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Your guide to guidebooks
Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New York by Luc Sante
To research this classic chronicle of the Lower East Side circa 1840–1920, Sante rummaged through original police, fire and social-service records, as well as old copies of the Police Gazette, the 19th-century “barbershop bible” on NYC crime. In the process, he uncovered a fascinating, noirish street culture dominated by gambling, prostitution, drugs and a general sleaze more titillating than the average Tarantino script. Low Life succeeds beyond its meticulous reporting; the writing is also first-rate.
Here Is New York by E.B. White
White’s 1949 essay, originally commissioned by Holiday Magazine, is a strikingly personal, intimate musing on a city that “…will bestow the gift of loneliness and the gift of privacy,” White memorably writes. A wonderfully relatable struggle between realism and nostalgia, Here Is New York was named one of ten best books ever written about the Big Apple by The New York Times. Who are we to disagree?
Nueva York: The Complete Guide to Latino Life in the Five Boroughs by Carolina Gonzalez and Seth Kugel
Nueva York organizes the city’s vibrant Latino culture into easy charts, bullet points, maps and chatty blurbs. Stocked with restaurant picks, profiles of casita garden communities, a walking-tour guide, handy phrase book and basic tango instructions, it’s the perfect manual for getting in on the city’s Latin love.
New York City Trees: A Field Guide for the Metropolitan Area by Edward Sibley Barnard
Barnard’s pocket-size primer is divided up into four sections: “The Best Places to See Trees,” with insider tips and detailed maps; “New York City's Great Trees,” a directory of the oldest, oddest and most beautiful trees; “The Tree Guide,” organized to help identify trees by leaf shape and size; and a bibliographic “Sources and Resources” section. Learn more about Gotham's natural treasures—and also whether that bush you just peed on was a rare sassafras thicket.
Subwayland: Adventures in the World Beneath New York by Randy Kennedy
With such chapter titles as “Citizens of the Subway,” “Underground Government” and “Wildlife,” Kennedy depicts the subway environment as though it were a mystical kingdom. His subterranean world is like New York’s own Narnia, complete with colorful characters, thriving culture and fascinating trivia. (A sample tidbit: "The E train is officially the most accommodating for a power nap.")
Gangs of New York by Herbert Asbury
Asbury opens this cult classic on a poverty-stricken, stormy public square enclosed by the historic five points—now the intersection of Baxter, Worth and Park Streets—where a community of sailors, oysterman, laborers and small-salaried clerks gathered for booze-filled nights of dancing and bull baiting. And this is before the bloody gang wars begin. A pulpy romp of yellow journalism, Gangs offers a guilty-pleasure cruise through New York's gritty past. More entertaining than the film by far.
AIA Guide to New York City by Norval White and Elliot Willensky
First published by the American Institute of Architects in 1967, this must-have reference of New York City buildings is arranged into a series of maps and brief entries organized by borough and neighborhood. Selected landmarks, which include everything from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Park Belvedere apartment complex, are called out in greater detail. Pick up the most recent edition, from 2000.
The Slow Food Guide to New York City by Patrick Martins and Ben Watson
Fast-food foe Slow Food USA has been preaching the benefits of sustainable food systems, the pleasures of a slow meal and the importance of authentic multicultural eating since its inception in 1986. Its New York guide features 600 restaurants, delis, bars, street carts, mini-marts and lounges that, in the group's estimation, best exemplify the international slow-food movement. Here, artisanship and dining experience triumph over price and brand-name chefs. Sorry, Mario.
New York: The Movie Lovers Guide by Richard Alleman
True, it’s no secret that Meg Ryan’s fake orgasm in When Harry Met Sally was shot at Katz’s Deli on Houston. But who knew that New Jersey was once a teeming hub of the emerging motion-picture industry? Broken down into short historical descriptions—which are followed by user-friendly walking tours—The Movie Lovers Guide is the perfect excuse to spend a Saturday like a complete tourist. Us Weekly addicts, take note: This book also gives addresses for fancy apartments of the stars, and even celeb-filled cemeteries.
Infamous Manhattan: A Colorful Walking Tour of New York's Most Notorious Crime Sites by Andrew Roth
According to Roth, when Gerrit Slomp was stabbed in a brawl outside a tavern near Broadway and Beaver Street on July 22, 1648, he became New York’s first murder victim. To relive more of Manhattan’s stickiest murders, mayhem and mob violence, Roth’s strolls are not only the most complete, they are thoroughly researched and richly described.
The Q Guide to Broadway: Stuff You Didn't Even Know You Wanted to Know…About the Hits, Flops, the Tonys and Life upon the Wicked Stage by Seth Rudetsky
Acclaimed blogger, comedian, writer, pianist and theater personality, Rudetsky has interviewed practically everyone who’s ever come near a Broadway stage on his talk show, Seth’s Chatterbox. In the The Q Guide, Rudetsky offers a witty inside peek into today’s New York theater scene, full of gossipy stories on the most interesting people and places, as well as basic guidelines for becoming a true Broadway fan.
Tea in the City by Elizabeth Knight and Bruce Richardson
Come out of the closet, tea lovers! The coffee-hungry Starbucks crowd won’t be bothering you at any of the cozy locales described in this niche-oriented volume. After a brief history lesson on tea in New York tea history, this petite manual profiles the city’s best teas—and tea spots—according to borough. The book will also fill you in on tea lingo and the multitude of varieties that can be sampled here (green, oolong and honeybush—oh my!).
Time Out New York / Issue 635 : Nov 29–Dec 5, 2007No comments yet
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