduots. Graníok tells us about the Aztecs, who had dug a tunnel 100 feet below the surface and 1/2 mile long to a source of spring water. The first subway was built in 1862-3 in London. It consisted of pneumatic tubes with little carts on narrow tracks which were blown down the tunnel by huge 21-foot diameter fans. In 1871, the editor of Scientific American built a similar pneumatic passenger subway under the most congested part of Manhattan. It consisted of one luxuriously appointed wagon and never caught on. The process of building and excavating for a subway line is described with unconcealed admiration. And the process is truly astonishing: natural gas, water, and electrical lines have to be relocated, sometimes above the street, until the tunnel is finished. Granick is obviously enamored of technology, and it's hard not to be cynically amused at his descriptions of roller-skate-equipped girls speeding arjound the Western Union offices delivering messages to the appropriate sending desk. His childish boosterism when he reports how little crime New York has because of the new technology of radio, telephone, and telegraph seems silly in light of New York's current problems. Still, it's a fascinating book. ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #4,065,870 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #384 in Mass Transit (Books) #412 in Waste Management #2,273 in Railroads (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.0 out of 5 stars 7 Reviews | ## Images ![Underneath New York - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61EYp8rOjlL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Background on the need for the underground infrastructure. *by T***N on February 4, 2021* Excellent review of the New York City underground infrastructure. Worth reading! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved this book even if dated. *by E***H on December 14, 2010* What has a six­lane highway all sealed up and never used? And bomb-proof tubes 80 stories into the ground? Why, New York, of course. In 1947, Harry Granick wrote a tribute to technology entitled Underneath New York, which is a truly fascinating account of how a modern city works. If you've ever seen David Maoaulay's book City, you have an appreciation of what lies underneath those streets. New York has as many layers underground as the Chrysler Building is high. Robert Sullivan has added a long introduction which adds numerous modern examples. Did you know that sewer pipes must all angle down; that subways go as deep as 18 stories below the surface; that huge water tunnels are buried 800 feet below the surface; that the density of wires and cables in some places is so thick that excavation must be done with spoons? Just Graniok's history of how New York has provided clean water to its citizens is worth the price of the book. In early American society, clean water was a precious commodity. Virginia once had a $30 tax on bathtubs to discourage bathing. In Boston a doctor's prescription was needed to take a bath, as clean water was so precious. Aaron Burr designed the first reservoir in New York. It was made out of hollowed-out tree trunks, some of which were still in place and functional in 1947. The Romans were not the only experts on aqueduots. Graníok tells us about the Aztecs, who had dug a tunnel 100 feet below the surface and 1/2 mile long to a source of spring water. The first subway was built in 1862-3 in London. It consisted of pneumatic tubes with little carts on narrow tracks which were blown down the tunnel by huge 21-foot diameter fans. In 1871, the editor of Scientific American built a similar pneumatic passenger subway under the most congested part of Manhattan. It consisted of one luxuriously appointed wagon and never caught on. The process of building and excavating for a subway line is described with unconcealed admiration. And the process is truly astonishing: natural gas, water, and electrical lines have to be relocated, sometimes above the street, until the tunnel is finished. Granick is obviously enamored of technology, and it's hard not to be cynically amused at his descriptions of roller-skate-equipped girls speeding arjound the Western Union offices delivering messages to the appropriate sending desk. His childish boosterism when he reports how little crime New York has because of the new technology of radio, telephone, and telegraph seems silly in light of New York's current problems. Still, it's a fascinating book. ### ⭐⭐ Hopelessly out of date *by T***H on January 10, 2010* I realize the book was originally written in 1947, but this edition was published in 1991. The information was not updates. For instance the author talks about how your phone might be MUrray Hill 3-1597. That aside, the pictures are great, but not labeled or dated. And it certainly does have a lot information packed into. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/1702890-underneath-new-york](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/1702890-underneath-new-york) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-06-10*