Flooded Alley, India, 2007

Photograph by John Stanmeyer

A man sloshes through a Kolkata (Calcutta) alley full of water turned purple from dying clothes. Standing water like this gives malarial mosquitoes the perfect place to breed. Pushed out of northern temperate zones by DDT spraying and the draining of wetlands half a century ago, malaria remains entrenched in the humid tropics of Asia. Monsoon rains and poor drainage enable the disease to thrive in many Indian cities.

Photograph by Borchi Massimo

In a ritual that has taken place for centuries, an expectant assemblage awaits a dramatic entrance by performers under darkening skies in the Herodes Atticus Theater in Athens, Greece. This steep-sloped amphitheater was built around A.D. 160 by Greek philosopher and rhetorician Herodes Atticus as a tribute to his wife. The theater still hosts music, dance, and theatrical events today.

Photograph by Walker Brooks

Two carved wooden images, called ki'i , overlook Keone'ele Cove in Hawaii's Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park. These statues and dozens of others stand sentry over the Hale o Keawe temple, a sacred place where the bones of 23 Hawaiian chiefs once rested.

Aerial View, Lisbon, Portugal, 2002

Photograph by Tino Soriano

The church of Santo Estêvo, at right, watches over clusters of red-roofed homes along the Lisbon shore. Built by seafarers where the Tagus River empties into the Atlantic, Lisbon was once Europe's wealthiest capital and a center of world exploration. In 1775, a horrific earthquake in the Portuguese capital led to centuries of decline.

Photograph by Jodi Cobb

A street artist arranges a blanket of pennies on a Broadway sidewalk, an appropriate commentary for a street described by one talent agent as "propelled by one thing: money."Originally an Indian path, Broadway runs about 17 miles (26 kilometers), from the tip of Manhattan Island to the Bronx, intersecting some of New York City's most famed avenues.

Photograph by George Steinmetz/Corbis

A breathtaking view from the top of Golden Gate Bridge reveals the span far below where it enters Marin County.

Photograph by Catherine Karnow

Columbus Avenue in North Beach whirs with traffic as it descends to the Financial District’s Transamerica Pyramid.

Photograph by Catherine Karnow

Two men ride their bicycles down Lombard Street, said to be the city’s crookedest public thoroughfare.

Photograph by Catherine Karnow

Headed to Fisherman’s Wharf, a cable car travels through Russian Hill, a residential area with cafés and shops.

Photograph by Phil Schermeister/Corbis

A line of men carry a colorful dragon float during the famous Chinese New Year Parade through Chinatown.

Photograph by Darrell Gulin/Corbis

The Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, oldest of its kind in the U.S., immerses visitors in Zen tranquillity.

Classic San Francisco

Photograph by Charles O'Rear/Corbis

The fronts of Alamo Square Victorian homes provide a vivid contrast with downtown skyscrapers along the horizon.

Photograph by Catherine Karnow

“A grand, classical ruin” is what architect Bernard Maybeck called his 1915 creation, the Palace of Fine Arts.

Photograph by Lars Schneider/Aurora/Getty Images

A jogger runs along Pier 7 on the waterfront at sunrise, with the Oakland Bay Bridge in the background.

Photograph by Phil Schermeister/Getty

The clock tower of the Ferry Building stands above the marketplace housing the city’s famed farmers market.

Photograph by Patrick Bennett/Corbis

A daily sight, Los Angeles’car-jammed freeways have been a feature of movies and breaking news events.

Photograph by Ed Kashi / IPN /Aurora

At the Walk of Fame, on Hollywood Boulevard, Tinseltown celebrities from Gene Autry to Lassie are celebrated.

Photograph by Ed Kashi / IPN /Aurora

At Union Station, metro commuters have replaced the Hollywood stars who once arrived in the city by train.

Photograph by Todd Bigelow/Aurora

A long-time Los Angeles icon, the recently renovated Griffith Observatory has introduced millions to astronomy.

Photograph by Ed Kashi / IPN /Aurora

Most any time means a bustling dining scene at the BCD Tofu House, a popular Koreatown café open 24 hours.

Photograph by Christian Heeb/Aurora

A ’62 Cadillac ragtop is the perfect set of wheels from which to take in a movie at the Drive-In Theatre in West L.A.

Photograph by Ian Shive/Aurora

A year-round street fair, the town of Venice Beach boasts tranquil parks, artsy enclaves, and raucous beach bars.

Photograph by Ed Kashi / IPN /Aurora

Mass at the strikingly contemporary Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is a spiritual and artistic meditation.

Photograph by Ed Kashi / IPN /Aurora

Mexican culture, including these dancers from the Ballet Coco, is on display at a downtown fair on Olvera Street.

Photograph by Ian Shive/Aurora

A rain-slick boardwalk winds toward the bright lights of the Santa Monica Pier’s famous amusement park.