5 comments about Native's Guide to New York (4th Edition).

1. New York is a world unto itself and what a treasure from someone who really knows that world...
   I wanted to learn how to tango, for example, and found great listings for classes, places to go to practice (and show off) my new "hot stuff" dirty dancing techniques and even tango restaurants and bistros for the tango obsessed! how great is that??
   But most of all, especially now, since new york is finding its feet again,(Grab your coat and get your hat! Leave your worries on the doorstep!) it's a generous spirited, insightful, warm-hearted guide to what makes New York a great place to live and visit. I love this book!



2. Mr. Laermer has written a guide book that is extemely useful to both Natives and tourists. In addition, it contains many inciteful and hilarious commentaries showing his profound love for what I think is the greatest city on the planet. In prepping for my commitment ceremony with my companion, we have bought a couple of dozen copies of Natives Guide to give to our out of town guests. We have people who have never been east of the Mississipi as well as European friends and we feel confident that this book will give them a comfort level so they will be able take on the challenge of touring the city. I highly recomment this book.



3. Here's why I find this book invaluable: I am a New Yorker, yet I'm able to use it as a guidebook to my own city. It has all kinds of out of the way places such as East Village eatery Veselka that would not appear in the typical tourists guide. And it is written in a way that's both edgy and accessible. I can only imagine that this book would be a great resource for non-New Yorkers.



4. Richard Laermer is an opinionated SOB who tells it the way it is, and that's just how native New Yorkers, transplanted New Yorkers and everybody else who loves the Big Apple likes it. he gives us a view of the city that is not prepackaged conspicuous consumption from Mayor Bloomberg's office and gives us the side of New York that cool people understand and wannabees seek out.

   This book rocks. This guy rocks. Enough said.




5. I bought this book so that I wouldn't look like an idiot during my first trip to New York City. Well, I'm sure I will still look like an idiot, but maybe not like this is my first vacation there. After reading this book, I feel that there is no way that I can only stay 4 days. There's too much to do! I appreciate that he writes of as many cheap places as expensive. I am a map nerd so I do miss that aspect.

1 comments about The Portraits of America: Empire State Building: The Museum of the City of New York (Portraits of America).

1. A worthwhile (and inexpensive) introduction to one of the world's great buildings. There is some text by John Berman but it is essentially a pictorial book with just over a hundred photos that fortunately have quite detailed captions. The majority of these have been seen before but I've never seen the two on page seventy-nine showing the GoodYear dirigible Columbia attempting to pick up mailbags from the mooring mast. Perhaps the less said about that idea the better!

   There are thirty-six photos showing the construction, mostly taken by famous reportage photographer Lewis Hine and a better showing of his photos can be seen in 'The Empire State Building' by Freddy Langer (ISBN 3791324918) The other main photo coverage is of the B-25 bomber that crashed in the building on July 28 1945. The rest of the photos show some interiors, visitors to the observation deck and a selection of the ESB during night and day, including the inevitable one of a lightning strike.

   Perhaps the most intriguing item is on page twenty-six, it shows a page from a typewritten record of the construction by Starrett Brothers and Eken. There are seventy-seven of these pages and photos which were rediscovered in the mid-nineties and reproduced in 'Building The Empire State' by Carol Willis (ISBN 0393730301) a fascinating celebration of this stunning skyscraper.

No comments about New York City (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides).

5 comments about City Wedding: A Guide to the Best Bridal Resources in New York, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

1. Elise & Joan: I bought this book for a friend of mine in NYC and you saved her marriage. It's a long journey from engaged to married and you've put together a thorough "road-map" of NYC wedding resources that eased a lot of stress, saved a lot of time, and reminded people that this is supposed to be fun. Brava!



2. All marriages should be founded on a wedding by these authors. Funny, funky, to-the-point but stylish, this book is a must-have for the hippest and haughtiest couples to tie the knot in the Tri-State area. And I should know. I've been married three times in all three states! Hopefully, Number Four will be the winner, thanks to Proulx and Hamburg!



3. I thought this book was a complete waste of money! This book mentioned very few reception sites in each state. The reception sites that were mentioned were sites that anyone from the New York area would be aware of. If you're from the NY Metro area you probably won't benefit from this book. I did give "Everything You Need to Know to Have a Wedding in N. Y., N. J., CT" 2 stars because I'm sure it would help someone who is NOT from New York plan a New York wedding.



4. I used this book and found a few great resources through it. I was disconcerted by the lack of research done by the staff, however. One Brooklyn photographer had never shot a wedding before but said she was put in the book because she had done good editorial work that one of the researchers knew about. I used an ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING videographer, Maria Quiroga, whose name I got from the book. Quiroga's prices were TOTALLY OFF in the book, however, and Quiroga had never been contacted by the authors. She was surprised to see her name listed. The book also listed the Chemist's Club, which is a pretty little place, but too small for all but the smallest weddings. Meanwhile, the Yale Club, which is near to it, larger and cheaper was left out. Emphasis is also on high end wedding vendors who are easy enough to find on own's own.



5. this book was a tremendous disappointment in that it listed fairly standard sites and venues, and was not at all comprehensive. there is nothing here that you won't with a cursory look through one of ny edition bridal magazines.

No comments about Zagat 1989 New York City Restaurant Survey (Zagat Survey: New York City Restaurants).

No comments about Where the Ball Drops: Days and Nights in Times Square.

No comments about The Day-Tripper's Guide to New York City.

No comments about Warren County New Jersey Pocket Map.

No comments about Frommer's Walking Tours: New York (Frommer's Walking Tours S.).

4 comments about Frommer's New York City 2006 (Frommer's Complete).

1. I recently had a brief vacation in New York City. I used this volume to help orient me (I have been in NYC before on many occasions, so I was not entirely clueless!). Overall, the book is a real plus for those who want to identify an agenda beforehand.
   
   The book does a nice job of laying out restaurants, hotels, sites to visit, ways of touring the city, and so on. There are so many possible places to visit, eat, and stay that no volume can cover things completely.
   
   Nonetheless, this book is a good resource to begin planning a vacation in the Big Apple. It's well worth purchasing as a means of figuring out the basic outlines of a visit to New York.



2. This book had me more informed than some of the New Yorkers I spoke with during my trip. While on one of the double-decker tour buses, I was able to follow along with the easy to read map included with the book and garnered information about various sites that the tour guide did not even address!
   
   The information about prices, hours of operation, hotels, and necessities was accurate and much appreciated by our group. My friends joked about my preparedness, but no one was sorry when we always knew where we were going, what it would cost to enter and how long we could stay. The tips about avoiding lines and how to get better deals were also very much appreciated!



3. Easy to use-very informative. A good guide for a first time visitor. organized by interest groupings (dining, lodging, neighborhoods, etc) which makes it easy to find a specific subject.



4. I bought this book this summer when I moved to NYC hoping to do some sightseeing and discover the city. The book has good information, it was just really out of date. It seems like everyhting I did from the book, the price or location was different from that printed or it was closed. I realize that happens, but for it to happen pretty consistently is a problem.