5 comments about Here is New York.

1. A tightly written prose essay. An appreciation of the city that was and is. Memories and images of things past and things enduring. The city of E.B. White. If you live her, love her or even dislike her this memoir will evoke strong recollections.
   Short, incisive, majestic. A small treasure for those who love the great cities of the world.



2. Early to a party, I was looking at a friend's bookcase and pulled this slim volume from a shelf. After reading the first sentence, I knew I had to have it.
   
   Originally published in 1949, E.B. White, who no longer lived in New York City, captured the soul and spirit of the place. Nothing has changed. At the time, the United Nations building was under construction, and the bombing of London was fresh in his mind. He ends the book with a vision that perfectly balances hope with danger, in words prescient of September 11 - I re-read those paragraphs on every anniversary, it has become my ritual.
   
   But what originally drew me to the book is not only the truth and insight of White, but his style, his felicity of expression. The author of "The Elements of Style" certainly knew the rules, and knew when to break them, as well. The second paragraph ends with a run-on sentence 198 words long, a thrilling joy ride which itself demonstrates how impossible it is to capture, in prose, the enormity and importance of this city.
   
   I agree with Russell Baker, this is "the finest portrait ever painted of the city."



3. HERE IS NEW YORK is a truly spectacular 1948 essay that originally appeared in Holiday magazine. Written by E.B. White and named one of the ten best books ever written about New York, this is a quick read that will leave you years later savoring White's timeless observations.
   
   Writing in a hotel room during a sweltering heat wave, White takes the reader through the essence of New York City and its eight million inhabitants who he notes roughly fall into three groups: the natives, the commuters and the transplants.
   
   Warning that "no one should come to New York unless he is willing to be lucky," White lovingly explains how the city is more a collection of thousands of small neighborhoods that implausibly operate independently of each other, completely oblivious to what is occurring only a few blocks away.
   
   Though it was written almost 60 years ago, HERE IS NEW YORK is just as accurate today as the moment it was written. Yes, the city has changed but the basic structure of life in New York remains the same.
   
   Overall HERE IS NEW YORK is a very positive book that will leave everyone feeling welcome and needed in America's biggest city. But eerily the book presciently warns that "a single flight of planes no bigger than a wedge of geese can quickly end this island fantasy, burn the towers, crumble the bridges, turn the underground passages into lethal passages, cremate the millions."
   
   Though it was tough to read that passage right after 9/11 as I did, I still whole heartedly recommend HERE IS NEW YORK to anyone who lives in New York, commutes to and from there, or has just moved there and is now, as White observed, generating "enough heat and light to dwarf the Consolidated Edison Company."
   
   - Regina McMenamin



4. Anything by E. B. White is fine - he must have been quite young when he wrote this but I enjoyed reading it and getting a sense of what New York was like at that time - some of it is still true but much has changed.



5. The reviews I read said that White gives the reader a feel for life in New York. Nonsense - the book is vague to the point where it could have been titled, Here is London, or Here is Shanghai. If you want to get a feel for New York, or at least the Bronx where I grew up, read "World Fair" by Doctorow.

5 comments about Lonely Planet New York City (City Guide).

1. I recently visited NYC for the first time. I took only three books about that city with me: this guide, the "Top 10 New York" guide, and "The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide". I must say that the "Lonely planet NYC Guide" was not my favourite, though.
   
   Truth to be told, this guide has a lot of useful information, and that proved helpful in some cases. What is more, it has some interesting planned walking tours that I liked, and good sections with data about the city and its history.
   
   On the other hand, this guide doesn't have too many photos in color, and it includes some maps that are not specially good, particularly if you compare them with the spectacular maps of the "Top 10 New York" guide. Furthermore, it is big enough to be heavy, something that you will not appreciate if you have to carry it with you the whole day.
   
   On the whole, I can say that I liked this guide, but I recommend it only as a complement to the "Top 10 New York" guide, or another small guide like that, the kind of guide that you can carry with you while you leave the "Lonely planet NYC Guide" in your hotel room to check at night if needed. Enjoy your trip :)
   
   Belen Alcat



2. It was the first time I was on NYC, I bought this guide couple of weeks before my trip. The Maps where just amazing, really useful, its true that you find a lot of maps overthere anyway, but getting familiar with your guide was really useful for me. The tour that the guide suggest are really accurate. The only thing that I would change is the amount of pages, because of two reasons 1.- is kind of bulky so even when is really easy to carry with your hand, or even when you are walking with back pack, when you have been walking for 10 hours even a sheet of paper will be heavy, 2.- I did not had the time to read it from the begining to the end, it was just too much, before the trip I had to work and during the trip I refused to seat in the park to read the guide having this amazing things to see. Dont get me wrong, this is an amazing guide, and in my next trip I would definetly consider buying lonely planet again.



3. Typical LP style guide, it contains interesting city tours and brief descriptions of many touristic and non touristic spots in the city.



4. If you live near by and go frequently then maybe this book would be of use.



5. I had to buy this book at the last minute, due to the fact that I wasn't contented with the format and information that New York (Eyewitness Travel Guides) had, which I borrowed from a friend. And I was fairly contented with the amount of information that LP has for this book. It has a detailed coverage of Manhattan and its neighborhoods, and it covers areas outside Manhattan more extensively than the other book.
   
   The one complaint I have about this edition is that they do not double-check the maps. The map at p. 282 especially is at fault. For example, the Majestic Theater is at w 44th St. but the map lists it as somewhere in 41st St. Perhaps somebody forgot to proofread the maps this time.

2 comments about Moleskine City Notebook New York (Moleskine City Notebook).

1. I love these books. I wish they would add more cities. They're small enough to fit into a purse or backpack without it being too cumbersome.



2. Great maps make it easy to get around the city. Used the subways during my trip. Subway map was a big help.
   
   Get it and have fun in NYC!

5 comments about Frommer's New York City with Kids (Frommer's With Kids).

1. We recently spent a week in New York state for a family wedding. Three of those days were spent sightseeing in NYC with our two children, ages 6 and 3. This guidebook was invaluable! We used it to plan our agenda in advance, and then carried it with us on our trip. We had a great time, and we knew exactly where to go and what to do. This is a great resource for any family! I especially liked the detailed information about transportation options, playgrounds in the city, and family-friendly restaurants.



2. We recently planned a trip to NYC with our 6 and 1 year old. I picked up this book, seeing as we have never been to NYC. The hotel we chose out of this book was in a neighborhood I would not consider safe for children. We ended up changing hotels because of it. The book said there was a children's playroom in our new hotel...there was not. We went to the Children's Museum of Manhattan, which the book says is good for kids 8 and under...our 6 year old was bored!! Also, the museum does not allow strollers, which I think is important info that should have been mentioned, but was not. There were other little bits of info that the book mentioned that were incorrect.
   
   Needless to say, the book was packed away by the middle of the trip...it just wasn't reliable.



3. Our family recently spent time in Manhattan. We took several books with us, and this was the one we found most useful. It's not perfect -- I found myself flipping pages a lot to connect restaurants and attractions etc, but it was still so loaded with good info that I always took it with me when we went out. We found several good restaurants that were just as depicted (though one was closed), and we chose several places to visit and were not disappointed. There's a good introductory chapter as well as excellent information about parks, playgrounds, restaurants, hotels, shopping, walks, entertainment and side trips. No pictures. Excellent resource.



4. I am satisfied with my travel guide purchase.
   
   We can feel it has been written by someone who really experienced NYC with kids. A lot of tips that can help a great deal.
   
   I hope not to get disappointed when I get to NYC.



5. The book is ok but I bought it because I was going to NYC and when I actually went I found that one restaurant, which was supposedly near my hotel, did not exist, another one was closed forever, so in the end I could not rely on the restaurant information. Also the information was put very sparsely, I would have arranged it more by area, given the fact that if you travel with kids the main problem is moving around and you are therefore more restricted in your movements. Overall it's 3 stars, I don't know if there are better guides, looking back I would not buy it again.

No comments about Fodor's New York City 2008 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

5 comments about The Best Things to Do in New York City: 1001 Ideas.

1. Although I've lived in Gotham for several years, this book helped me to fall head over heels in love with the city again. After reading "The Best Things to Do in New York: 1,001 Ideas," I decided to take the authors' advice and give New York City every spare moment I had left in my very busy schedule. In 2007, I'm going to tour the tombstones at Trinity Church, take a 3-hour Circle Line cruise, record a story in Grand Central Station, drink afternoon tea at the Waldorf-Astoria, buy lunch at Zabar's and picnic in Riverside Park, take in a comedy show at Caroline's and walk through several neighborhoods just to revel in their historical and architectural treasures.
   
   This is a top rate guide to Gotham, one that's ideal for tourists, transplants or natives. Pick it up and I guarantee you'll be scheduling dozens of new adventures on your calendar as well.



2. Do you marvel at how sometimes, a complete foreigner knows more about your city than you ever cared to know? I have lived on the outskirts of Manhattan for my entire life: Brooklyn, Queens, and mostly Long Island. However, I made many frequent forays into Manhattan on the weekends, and I considered myself not the complete tyro regarding the nooks, crannies, and interesting activities that 'The City' had to offer. This book was recommended to me by a Russian immigrant, who had come to New York 10 years prior. I often marveled at all the interesting places she went, and how she knew so many good places to eat. It turns out that this is the secret! Although some of the 1001 ideas are very touristy, the vast majority are applicable to even native New Yorkers. So far I've had free hot dogs with my pints of red beer, had the strongest shots I've ever had (watermelon-flavored too!), spent more on one meal than I usually spend in one month, and I plan on doing so much more. This book doesn't only give you interesting things to do and see, it also stokes your curiosity to discover things on your own. I'm not a great reviewer, but I want to get across the point that I did thoroughly enjoy this book, and I plan on checking off the vast majority of things listed!



3. This book is right, the things to do in New York are endless. My family and I have made many trips to New York, everytime we go we find something new to do. I enjoyed taking my daughter to see the Rockettes at Christmas time and then taking her on a carriage ride. Last Thanksgiving we went to see the Macy's Day Parade and it was incredible. Always something exciting to do in the Big Apple. Read the book and then take your family on a new adventure!!
   
   Billy Wannyn



4. I got this books as a gift for someone and it looked good but there were no pictures and everything just seemed the same.



5. I bought this for my sister based 100% on these reviews. She loved the book and is very excited to start trying some of these activities. She lives in Queens but works in the city and is always looking for new things to do...this book helps her take advantage of all NYC has to offer.

4 comments about Frommer's New York City 2008 (Frommer's Complete).

1. All Frommer's guides are the best. This was really up-to-date with a new hotel opened in 07 where I have already booked a room.



2. I am so glad I listened to other people and purchased this book. It is very informative and lends a lot of insight into the many areas of New York and what it has to offer. Having never been there, I feel like I can go prepared and know the ins and outs of visiting this big city and seeing all there is to see, the smart way. Now I know why Frommer's is the best resource for travel!



3. Whenever I plan a trip, I want information about the place and what to do when I get there. I've bought many Frommer's guides over the years (National Parks, Hawai'i, San Francisco) and have never been disappointed. I suppose one criticism might be that it tries to be too comprehensive, but on the other hand, this gives you a lot of choices. It might be nice, say, to review fewer hotels and restaurants but to give more in-depth information on the one's they do review.
   
   One thing I really appreciate about Frommer's is that you know that if they mention it in the guide that there's already something to recommend about it. If a hotel isn't mentioned, then it's probably not worth mentioning for one reason or another. A good example is the Grand Hyatt near Grand Central Station. It's not a bad hotel, but it lacks character and, judging from the pictures on their website, it's very much like every other Hyatt/Grand Hyatt in other cities. You're, likely, paying a lot of money to visit New York so you ought to at least experience New York. That being said, we will probably spend a couple of nights at the Grand Hyatt because we will save a little money and get Hyatt points. :-) But, we'll go to another hotel for the remainder of the stay because it's more fun and we'll get to stay someplace that isn't like another hotel in another city. I got that information from this book and followed it up on line.
   
   And, for me, it's nice to have a book that covers all of the bases. I've never been to New York, so I want to do all the "essentials" like see Times Square, a Broadway show, the "big" museums, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, etc. This book does a good job of giving me the information I need to get that done.



4. This guide is very useful even if you already are familiar with New York City.

5 comments about Streetwise Manhattan Map - Laminated City Street Map of Manhattan, New York - with integrated subway lines and stations - bus map.

1. I love my Streetwise map. Sometimes it's a little hard to read for these middle aged eyes though. All in all, I couldn't do without it on my trips to Manhattan.



2. I rate this as number three of the four references I purchased to help me navigate NYC. It's sturdy, compact, light weight and packs in all the information you might need to navigate Manhattan and hit the tourist spots.
   This is the map to buy if you want to travel light in Manhattan.



3. don't waste your money. just because its laminated doesn't make it a good map. Not all streets are on it and sections of manhattan are missing. I wouldn't count on this map to help you out if you don't know the area and have things memorized before you get here. WE got lost on more than one occasion trying to use this thing.
   Get the NFT black book of nyc instead. It has all you need and is small enough to fit into your purse or pocket.



4. I use these maps on every trip I go on! They are so accurate and easy to use. The map is durable for every type of weather and small enough to stick in a small bag. There is a streetwise map for every major city we have gone to and we love them! It's a great "memory keeper" as well.



5. This is a great map of the city, easy to carry around. It's plastic, a big plus when it starts raining or if you spill anything on it. My only complain is that it does not include a Subway Map. It has Subway Routes in the map but with all the streets, etc it get a little difficult to make out.
   Overall, great map. A must have for tourist or anyone new to the city.

4 comments about Zagat 2008 New York City Restaurants (Zagatsurvey).

1. The Zagat is indispensible when it comes to reviewing restaurants. When I plan a dinner or lunch I always consult my little red book. It is exceptional and even has the restaurants subdivided into various catagories e.g. prix fix, neighborhoods, most popular, etc. An essential must have for anyone dining in NYC!



2. Where would we be without Zagat? I don't always agree with their reviews, but it's somewhere to start. After you read the review you can always check out the web site. If anything the reviews are more critical than they need to be. I have never been disappointed.



3. This book is awesome!! If you like to go out to eat and try new things this is the book to help guide you. I get one every year and use it all the time. I recommend this book to anyone who goes out to eat in NYC!



4. i have been to new york city several times and always consult my zagat guide. it has never let me down! i would not dream of not going without it!

5 comments about Not for Tourists 2008 Guide to New York City (Not for Tourists: New York City).

1. I'll admit that what drew me to this guide was it's overall design and size: it's compact, dense with information,and laid out in a visually pleasing style. First and foremost, however, a travel guide should be easy to use, and while this book labels itself as "Not for Tourists", it is a travel guide. And here's the thing: it has no unified index. There are several sub indexes spread throughout the book, but you have to find them first, then look for your item. Ugh. Not what you want to do while standing on a street corner.
   
   In order to fit maps into the small page format, a neighborhood can be represented by 4 pages of virtually identical maps dense with visually similar icons showing types of stores, services, transport. etc. Again, not easy to use on the move.
   
   Maybe I can't complain- they did say right on the front: "Not for Tourists", but I advise you to take their word for it. It really isn't useful for the traveler, and I can't say whether it would be useful for a resident.



2. Ordered for my apartment hunting in NYC, will use it late May.
   So far nothing to complain. This booklet is likable by look and usable by content, including all information I could need when walking around the city (shops, banks, theaters, landmarks, schools, libraries, gyms, transportation, you name it). I don't know why some others would complain it's not easy to use, but I will try it out soon by myself.



3. Best guide for business person traveling to City on business. The longer there or more travel in area the better the value. Not for the tourist.



4. I wouldn't recommend this for a first time traveler to NYC as the maps can be a little difficult to follow (broken up into smaller neighborhoods). It was handy to have in our backpack because it had almost every restaurant that we could think of listed in it, along with their phone numbers, address, time they were open to, and a brief comment on the food there (including which places to avoid). If you're from out of town and need to find the nearest branch of your local bank, it's in there. If you're looking for a coffee shop other than Starbucks, it's in there.



5. I purchased this for both NYC and Brooklyn and it's been a life saver. This book tells you where to find the things you need when you live in a city. Laundrymat? Banks? Coffee shop where the locals hang out? History and maps of the neighborhoods? It's all here. Also very small and easy to carry with you. One of my friends who visited for a week, prefered to carry this over the traditional guide books, due to the size.