3 comments about Lost New York in Old Postcards.

1. Kennedy's collection brings to life the old New York I never knew, but now wish I had... The graphics are fabulous, and, together with the well-executed captions, provide insight into what this magnificent city was like in its hey-day. Well worth the price! The book is as colorful as the city it paints -- and Kennedy's love for New York shines through on every page.



2. Kennedy's book has brought to life the New York that I've only heard about. Lost New York in Postcards sparked memories from everyone in my family and made Christmas 2001 a very special day. The brilliance of the illustrations and the charm of the narrative make this a book worth owning.



3. The book brought back memories of good times.
   Nice to see some things that are no longer around,
   especially when the things put up after were not as grand.
   Sorry I didn't save my old postcards.

5 comments about Nosh New York: The Food Lover's Guide to New York City's Most Delicious Neighborhoods.

1. It was so nice to see neighborhoods in the outer boroughs covered here--they are so often overlooked. Ms. Alperson's passion for the food and culture of New York comes through on every page. Well done!



2. Here is a book that helps you to enjoy the wonders to be found in all those little amazing neighborhoods in the 5 boroughs of New York City. This marvelous book overflows with both eating and touring adventures. Each page brings a new surprise, a hidden market here, a De La Vega mural (a variation of Picasso's Guernica) as well, a garden there, Her tours bring you tastes you couldn't imagine...the Nosh adventures go way beyond the food. Another added surprise are the recipes sprinkled throughout the book. This book gives a range of shopping tips as well. Ms. Alperson provides excellent maps as well as detailed travel instructions so that you can find your way around the and exciting areas and experience your very own nosh walks. It's like touring the world and never leaving New York. Ms. Alperson is at the cutting edge of culinary discoveries...check it out!



3. I actually did not read this book but did take an actual tour of Sunset Park, Brooklyn with Ms. Alperson (I rate the tour 4 stars). Ms. Alperson has a sense of humor and is passionate about food, as are those who take the tour. The whole point of the book is to get you into these neighborhoods to sample the foods. So if you aren't a book lover, go to Ms. Alperson's website (www.noshwalks.com) and sign up for a culinary tour. It's a great way to meet people, get to know a different NYC neighborhood, and try stuff you never would have otherwise. I have recommended the tour to friends who have really enjoyed it.



4. The first trip I took using this book was to Brighton Beach Avenue and the address of the first establishment I looked for, Goldfield Bakery, is given as 358 Brighton Beach Avenue. However, there is neither a bakery nor store at that address since the street numbering for the 300 block ends below 350 and the street numbering for the next block starts at 400. Not very auspicious.



5. If you are interested in exploring New York's vibrant, delicious underbelly, and are willing to venture deep into the boroughs to experience the many cultures of this great city, this book is a good place to start.
   
   I thank the author for getting me into neighborhoods that I might not have otherwise ventured into. I have used it to explore about a dozen locations in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. You are pretty much guaranteed an interesting afternoon if you follow one of these walks, in spite of the book's many weaknesses.
   
   The organization of information around neighborhoods is a good starting point, but beyond that the infomation is not presented in a way that is easy to follow on your feet. Yes there are maps, but the maps do not delineate the routes of the walks nor do they show any of the places mentioned in the text. The text gives addresses of restaurant and shops but rarely gives cross-streets. A little more information on the maps that visually shows the route of the walks and location of the points of interests would have made a huge difference here.
   
   The book is bulky and just not well designed for walking tours. It is very difficult to find your way walking while trying to keep your place in a page of text. And besides the weaknesses in design, many of the points of interest are inaccurate or outdated. It just seems like the book was put together very quickly and cheaply. It is obvious that some neighborhoods were not researched very extensively when the author mentions that a restaurant looked interesting but she did not try it on her [single] trip to the neighborhood.
   
   Overall, I do recommend this book simply because I know of no other guide like it for NYC. But use it just to put yourself in the right neighborhood, don't waste too much time searching for specific places listed here. I use this book as a starting point and supplement it with more current and intensive infomation from chowhound.com.

No comments about An Artist's Guide -- Making It in New York City: Making It in New York City.

No comments about Rand McNally NYC 5-Borough, New York: Manhattan/Bronx/brooklyn/queens/staten Island New York.

1 comments about Not for Tourists 2009 Guide to Queens (Not for Tourists Guidebook).

1. I'm really disappointed with the new Queens version. Did anyone do any research on Jamaica/Forest Hills before the new version came out? There are listings for places that have been closed for over a year and numerous things that are included in other areas (e.g., Trader Joe's Union Square location is listed in the NYC book but the Queens location isn't mentioned) that aren't mentioned here.
   
   What is most surprising is the inclusion of Whitestone as one of their neighborhoods but there is nothing for Kew Gardens. KG has some amazing shops and restaurants there as well as an independent movie theater, none of these places made it into the book because they omitted KG.
   
   I understand that "Queens will never be cool" - but if the publishers of NFT want people to buy a new book every year they should at least make sure that it's thoroughly researched.

No comments about A Year in New York.

2 comments about New York: Capital of Photography.

1. New York: Capital of Photography is one of those rare books that takes on a difficult subject and carries it off so well that more is achieved than any reader could normally expect.

   The subject is New York City in the 20th century. How did the most prominent and highly respected photographers look at and capture the Big Apple? That's the subject here. The only photographers that you might have expected to be in the book that aren't are Diane Arbus, Roy DeCarava and Robert Frank -- due to disputes with Ms. Arbus's daughter and the latter two photographers. So it?s quite complete.

   I am a photography fan, and was familiar with most of the photographers covered in the book. But I found the book built on my previous understanding of their work by exposing me to works that I had not seen before and by carefully explaining those works. Some may be disappointed that many iconographic works are not included here . . . but many of those are referenced in Max Kozloff's essay. So you'll see them indirectly in your mind.

   The plates capture many different focuses for photography, different styles, varieties of techniques and equipment, and different philosophies about the purpose of photography. As such, they present a catalog of the whole field of photography in the last century. That catalog is more valuable because it concentrates on one subject . . . in many different dimensions.

   Frankly, how do you capture New York on film? You can't. Most photographers tried to capture tiny elements that express universal truths. Some succeeded in timeless ways while others created time-limited archives of the past.

   As wonderful as the photographs are, the essay by Max Kozloff is what sets this book apart from other photography books. It's as though he gives you a personal tour of the show and answers your questions about the photographers and the plates in as much detail as you want. Almost every plate is discussed and some figures are added for context as well. Seeing the collection through his eyes was like suddenly being loaned an advanced degree in photography studies. Enlivened by this education, I'm sure my eye will always notice more about fine photography when I see it displayed in the future.

   I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of this field. In addition, I strongly urge New Yorkers to get copies. The sights captured here will trigger many important memories.

   As I finished this wonderful volume, I thought about how fortunate photography students would be if their teachers used this book as a source . . . and then assigned the students to photograph New York.




2. Had really no time to finalize the book so far, however, quick overview: as always, one of the most original authors on photography (along with Ian Jeffrey), Max Kozloff exploits the depth of the medium with exceptional originality and taste. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in the medium of photography as such as well as to those interested in excellent criticism of nowadays.

2 comments about Return to Naples: My Italian Bar Mitzvah and Other Discoveries.

1. author robert zweig reminds all of us how our simple and beautiful childhood memories could affect our life forever. this book is a wonderful read for everyone for all ages.



2. The author takes us on a journey of personal discovery while entertaining us with the idiosyncrasies of Naples.

No comments about Empire Ghosts: New York State's Haunted Landmarks.

No comments about MoMA Highlights since 1980.