2 comments about The Kid's Guide to New York City (Kid's Guides Series).

1. Whether you want to go to a Yankees game in the summer or skate at Rockefeller Center in the winter, you'll find great leads in this portable book. New York City can be overwhelming, but this guidebook is accessible, handy, inspiring, and fun. There's even room for your kids to write down their impressions.
   Carol Weston, author of MELANIE IN MANHATTAN (a New York novel for girls 7 to 13)



2. We recently visited Manhattan and used this book (among others). It was well written and informative. It covered highlights rather than being comprehensive, but we did get good information. Chapters cover: NYC's neighborhoods, Times Square, must-see sights, museums, parks and zoos, cultural venues, sports, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, eating and shopping. Easy to read print and boldface information make the guide easy to use, and tips often include web addresses, which was handy. Nice guide.

5 comments about Central Park, An American Masterpiece: A Comprehensive History of the Nation's First Urban Park.

1. Sara Miller has put together an outstanding book: a book as vast and detailed as the Great Park itself. For those not familiar with the park and its history, this is an invaluable introduction to the political, demographical, economic and, especially, aesthetic thinking that went into the creation of 800 acres of gorgeous park space in the middle of Manhattan. For those seasoned veterans of NYC history, this is a welcome reminder of the enormous vision and efforts of Calvert Vaux and Fredrick Law Olmsted, as they conceived the park.

   Nota Bene: A lot of books have gorgeous photos but the print job is miserable ... Others have high-qualtity prints but the photos aren't that interesting ... This book has glorious prints and an expert print job. Pick up this book.

   Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points and The Five Points Concluded




2. Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Central Park, photographer and historian Sara Cedar Miller celebrates the aesthetic, cultural and historic significance of America's first public park with the book "Central Park, An American Masterpiece." This is the park's definitive illustrated history, and offers some of the most gorgeous photographs I have seen on the subject - a difficult task given the number of pictures that have been drawn, painted and photographed of the Manhattan landmark. The book includes over 200 color illustrations, original plans and drawings alongside modern photos, giving the viewer/reader an historical perspective.

   Accompanying Ms. Miller's work, portraying the park throughout the seasons, is a well written text which highlights the conception and creation of the park and its art and architecture. This is a big, beautiful picture book that would make a wonderful addition to any home or library. It's a wonderful gift idea. I know as I have given it numerous times.

   Ms. Miller is the parks official historian and photographer and has been since the mid-1980s.
   JANA




3. Central Park is breath taking and this book does a fine job of giving the reader a feel for what makes this 850 acre masterpiece so special. The book is quite thorough and does an commendable job of disecting various sections of the park. The color photos are vivid and well thought out and the text is highly informative. The author has a real love for the park and it comes out in her writing. If you have never visited Central Park or have visited and fell in love with it like so many others, you will love this book. This oasis really is the heart of New York City and to understand New York you have to understand the parks history and its vast importantance to the city. Central Parks importance to New York and New Yorkers cannot be overstated, I can't imagine the city without it.



4. As an avid fan of Central Park who has been exploring it and studying the books on it for decades, I was amazed at what there was still to learn about it from Miller's book. For example, other historians allude to a connection between Central Park's design and the Hudson River School of landscape art: Miller provides actual sources of the designer's inspiration and shows the results explicitly in the photos. And all in a way that is not at all "bookish" but instead makes you want to go right in and see for yourself the scenes she shows so well in the book's illustrations. The beautiful photos and fascinating stories and the well chosen historical prints all work together in such a compelling and entertaining way that one might never realize one is being educated by a superb textbook in the field of art.
   With her emphasis on the past of the park, and its present restored beauty, it is understandable that the author does not use very much of the book's valuable space on the remaining present-day problems, but she might at least have alluded to the incongruity of the city's insistence on using this artistic matepiece as a through route for motor traffic during the majority of daylight weekday hours. In effect, the city's Dept. of Traffic is providing a refuge from the chaos of the surrounding streets during rush hours - but for the cars, not for the people. If you want to appreciate the park shown in this book, go during the times when the traffic noise does not drown out the wind in the trees, the birdsong, and the happy voices of children!



5. Did you know that the elm lined mall leading to the Bethesda fountain and the view of the ramble are actually based on the layout of a church? Or that all of the lakes in Central Park are manmade. This and many other very interesting facts are interspersed with lovingly taken photographs of the park which were taken by the author of the book as well. Miller starts decribing how the park came to be and the leading ideas and ideals that lead to its creation by Olmsted and Vaux. She proceeds to describe systematically the various sections of the park providing historical information as well. She delves into the some of the controversies and compromises that Olmsted and Vaux encountered in the creation of one of the finest examples of 19th Century art but it is not a comprehensive history of the park. There is a 2 page map of the park at the of the book with a legend identifying each of the features discussed in the book. If you are first time visitor to the city wishing to explore the park in detail or a life long New Yorker this book will delight and surprise you.

No comments about ZAGAT New York City Shopping 2008 (Zagatsurvey New York City Shopping).

5 comments about Frommer's NYC Free & Dirt Cheap.

1. 
   
   Even though I was going to NYC for just a few days, I found good info
   in this book. Inside the cover was a weekly schedule for free entrance
   to several museums. This was very handy.
   
   Actually, to get more use from the book, one should be there a little
   longer, or, better still, move there. Wonderful advice.



2. I used this book recently on a weekend trip to visit my friend in Manhattan. Not only did I eat very well for very little money but my foodie friend was shocked that I (the visiter) was showing her these amazing hidden gems! I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to live well on a very low budget.



3. I bought this for my upcoming trip to NY, and it has been very useful in showing how to see many great places at little to no cost...very worth its weight and price!



4. Mr. Wolff in an unabashed New Yorker (although a transplant from Virginia) and his love shows through the work. Many useful suggestions, but one section makes me question the accuracy of the rest....
   
   Mr. Wolff, on page 61, asserts: "The Earl of Oxford would probably be gratified to know all these centuries later his little plays dominate the summer theatre seen in the world's capital. Sure, the plays are published under the name of an actor from Stratford, but the passions and conflict resound just as the Earl wrote them."
   
   I hope Mr. Wolff is pulling our collective leg, because if he really is an Oxfordian (someone who believes the 17th Earl of Oxford wrote the works of Shakespeare, instead of Shakespeare himself), I'm not sure I trust his judgement: not because he proposes that outlandish conspiracy theory (many have been suckered into that), but because introducing it into a guide book meant furthering his pet theory was more important than an unbiased, focused work.
   
   That's why it gets 3 out of 5 stars.



5. I'm satisfied with the book, but I haven't had the oportunity to try something out - we are going to visit New York at the end of the year.

5 comments about City Secrets: New York City.

1. Great guide to quirky shops, less well-known sports and odd bitss of history. A joy to read and to guide your explorations.



2. Every winter I spend a week in NYC -to attend the opera, theater, concerts, museums, etc. I hoped this book would offer me some unexpected, relatively undiscovered places to explore. Not so. A waste of my money.



3. This book has some good secrets but i found some not very useful or interesting or yet non existant (or so secret they change the adress regularly). Depending on your profession look in the collaborators index for a person of whom you think you identify with or you like their resume and try looking at their secrets its the easier way i found to get some useful and intersting secrets (some colaborators are simply ill-chosen are i don tknow why they were found to be useful to adress in the book). BUt mainly if you are the 7 day vacation turist go for a amercian express ou rough guide to the city and you'll get just fine!



4. I was soooo looking forward to getting this book - but I have to honestly say that the layout is so utterly boring that I just can't get past it. The book is full of beige, beige, and more beige (other than the black on white text that is).
   
   For an individual that is "directionally-challenged", I would have difficulty locating where I'm supposed to be in the city based strictly upon written instruction. Plus, frankly, I love to look at the beautiful photography that can be found in some guidebooks (and some imagery would help determine if a particular walking tour was a good fit to the reader). I really think if the layout were made more appealing that more people would get into this book.



5. I have an armload of NYC guides and this one is a delight to read. It is a love affair with the big apple and a great addition to a standard get around the city type book

2 comments about Michelin Red Guide 2008 New York City (Michelin Red Guides).

1. The Michelin Guide is a standard in the restaurant review business. It has a pedigree that is much more revered in France than in the United States. Personally, I feel Zagat tried harder and won. Ideally, you should own both red books and consult with each before planning a dining experience but inevitably, the one that you would resort to most of the time is Zagat, not Michelin.
   
   Michelin is not laid out in a cohesive user frienndly manner. It is divided by neighborhoods which is fine if you suffer from agoraphobia and your primary goal is to seek out a restaurant in a small definitive radius.
   
   Usually, when one dines out one is looking for a particular type of restaurant i.e. a romantic restaurant, a before theatre prix fix, a small tapas place, an over the top restaurant to max out your expense account, etc. To identify these restaurants and many many more, Zagat is the top choice. Michelin confines their reviews not only to particular neighborhoods but to a small number of particular restaurants as well! It only chooses to review what they consider Michelin worthy.
   
   If you're interested in only THE top restaurants, Michelin is for you. You will learn which restaurants, mostly French, in Manhattan have earned the coveted Michelin stars. However, if you want to have a glimpse of each and every restaurant in NYC from the pizza place downtown to the 5 star establishment in midtown... buy the Zagat.
   
   Go ahead... if you're like me and want to have the best of both worlds, buy both!



2. The Michelin Red Guide is the most respected Restaurant Guide in the world. There have been chefs that have committed suicide when they lost a star. They have exacting standards or service and understand haute cuisine better than any one else in the world. And this is precisely why they are almost totally irrelevant to Restaurants in New York City. They do not understand that American standards of service are different, not worse, not lower, just different. Nor can they understand cuisines that do not fit into their narrow concepts of haute cuisine. So chefs like Mario Batali and Yasuda-sama will never do as well as they should.
   
   You are better off with the Zagat's guide.

3 comments about AMC's Best Day Hikes in the Catskills and Hudson Valley: Four-Season Guide to 60 of the Best Trails from New York City to Albany (Appalachian Mountain Club).

1. There are more than 600 miles of hiking trails in the Catskill mountains and the Hudson Valley, locales that are within just a few hours of New York City. "AMC's Best Day Hikes In The Catskills & Hudson Valley" is a practical "day trip" guide to varied and scenic terrains that range from Westchester County to Albany, showcasing sixty of the most scenic and spectacular of these trails which suited for anything from short family nature walks to day-long hikes with magnificent views. Each individual trail trip includes a detailed map and a summary of the trip time, distance, and difficultly. An icon indicates whether the trail is also good for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in the winter, making "AMC's Best Day Hikes In The Catskills & Hudson Valley" an all weather, all-season reference of value for both local residents and vacationing visitors. Enhanced with hiking and safety tips, advice for hiking with children, an 'At-a-Glance Trip Planner' for finding the best hikes suited to the reader's aspirations and limitations, "AMC's Best Day Hikes In The Catskills & Hudson Valley" is the premier guide for anyone planning an excursion in New York's Catskills and Hudson Valley country!



2. We are not expert hikers, but we got around fine using this guidebook. We knew we wanted to go hiking during our B&B weekend in the Hudson Valley, but wanted to try somewhere other than Mohonk Mountain (which is very nice, and covered in the book, but we've done it a few times). We took his suggestion and rode out to Stissing Mountain. It was so worth it! Between the directions in the book and help from our GPS, we were able to find the trailhead. Climbing to the top was a little intense, but we were rewarded with amazing views from the firetower, just as promised! We can't wait to go back for more hikes!



3. An excellent guide at a great price. Included are an overall map, a chart summarizing the hikes, a map and details (difficulty, distance, time, elevation change) for each hike, directions to the starting point and lots of useful information about each trail. Several pictures are included and there's good reference information in the back of the book.

2 comments about Good Night New York City (Good Night Our World series).

1. The Good Night... series are good books for young kids to read or to have read to them. It includes basic words and gets the kids interested in different travel locations.



2. This book provides great pictures and a fun way to share a special city with my daughter. Some of the text is a bit silly, but overall I have enjoyed this book along with several others in the series.

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!