5 comments about Speedology: Speed on New York on Speed.

1. I have had the pleasure of crusing with Speed in New York last year and I bought my copy from him. (Sorry AMAZON) He is an artist. Of what, I don't really know, but that's the beauty of Speed. Time with him on our cruise is genuine, funny, endearing, educational and most of all precious. His book Speedology, is not just a tour guide, it is this psychatrist/poet's interpretaion of New York and it's many layers itself.
   A note to Speed: Coming out this summer. Hope to catch up with you again.

   Cavaliere




2. Speedology: Speed on New York on Speed is really superb. the title suggests where the book goes: Speed tours you through a few of his guided tours of NYC while imparting life lessons, yoga lessons, and smiles. It's a fast read, like on speed, but there's no actual speed. Speed is just the author's moniker. Speed speeds you through NYC giving you a little bit of history, mystery, and nowstory. If you've never let Speed sleep on your couch, you really should! Ask Speed about his Shakesphere evenings too. -I am curious why copies of this book, which were 16 bucks new, are listing on some websites, unsigned by the author, not first edition, and they're listing for 700 bucks? what's up with that. Who's gettin rich THERE?



3. Timothy "Speed" Levitch is a creative maelstrom. After reading Speedology, I have never felt so utterly alive and ready to overcome fear in my life. It has made me hunger to visit New York to see the world through the literary eyes I have been given as well as a need to think, feel and express more than I previously have. The poetics and spiritual reflection are superb to the point that even an atheist or skeptic can find utter beauty in them...the question of god is irrelevant, as the book is about Cruising with one's self. The oxymoronic idea of "spiritual non-belief" kept floating through my mind as I read and yet it made total sense.
   
   This is a book that is difficult to categorize. It wants to be a New York guide book, but also speaks a great deal about Western and Eastern Philosophy, performance art, tantra and much more. It is perhaps best to consider this the colors of life using New York City as its canvas. Breaking down the ideas that are taken for granted today (money, sex and sexuality, freedom, fear, materialism, etc.), Speed shows us just how connected we can be through discovering, loving and then shattering our own alienation. I can only hope to be a fraction of the creative creature that Speed Levitch is, after all, we are all members of the exuberant party, the Cruise that is the world.
   
   It is a sorry state of things that this book is priced the way it is from second hand dealers. The publisher, Context books, is indeed out of business, but $60 dollars is a ridiculous crime. Look for your profit in $25 at best. It should be enjoyed by those who want to read it, not just by those who can afford it. I found my copy at Strand Books out of New York, the only company that had a copy priced as a book and not as an antique.



4. WOW, if you've ever been to NYC.... this embodies it all. If you've NEVER been to NYC... you'll have to go after reading this book! Get one while you can, if "they" all find out about it... it'll not be available soon.



5. I have waited 18 months to get a copy of this book and I am delighted to have finally obtained one. Aa a travel agent, I brought out a group to New York CHristmas shopping and arranged for a guide and a coach to take us round the city.The group was from Leeds, England and the majority were from Yorkshire Television PLC How lucky we were to have Tim Levitch. This was 1995.I have spent my life in travel but have never experienced such an interesting, caring and totally dedicated guide. His wit, depth of feeling, knowledge and clear love of the city shone throughout. His comments were thought provoking and deep - this outstanding ability shines through in his book. To really appreciate the book and the mind behind it it is preferable to have met him - however the book is an excellent buy as it stands. Well done Timothy - we all loved you and your book is just icing on the cake
   
   CHristine Hill

1 comments about Insight Pocket Map New York: Pop Up Map, Top Sights, Bars & Restaurants, Shopping (Insight Pocket Map).

1. Looking for a map of New York for an upcoming trip I purchased this one. Only after I received it did I find that it is too small to read. Other than a novelty item it is totally useless and I had to buy a second map.

1 comments about We're There! New York City.

1. I have yet to see my kids be so happy and content traveling.
   They had so much to do and were so engaged in what we were looking at. Buy one for each of your kids and let them see who can find what they need first.
   Traveling with my kids would not be the same without this book.
   Thanks to Elizabeth Skinner Grumbach for making my travels and my childrens travels easier and more fun.

5 comments about Pauline Frommer's New York City (Pauline Frommer Guides).

1. What a great travel guide this is! I recommend it to everyone who is going to New York, or even thinking about it! After reading this you will be ready to go, and be sure to take the book with you. You will need it as a valuable resource. Once I started reading it, I could not put it down.
   Pauline breaks the city down into manageable areas and explores each one in depth. I now feel familiarized with New York like never before, and I have visited there 6 or 7 times in the past. I especially enjoyed the chapter on 'Remarkable Sights and Attractions'; including a section on New York's 12 Iconic sights. Some very interesting history along with tips for visiting each sight. The chapter on 'The Other New York' has both delightful and unique ideas to satisfy everyone's curiosity. The walking tours chapter shows a fascinating way to explore the city.
   The book is well-written and includes every aspect of touring New York, from eating to shopping to sightseeing to anything else; and Pauline's love of this city is evident and infectious.
   While other guidebooks can be vague and confusing (as well as cater to those with big budgets,) Pauline Frommer's New York guide is clear, concise, budget-minded, and fun to read. It shows that you really can visit New York on almost any budget and have a great time experiencing it all. This guide will be the first thing in my suitcase when I pack for our trip to NYC next month! Thanks Pauline Frommer, and I look forward to reading your other guides.



2. Having grown up in Manhattan but not lived there in 20 years, I was thrilled to find a NYC guidebook that not only provides excellent suggestions for enjoying NY to its utmost, but also gives really interesting historical/landmark information. It's well-written and engaging and a must-have for people who live in or out of the Big Apple. Kudos to Pauline Frommer!



3. I purchased three guide books in anticipation of a recent trip to NYC. After reviewing all three, I sent the other two back. This was the only guide book that I needed for a great visit to the city. The restaurant ratings were great, detailing reasonably priced restaurants that the locals frequent. The lodging B&B information was great too although I had already made my reservations before buying the book (the hotel I had picked turned out to be favorably reviewed in the book). The sightseeing and shopping sections and the getting around the city sections were right on and, besides saving us time and money, steered us to the best things to see and do for a limited stay. It is nice to have a guide book written by a local resident who really knows her way around the city!



4. I have been to NYC twice and picked up this guidebook in anticipation of my third trip to New York. I have not actually brought this book with me to NYC yet, but as far as I'm concerned, it's the best one out there. It has tons of ideas on how to visit the best places for the least amount of money. I probably saved a couple hundred just on tickets to shows and museums alone by using the tips in her book. I can't imagine traveling anywhere else without the help of Pauline. It truly is an amazing book. I particularly love the Accomodations section and The Essentials of Planning section. The only other book I would get to take on your trip is a good old trusty map. I personally recommend the Knopf Mapguides. With these two in tow, you're ready to hit the city and "Spend less, see more."



5. One of the best guides on New York city. It does not list places like a typical travel guide! It gives you a good local's low-down on this city that can intimidate an outsider!

5 comments about Hikes in the Mid-Atlantic States: Maryland Pennsylvania New Jersey New York (Exploring the Appalachian Trail).

1. There are many books about the AT, but this one is superb for it's detail and attention to partial sections for hiking. Can be used for thru hiking as well. Gives day and overnight parking details, profile of terrain, degree of difficulty, recommended direction, water and shelter locations, topo maps, mileage etc. Everything that a hiker needs!! Excellent.



2. It is clear that these authors were not kidding when they stated that they have a love affair with the Appalachian Trail. The descriptions not only cover all you need to know to be prepared to hike a certain section, but there's lots of history and local color as well.

   I've used this book successfully to plan hikes for a youth group. I must admit I disregarded the advice that a certain section (Knife's Edge) was not for those suffering from vertigo and sure enough, the group of kids I took on this section included one who suffered severely from fear of heights. But the kids worked together to get through that section and all was very well in the end.

   This book is by no means dry. Sprinkled here and there are humorous passages, like the classification of vampire rocks versus jumping rocks. A pollution-damaged section is described as "shaved clean."

   An experienced hiker who has decided to hike section-hike or day-hike the trail between Harper's Ferry and the New York / Connecticut state line needs no other guide. I also recommend this book for the library of every youth group, particularly scouts, in this geographic area that would (or should) plan hiking outings as part of their yearly plans.




3. PLEASE NOTE: THERE are NOT 170 hikes in the book. The whole series must contain that many.
   
   I own 3 books in this series. The Southern Appalachian, the Virginias, and the Mid-Atlantic States guide. I have found these books to be a great aid in planning hikes, especially 2-3 day backpacking trips. Since most of these hikes are either one-way or round trip (as opposed to circuit hikes) you either need to have two cars or plan on seeing the same sites twice. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but other books have better circuit hikes.
   
   This series IS very informative, not only with regards to the actually hike, but also the history both natural and otherwise of the area you are hiking in.
   
   I have only done a few of the hikes in the Mid-Atlantic Guide, all of which have been out and back day hikes, and this book has been very informative during these hikes. The maps could be a little better, as they are topographocal maps with a green line for the trail.. They are adequate, but I've seen better.
   
   All 41 hikes come with a description, a map, an elevation profile, and an itinerary, as well as various other information.
   
   When planning for a hike I do tend to use this book in conjunction with other books, but I usually take this book (or copies of the pages) on the actual hike itself. The fact that the pages are so small allows for easier handling and storage of the laminated pages during the trip.
   
   So if you enjoy hiking and are near the AT while in PA, you may want to take a look at this book. It is well worth the money.



4. I have 2 books in this series, and have frequently used photocopied pages from them on my AT section hikes. I never needed to buy the AMC versions of the maps since comprehensive maps are provided within this book, along with mileage charts for road crossings, springs, campsites, landmarks, etc. for every section of the Trail.
   
   Although this book is obviously geared for the day-hiker or overnighter, it has also come in handy on my longer hikes. And the writers have narrowed down every section into either 1- or 2-day hikes, along with directions to the trailheads (even in the remote 100-Mile Wilderness section in Maine!), proving that the AT can be enjoyed by casual hikers as well as hardcore mile-crunchers.
   
   Cons: This book, and the others in the series, is seriously due for an updated edition. Lots has changed along the trail even in 8 years. (carrying up-to-date pages from the ALDHA Thru-Hikers' Companion is necessary to have the full info). Also, the maps are two-color, making certain features hard to read, i.e. roads are the same color as elevation markings.



5. This was a good buy has excellent material for hiking any of the areas along the AT. in Mid Atlantic.

5 comments about Jay Maisel's New York.

1. Jay Maisel's New York is the single richest and most alluring photo book about my city that I have seen. It is especially satisfying because my New York is captured and served up by a true photographic genius.

   Going through the pages, I find myself gasping and smiling all at once.

   Jay has that rare ability to hit your eyes with a one-two punch. First, he serves up a moment or fleeting gesture and frames it with a simple stunning composition made with colors.

   He is able, page after page, to make a reader's stomach flutter in recognition of moments of light that most of us only "thought" we saw.

   He's a master in the profession.

   Gary Gladstone




2. New York history and culture has been covered so often before, who can offer a different perspective on the city? Photographer Maisel does, in Jay Maisel's New Yorkm a title which captures both unique urban sights and ordinary days in New York activity, from immigrants on a rooftop to Gay Pride Day celebrations. Full-page color photos are vivid and striking whether they be of oddly-brilliant building paint jobs or individuals.



3. Jay Maisel is probably the greatest photographer of New York City. He is not only an accomplished photographer, he is a real New Yorker who "feels" and "lives" the City. I enjoy his capturing ordinary and spontaneous moments of New Yorkers and his playing with contrast of colors. My only regret is that there is unfortunately no technical information about each photograph (equipment used...) A great book by a great photographer.



4. I love Jay's style, and have been a fan for years, which is strange because he was primarily an advertising photographer. Most advertising photogs are strictly in it for the money, and their work shows it. Jay though, always seemed to put his heart into even his $100,000 Amex campaigns. I remember reading that he would tell clients if an assignment wasn't going well, something along the lines of, "Let's make it something that I would do for free anyway, even though you're paying me, that way I'm happy, and you're happy." Strange then, that I find that stuff much better than the stuff in this book. There are still gorgeous pictures, but if you want to see some amazing stuff, try to find an old copy of Communication Arts from the eighties, the Photography Annuals, to be precise. Maybe 1985, 1986, etc. AMAZING stuff. You will understand why other photographers freaking WORSHIP the man. I was slightly disappointed when I first received this book. It doesn't grab me, and some of the transparencies seem to be in bad shape. Oh well, hopefully his website will be up again soon.



5. Jay's work is legendary and this book shows us why. The graphic, the color, the gesture....all there. But what is so special about the book is his ability to communicate his love for New York, terrible warts and all. It should be in any serious photographer's library.

No comments about Time Out New York Eating and Drinking 2008: The Essential Guide to the City's Best Restaurants and Bars (Time Out Guides).

3 comments about Hidden New York: A Guide to Places That Matter.

1. There are many, many NYC guide books but this one is unique in celebrating the places that matter to ordinary New Yorkers. I am sure there are hidden treasures and heroes that sadly have gone uncelebrated in every community. The book is well written, organized and graphically appealing. The research is compiled from information gathered from oral histories with real New Yorkers whose hidden achievements would otherwise go unrecognized.



2. Every week, it seems, someone writes from the country beyond the Hudson River to announce a visit to New York.
   
   "What shall I do?" you ask. "What should I see?"
   
   It's a funny request: Because I live uptown, in a lovely, quiet neighborhood that you probably wouldn't want to visit and I never want to leave, I rarely go to what you may think of as "New York."
   
   Still, I muster a list. Soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai. Cafe con leche and flan at La Taza de Oro. Avoid everything in Little Italy. Ditto Times Square. Ditto just about any play/musical on Broadway. Seek out downtown music clubs. Stroll the newly hip Lower East Side. Have a brisket or pastrami sandwich, washed down by Dr. Brown's Cream Soda, at Katz's Deli. Don't overlook the Frick Museum. Like that.
   
   My list has a bias. I can do without anything big, corporate or hyped --- as a general rule, if you've heard of it, I probably don't like it. My preference is for the small, authentic, ethnic. The New York that was. The New York that's threatened daily by the incessant march of gentrification.
   
   Someday --- maybe someday soon --- the New York I cherish will be gone. Manhattan will become Manhattanland, a destination for foreign tourists who are drawn by American media and, even more, the puny American dollar. The residents will be hedge fund titans and media moguls and the upper echelons of those who serve them. The new, the interesting, the ethnic --- you'll find them in the Outer Boroughs and in New Jersey.
   
   But let's not look too far into the crystal ball. There's good news. Marci Reaven and Steve Zeitlin --- who direct a fine site called City Lore --- have pulled together a thick (360 page) paperback of the city's overlooked gems. And more: Their team of writers dug in and did actual reporting, so we not only get directions to some hidden pockets of interest, we get the back story.
   
   They get all the low-hanging fruit: the arches of Grand Central Station just outside the Oyster Bar where a whisper can richochet to a distant pillar, the "Imagine" memorial to John Lennon in Central Park, the pickup basketball game at 6th Avenue and West 3rd Street, Arthur Avenue.
   
   But they also lead you to places I've never heard about, and I've lived here since...oh....I vaguely recall Abe Lincoln's speech at Cooper Union. Like the Hua Mei Bird Garden, in Chinatown, where Chinese men spend their mornings tending rare singing birds. To the casual bystander, it's just guys standing around. Read the history of this garden and the Hua Mei birds before you head downtown, and you'll go home with an experience a lot more interesting to hear about than the latest revival of a grizzled musical.
   
   Many of the selections involve field trips to the Outer Boroughs. And I know, it's not likely that you'll want to hike out to Queens to be served by Pete Benefaremo, "the lemon ice king of Corona." But there are more than enough hidden treasures to keep you hopping around Manhattan. And won't you feel special when you tell your pals, "Meet me at the Cube."
   
   What cube? Why, the one right near the lamppost that Jim Power is decorating with tile. You don't know about "the mosaic trail"? Gee, where you been --- Times Square?



3. This is a great book that shows how to get to the places I would like to visit on my vacation. It shows the subway stops and why the places are interesting. Great book

5 comments about Invisible Frontier: Exploring the Tunnels, Ruins, and Rooftops of Hidden New York.

1. This book was a tremendous disappointment. Many of the "missions" are laughably boring and/or carried out in a stunningly inept fashion, much of the writing is markedly narcissistic in its tone and yet inconsistent in content, and perhaps most disappointing the descriptions of the places where the authors go are remarkably poor.
   
   First, the missions. The mission to the UN mostly involves trying to get inside by asking for an interview. Wow, it's like working for my high school newspaper all over again. Once they're shot down, one member of the team briefly sprints past a barrier and `explores' a plaza outside the building for less than a minute (the main point of which is to hold up the Jinx flag while his friends take his picture). Another involves staying on the subway even after the conductor announces passengers should get off! - oh the bravery and cunning!. This is made all the more ridiculous when two non-English speaking tourists inadvertently do the same thing and when the authors do not even get off the train once it's stopped at the abandoned subway station they had planned to explore. Later, they go into an abandoned house, where they discover that a lot of other people have also done this over the years.
   
   Second, the writing. Much of the text focuses on how cool they look in their "uniforms" (dark suits and sunglasses), how cool they look walking to their missions, how cool they look on their missions, how cool it is when they all get together and how everybody else in New York are mindless zombies who don't appreciate what is around them because they are trapped in their sad, meaningless lives. The whole uniform thing is particularly stupid. There's one throw-away sentence explaining that they wear these uniforms because otherwise "scientists" and "philosophers" will not take their "empirical data" seriously, but you simply can't shake the feeling that they just want to look like they're either in "Reservoir Dogs" or "The Matrix" (particularly when the ridiculous `uniforms' keep attracting attention when they're trying to sneak into some place.) Throughout the book the authors bounce between stressing that they explore places for the scientific, empirical value of doing so and that it is not at all for a sense of adventure, only then to talk later about how much fun the adventure of it all is (including one author's admission that he believes the other has a death wish and that is why he engages in so many dangerous activities while exploring). In addition, much space is taken up with various diatribes on the evils of modern life (including a particularly passionate rant against the United Nations that comes totally out of nowhere), and all the horrible twenty-somethings of the world who spend their lives drinking iced coffees (which is a particularly hollow complaint when - a few pages later - the Jinx crew sits down to iced coffees after having screwed up the UN mission). You almost get the sense that after trying in vain to improve the writing, the publishers finally decided to spin the writing as "witty" and hope that people fell for it.
   
   Finally, the descriptions are no better than what you'd get if you wrote down what you think the locations look like without ever actually going. The Croton Aqueduct is dark and slippery. An abandoned subway station is eerie. When you're on top of the George Washington Bridge, the Hudson River looks a long way away. And that's about as good as the descriptions get.
   
   Don't waste your time or your money.



2. If the writing and adventures could match the inflated perceptions that the authors have of themselves, this would be a great read. Unfortunately, the writing is downright pedestrian and the urban adventures are either lackluster and/or poorly described. Also, the flow of each chapter is interrupted with uninteresting asides and juvenile commentaries on a scattershot laundry list of topics.
   
   A typical example of this is the uninspiring breakin of an abandoned Harlem row house. The author starts off with a truncated textbook-like history of Harlem that lasts a few paragraphs. Once that boring bit of exposition is done with the writer and his friends drive around a little bit and then enter an abandoned building. They look around a little bit (not exactly thrilling) and then attempt to leave via the fire escape. Here, we are presented with a another aside about the author's 'love' of fire escapes.. "What, in fire escapes, do I admire?... their constancy... firm as Gibraltar... like Ulysses to his barque.. supporting, as Atlas, the gravid snows of winter". Ugh, at times like this you wish the author would have consulted with an editor.
   
   Not everything is terrible. Things pick up here and there, there are a few interesting tid-bits of history, but overall the book does not live up to it's potential.



3. As someone very interested in urban exploration (especially in the subways) I wanted to check this book out upon hearing of it. After reading many of these Amazon reviews though, I opted out of a purchase, and took it out of my Bronx library instead. Thank goodness as I only wasted valuable time, and not any money.
   
   This book is a sham. It is obviously mostly fiction. And it's boring fiction at that. The book is divided into chapters, each chapter a new "adventure."
   
   I read the subway one first, where the "explorers" take the 6 train around the loop at the end of the line, to see the City Hall Station, which opened in 1904 (NYC's first station) and closed in 1948. The station is located on the loop of the 6 train, that makes the southbound trains go back up north after the last stop, Brooklyn Bridge. First of all, anyone can go on this "adventure." Just stay on the train at the last stop, Brooklyn Bridge, and that's it. You go south, circle around the loop through the City Hall station, and head uptown. Despite the author's attempt to make this sound risky, no conductors walk through the train to see if anyone is on (like they really care), just sit down. As a matter of fact, the train conductor actually says the next stop is Brooklyn Bridge, uptown! The author created some "European tourists" that inadvertantly stayed on the 6 after the last stop, and the author even tries to create some mystery by saying "are we on the wrong train?" Well, unless all those huge "6" signs that are lit all over the train are difficult to read, then you probably got on the correct train. The author also fails to mention that the MTA used to give public tours all the time through this station (and others like the 18th street on the 6 and more) but stopped after 9-11. This chapter was a joke. (UPDATE: The MTA now gives tours through the original City Hall station again.)
   
   I started reading the other chapters, and saw they were no better. I then started to breeze through the book. One thing that is very obvious - no photographs of the adventures are in the book at all. This, despite the fact that on page 67 the author states, "Josh takes out his camera and snaps away at every pipe and puddle..." But no photos of their "adventures" are in the book. Why? Because it's fiction.
   
   There are photos of what they are supposed to be exploring, sure, that's easy. There's even one pic of one of these clowns hopping some fence somewhere, ooo. Buit no pics of the actual "adventures." I guess "Josh" lost all those pictures when he went to CVS to have them developed.
   
   The funny thing is, you can save yourself a lot of time by just going online and viewing pictures of these things for yourself. Especially the City Hall station, there are tons of pictures of it available from the people that were in there during the tours.
   
   Just stay away from this sham of a book, it's really a huge waste of time.



4. Invisible Frontier: Exploring the Tunnels, Ruins, and Rooftops of Hidden New York
   
   this book was a tremendous dissapointment.. it couldnt even hold my attention while i try to skim through it on the john.. lol.. but seriously, its has absolutely no interesting information about the hidden aspects of NYC. it just describes how this "team" walks around breaking into stuff in the city (and lists every individual person involved in each activity at least once a paragraph, so lame) let me give you an example. "johnny b was the first one walking in the pack on the island, then comes randy jo behind wearing all black.. right behind him is betty sue"... AND THIS IS EVERY CHAPTER AND ALMOST EVERY PARAGRAPH..it gives no background infomation on the places the visited, there is no secret information in it, it decribes the george washington bridge, grand central and some other lame sites that anyone who can search google could get 100000x more info then what this book provides. What a great idea for a book but it was so poorly executed that it made me mad enough to log onto amazon just to write a bad review.. dont waste your money



5. WARNING - no matter what this book says, it is NOT a guidebook. it is a very boring mission book written by some guys that i really feel sorry for (nerdy, misunderstood, few friends - this was gleaned from their own words, not mine). it is a book about their (mis)adventures. or really, their (boring)ventures. it never should have been written. at best, it could have been a blog - that nobody would have read except for their mothers. whoever gave this book 5stars must have written it.
   
   on the plus side - they do give some interesting bits about the history of a few places. this was the ONLY redeeming feature of this book. otherwise, it was a COMPLETE waste of TIME and MONEY. in retrospect, i wish i had read the reviews before buying. if you are considering it, the only saving grace is the little bits of history the history they give. but it is nowhere near enough to redeem the book. its only the badly written stories of a few lonely kids that wanted to make themselves look cool - and terribly failed. i promise you will be disappointed.

2 comments about The George Washington Bridge: Poetry in Steel.

1. I love everything about this book. From its light weight, beautiful insert photos, and accurate yet engaging historical prose, I couldn't put it down. For anyone who lives in the tri-state area, or just loves New York, this is a wonderful read. I bought three copies for friends who love history books.



2. Michael Rockland's book "The George Washington Bridge: Poetry In Steel"
   Is both brilliant and funny--a rare combination. The book is as much
   about Rockland's love affair with, and experiences on, the bridge as
   about the bridge itself. After so many books on the less consequential
   Brooklyn Bridge, it's about time the George, the world's busiest bridge still after 75 years, got its due. The highlight of the book is Rockland's adventures on the bridge, including climbing to the top of one of the towers. I've read many of Rockland's books. This one, beautifully illustrated, is his best. A must read.