1 comments about New York City 5-in-1 Pocket Map.

1. This is a great map, but it is hard to use on a day to day basis as a quick reference while walking the streets of New York. It has great detail of midtown Manhattan, where most tourists spend their time. The streets, subways, and nearly every landmark and store/hotel/resturant are situated to scale on the map. This is extremely helpful if you don't have the exact address of, say Carnegie Deli, you can just go to the area where you think it is, and look around till you find the actual Carnegie label. It also has great detailed maps of the other neighborhoods (the Villages, East Side, Lower East Side, Financial District, etc.) with all the major landmarks, but less detail about the stores and businesses than the midtown section. The problem with the map is it is made of that real thin, cheap paper (I mean look a the price) and it is BIG when unfolded (It's a bit awkward when you're in the subway, or in a tight line at an attraction, and you have to pull out this big old bedsheet of a map), so you have to constantly fold it back/forth/up/down against the creases and with the in and out of the coat pocket, it wasn't long before it just started shredding at the creases. It did last me the week however, and I used it daily and excessively, but it's not much good for anything now except a keepsake of our great trip. If I had it to do again, I'd still buy this map for it's exceptional detail (and cheap price), but consider getting one of the laminated maps for the day to day stuff (I think the National Geographic Destination Maps are great for this purpose, they were the best thing I used for London, Rome, Paris, and the New York one looked just as good--I should have gotten that one as well).

5 comments about The Historic Shops and Restaurants of New York: A Guide to Century-Old Establishments in the City (Historic Shops & Restaurants Series).

1. New York can be a shopping paradise or shopping hell. One thing that anyone can always use is a real New Yorker to guide one through the city. That's what this book is. It's like having a best friend show you the way around, to the best places, the best shops you don't find in travel guides or online.

   As a former New Yorker, this book took me back to the streets, the way it is to really experience it -- on foot, not from a taxicab or a rental car. The authors clearly know their way around. From bargains to classics to places just full of colourful history and anecdotes, it's a holiday guide for more than just shoppers. In fact, even New Yorkers will benefit from the pages of info, presented in a fun-filled, rewarding style. There are places I'd gone to for years and yet never knew so much about until reading this book. In fact, it's so much fun, it's like a weekend in New York. Okay, maybe not, but it sure will make you want to get there.

   Now if we could only get one like this for Los Angeles... Oops, wait, that's impossible. I think I'm just missing New York...




2. I am a native New Yorker who has spent the past five years living in other cities, and being a little homesick, I still read the New York Times every day.

   As I was reading the morning paper, I found an ad for this book, ordered it, and immediately fell in love with it! It is beuatifully laid out and wonderfully written. What's more, I always thought that I knew a ton about the city, but I learned so much from reading this book -- I had no idea that some of the restaurants and shops reviewed in the novel were so old. I also read about some really interesting places that I had never heard of.

   I plan to give this book as a holiday gift to all of my fellow New Yorker friends -- both to those who are far away from the city they love, and to those who are right at home!




3. I'm fascinated with the history of New York, and I love the Victorian and Edwardian eras in the city's perspective. This book is packed with great stories about the founders of the said shops and restaurants, quick business histories and what to look for once inside the joint.
   
   Makes an original and very thoughtful gift, and is a great addition to any New York lover's library.



4. The title is misleading. Only the existing businesses are reviewed, not those of noteworthiness that are no longer around but have a place in New York City's history. The book is a pocket edition with the briefest histories, I read the entire book in less than an hour! For the Amazon price of about $11 it was not worth the cost to return it.



5. The listings in this book are like old friends. See them before they all fade away.

3 comments about Best Hikes With Dogs: New York City & Beyond.

1. This delightful work is the latest in a series of books titled "Best Hikes with Dogs." Other areas previously covered include: Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Arizona, North Carolina, Las Vegas, and many more. The author has chosen 55 trails in the New York City, Long Island and Hudson Valley region suitable for canine expeditions. I was pleased to find that two of the hikes were in my town of Yorktown. I was really surprised to see the John Hand Park as one of them. Most Yorktowners have never heard of it or Blinn Road where the trail begins.
   
   The author is careful to select trails that are not too strenuous. For instance, her Hudson Highlands hike keeps to the valley between Mt. Taurus (Bull Hill) and Breakneck Ridge. Undoubtedly, the thousand-foot peaks along the Hudson River would be no problem for Lady, the dog who led me to the summit of Colorado's Mt. Princeton at 14,197 feet. For more difficult routes in this area, I agree with the author's recommendation of the "New York Walk Book."
   
   Each trail is well described along with the history of the area. Directions to the trailheads and parking areas are clear. Maps and altitude cross sections are provided for each hike. The book is filled with photos of the scenery, people, and, of course, happy dogs.



2. I bought this book because a) I love hiking and being outdoors and b) I have two lively dogs that I want to take on day trips with me. This book is part of a series which I had heard great things about from fellow dog owners.
   
   The author gives alot of detail about each trail. They are carefully mapped out and she lists hiking must-have's for humans and dogs alike. The trails are rated by difficulty levels and most of the hikes seem easy to moderate. The photos included are beautiful and really inspire you to get out into nature with your dog! We have already walked a trail that was listed for one of our local parks. I plan on doing many more, in different places, throughout the summer. I think this book is great for all those interested in hiking and bringing your canine companion along for exercise and an enjoyable day away from the city.



3. Tammy McCarley owns Blue Sky Dogs, a dog travel and adventure company based in New York City. She, her dog Sienna and her husband have hiked every foot of the 55 trails described in this excellent guide book. The trails are in the five boroughs, on Long Island, or in the lower Hudson Valley. All of the trail heads are within three hours driving distance from Manhattan, and many are reachable by public transportation.
   
   McCarley's book contains a quick reference guide to the 55 hikes, checklists for humans and dogs, a very comprehensive Appendix on removing ticks and tick borne diseases. Undoubtedly reflecting her experiences with her travel company, McCarley places heavy emphasis on dog health and safety. The first aid kit contains over twenty items, including a muzzle or a towel that can be used as a muzzle. Particularly impressive: she lists the emergency 24 hour veterinary hospital closest to the trailhead.
   
   She has taken great care to choose routes that offer water and shade over the entire route. She lists no hikes in Nassau County because none of its parks permit dogs on trails. Most of the parks in the book have specific rules for dogs, which she spells out at the start of each trail.
   
   The text is filled with black and white drawings and photographs that enhance the excellent trail descriptions. Head notes for each hike give distance, estimated time, difficulty, high point, elevation gain, facilities, maps, regulations, websites, emergency vet services, and how to get there. There is a neat profile schematic showing the rise and fall of elevation, and quite good thumbnail maps of each hike.
   
   As a long time hiker in the region, I know that many of the organized hiking leaders do not welcome dogs. McCarley, of course, is in the business of providing such leadership. Whether you go with McCarley, or go alone with your dog, McCarley's book is a splendid guide.

No comments about Greenopia, New York City: The Definitive Guide to More Than 1,300 Eco-Friendly Businesses and Resources (Greenopia series).

5 comments about The Mythic City: Photographs of New York by Samuel H. Gottscho, 1925-1940.

1. I thought it was very apt to use the word mythic in the title of this wonderful book. Surely Samuel Gottscho as much as anyone helped to create the popular visual concept of the dynamic American metropolis, a city of towers by day and a kaleidoscope of dazzling light by night, his work must have especially influenced creative folk from comic book artists to Hollywood art directors, the graphic city image is straight out of his photos.
   
   Apart from the short intro essay the book is basically photos, divided into several sections and covering, for instance, bridges, Times Square, business, commercial and residential areas of Manhattan plus a few photos of the 1939 New York World's Fair. It is with the night photos where Gottscho really excelled. To achieve his luminous effect he took two exposures, one at dusk to define the building shapes and another some hours later to capture all the blazing window lights. I think these photos plus the ones of Times Square at night look quite stunning.
   
   Another reason I like the book is the coverage of streamline design that keeps on appearing in many of the photos, not just the skyscrapers but interiors of retail units, Radio City, some of the apartment interiors and obviously the '39 World's Fair.
   
   The book is well printed and designed and the paper makes the photos sparkle with their 200 dpi screen. The captions are basically the location, date and architect though frequently there is more detail provided where necessary. Overall I thought this was a fascinating photobook of what New York looked like in the recent past.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



2. This book was a total waste of money and time. Boring, repetitive and uninspired photos taken years ago by an architectural photographer for his clients and I have no idea why someone thought this worthy of publication.
   
   I'm planning on returning it.



3. My husband and I used this beautiful book as a guestbook at our wedding.
   We met and fell in love in New York City. Now that we live abroad, we miss the place tremendously. The photos in the book are gorgeous and capture our love for the City. Our guests were very creative in using the book's format to write their wishes for us. I highly recommend this book if you love NYC!



4. A friend of mine travelled to NYC not long ago and fell in love with this city. So my idea was to find a beautiful album about NY as a birthday present, but I didn't want to buy anything with average photographs of skyscrapers that repeat from one calendar to another.
   Thanks to the snapshots provided to this book review I felt that it should have a personal touch and wouldn't be boring. It turned out to be true! now I'm thinking about ordering another one for myself.



5. Samuel Gottscho's wonderful photographs combine an architect's eye with the mood of an Edward Hopper painting. Cool but never cold, these photos are simply beautiful. The noir-flavored night shots are among the finest, with the chiaroscuro of a John Alton film. Gottscho had the luck to be living during one of New York's most photogenic periods, after most of the Art Deco classics had been built but before the postwar clutter of shoebox skyscrapers had set in.
   
   Technically, this collection is very well produced, with sharp, lustrous photos on high-quality paper. Highly recommended for any fan of vintage urban photographs.

5 comments about Streetwise Midtown Manhattan Map - Laminated City Street Map of Midtown Manhattan, NY - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated subway lines & stations (Streetwise) (Streetwise).

1. We used this map to get around Manhattan during our first-ever trip there in July, 2003. It's small enough to be convenient, big enough to show the important stuff, and, best of all, laminated so it takes the wear and tear of repeated use! I will definitely hold on to this map and take it with me the next time I visit NYC!



2. I own Streetwise maps for pretty much every city I've visited in the US and abroad. They're easy to read, and are pretty much indestructible. This is my second Manhattan map but only because I wanted more current hotel info. My old one looks as good as the one I just received. I've tried lots of street maps....these are the best !



3. I have just returned from our New York trip. Let me tell you that I was the "logistician" for our little group thanks to both Frommer's and this incredible Streetwise MidTown Manhattan Map!
   
   The map is accurate, easy to read, very portable. I found the information it contained about the location of various Theatres particularly helpful.
   
   I always purchase a map such as this prior to travel, and would not go to a city without a map like this! The Transit Map of New York was also very helpful and a wonderful companion purchase. Oh and do not forget the Downtown Manhattan Map!



4. I purchased both the Midtown and Downtown maps. To my dismay, the large text block containing the Midtown map's title completely obscures Greenwich Village. To make matters worse, the Midtown and Downtown Manhattan maps do not correlate, leaving a sizable unmapped gap between Canal Street and 4th Street (and again omitting Greenwich Village). If you don't mind wandering blindly in the gap between Canal and 4th Streets, these are great maps. Otherwise, trade off some of the detail and stick with the complete Streetwise Manhattan.



5. I'd recommend this foldable laminated map to people who will live or work in Midtown area, otherwise a full Manhattan streetwise map ( Streetwise Manhattan Map - Laminated City Street Map of Manhattan, New York - with integrated subway lines and stations - bus map) would be more helpful.
   
   But I highly recommend Not for Tourists 2008 Guide to New York City (Not for Tourists: New York City) (or the most updated edition if it's not 2008) over others.
   
   I would buy both a streetwise map of manhattan and a Not For Tourist Guide. The former is for a complete view of the whole island, and the latter is for much more comprehensive information of each part of Manhattan.

5 comments about Access New York City 12e (Access Guides).

1. We just returned from a trip to New York City. I am a HUGE fan of Access books and have used them for cities around the world for the last 14 years. However, the current version of the New York City Access is woefully outdated and was a waste of money. We found several businesses had moved and one, the venerable Balducci's, had gone of out business. Needless to say, this de-railed us a few times and was inconvenient to say the least.

   Things change quickly in New York. If Access wants to be in the business of publishing guides of New York, they need to commit to annual updates.




2. Very helpful approach that discusses sights, restaurants, shops, and hotels block-by-block. Subway stops should be superimposed on these maps, although they are included separately.



3. Out of date info.
   Waste of your money.
   Do not purchase.
   Wait for new edition.



4. The layout of this series of guide books is excellent to have along on the trip. Laid out street by street, area by area, with color coded text for different types of attractions - hotels, dining, shopping, etc.- it is wonderful for finding your way. Much easier than a book with all hotels in one chapter, all dining in another. This way, if I'm shopping in SoHo or visiting an Upper East Side museum and want to have a bite to eat, its a breeze to find a good place nearby. I have used ACCESS NY for many years and find their reviews of dining to be spot on.
   
   Highly recommend.



5. I have always loved the format of ACCESS books but to be honest, the last 3 guides to NYC have been very outdated. I feel as if the author has told a flunkie to "check the websites" of all the places listed in the book, and that the flunkie then quit his job and the author just published the edition from 10 years ago. I cannot continue to purchase the Access books knowing this is the case. I wonder if the author reads his own reviews on Amazon (I kind of doubt it). He should stop wasting his and our time by publishing out of date books.

3 comments about LITTLE BLACK BOOK NEW YORK 2nd ED. (Little Black Book Series).

1. Very informative and splits up New York by sections to make it easy to find the area you want to see and what attractions are available.



2. I travel to NYC for work and I enjoy being able to explore during my free time - this book has proven itself helpful over and over again. The fold out subway map is the main reason I bought the book - I think I need to have that page laminated!
   
   Still, I have three small suggestions to make this Little Black Book even better: 1) a place to stash a pencil/pen (a small elastic loop would work) 2) two or three blank pages in the back of each section for adding our own "finds" for each neighborhood and 3) a small envelope in the front for tossing in business cards, Metro cards, etc.
   
   Can't wait for the second edition!



3. I brought this book with me when I revisited New York City last year, and it came in extremely handy in helping me navigate the different sections of Manhattan. The book divides the big city into eight neighborhoods, each given its own fold-out area map and chapter that gives a brief history & overview of that neighborhood, as well as suggestions and tips for activities, places to eat, and hotels at which to stay. There's also a fold-out map of the MTA subway system that's easier to use than the giant folded ones you get at the subway stations.
   
   The size of the book is perfect for carrying in your jacket pocket or small handbag, and because it's in a nice little black-book format, it's not as conspicuous as some other tourist guides. I read through the book before my trip and made good use of sticky flags to mark pages that contained info I was sure to need during my trip. I recommend this book for any first-time visitor to New York City, but it's also great if you've already been there several times but could still use a few tips.

5 comments about Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive.

1. Aftermath represents the efforts of Joel Meyerowitz to document the destruction and cleanup of the World Trade Center following 9/11. This is a beefy coffee table book that is large enough to give his photos some real impact. Unlike most photo essays, however, you won't find hundreds of beautiful images. After a couple of pages show what New York's skyline once looked like, you are confronted by image after image of the horrific destruction of these huge landmarks. There are also many instances where we see the people who worked the cleanup site. Many of these are the most moving images as you can imagine the emotions that sometimes overcame these men and women who were there every day for months on end.
   
   In addition to the photos, Mr. Meyerowitz also shares some anecdotes about what he went through to get these photos. He also talks about some of the people he met. I found these stories at least as powerful as his words. Most Americans were obviously distraught by the events of that day, but most of us were also able to start moving on with our lives and slowly put it behind us. But these people were there on the ground confronting the effects for months. Recovering bodies and personal objects, as well as being asked by survivors to put mementos on the pile of rubble as little memorials to their lost loved ones.
   
   This is not the happiest book you can buy. It doesn't have the prettiest photos or the most elegant prose. But it may be the most worthwhile book I've ever purchased. I would urge everyone to buy a copy and read it cover to cover.



2. I first saw photographs from this collection at the Museum of Modern Art in Salzburg, Austria. Anyone who entered the gallery was immediately struck by a panorama of ground zero on one wall, each emitting an audible gasp, then standing before it for several minutes in silence. Meyerowitz is an extremely gifted photgrapher, and I recommend other of his collections for viewing. Cape Light: Color Photographs by Joel Meyerowitz, Tuscany: Inside the Light: Inside the Light (Photography). The "Aftermath" collection is the only archive of the activities following 9/11 at ground zero, and it is quite moving. Meyerowitz had access to many vantage points to capture for posterity the many facets of ground zero and this tragic event in our history. Viewing these photos takes time and thought, as Meyerowitz has also included brief descriptions and stories about each photograph. You will be struck by many emotions, sadness, anger, shock, and awe. But, there is an eeriness and a beauty, as well as hope in these photographs, inspired by the photographer's exquisite eye for detail, composition, lines, faces, and light. Photographers, professional and amateur alike, will deeply appreciate and learn from these aspects. Anyone to whom I have shown this book has been as immensely moved as I, from the UPS driver who delivered the package, to my father, a refugee of WWII, who still cannot speak easily of the events of 9/11. This book is highly recommended as an addition for one's library.



3. Meyerowitz his taken a step out of his usual repetoire in making these remarkable photographs. He has provided us with a devastating and incredibly imporant record of all that transpired in the Aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy. We have been staurated with images of the event itself; what we see here is the heroic and painstaking recovery work that followed.



4. Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive
   Book received in perfect sealed condition,would use this seller again in a heartbeat



5. I bought this book for my dad for Christmas. He is a history nut and thought he would enjoy it. The pictures were phenomonial and eerie. He has not put it down yet. It was definately the best present he received this year. Amazon was half of what the bookstore in the mall wanted. Would definately purchase from them again.

2 comments about Frommer's Great Escapes From NYC Without Wheels (Wonderful Weekends).

1. This is a great guide for New Yorkers who want to get out-of-town for the weekend or for visitors who want to go beyond the standard tourist attractions. Detailed and engaging, the book conveniently groups destinations according to type (i.e.--romantic weekends, outdoor activities, kid-friendly escapes). So it's easy to find a spot to match whatever you're in the mood for. Plus, there's a section on fun festivals and special events even lifelong New Yorkers might not know about.
   
   Even if you own a car, this book might make you think twice about using it (especially with currently high gas prices). The author demystifies mass transit and gives all the information you need to feel confident about being "without wheels."
   
   The perfect book for ideas on where to take guests or where to go when you need a breather from the city. Great to have on hand next time you're trying to figure out what to do for the weekend.



2. I bought this book, thinking it would be of great advice for my boyfriend and I. We live in the city and thus, don't have a car.
   But... Wait!!! We are not rich!!
   All the 'escapes' proposed seemed to be for more than $300 per week end.
   At this price, I'd rather rent a car...
   This book, since, stays on the shelf where it is covering with dust... until we get rich?