Some urban planners have argued that parking garages destroy the architectural assets of urban cores.

Parking lots and garages displace street-level shops, office space and cultural centers.

Those complaints may be true, but I have found unexpected visual joy in parking garages.

They offer an urban version of the hikes and sublime views that lead me to the Adirondack mountains.

I climb the stairwells to the top decks, often photographing multiple garages in one outing.

The roofs offer unusual views of nearby buildings and far-off valleys and hills.

The tops of garages are places of surprising beauty and calm.