Ellis attraverso i suoi scatti ha raccontato la NY nascosta, quella che non pensavamo esistesse ancora, scampata dalla feroce edilizia americana.
"Step inside the New York you never knew, through crumbling institutions, defunct military posts, abandoned factories, railroads, schools, and waterways. Uncover the forgotten history of New York's most incredible abandoned spaces, and witness a seldom seen and rapidly disappearing urban landscape. Explore the ruins of the Harlem Renaissance, sift through the artifacts of massive squatter colonies, and find out how the past is literally washing up on the shores of a Brooklyn beach called Dead Horse Bay. This book is for anyone who's ever wondered what's behind the "No Trespassing" sign."