1 comments about Hagstrom New York City 5 Boro Atlas: Large Type (Hagstrom New York City Five Borough Atlas (Laminated)).

1. Very good seller. Timely delivery of product with quality as promised.

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

2 comments about New York: Photographs Celebrating the Celebrity of Cities.

1. There are about 32 pictures total each of which seem like they were photos pasted onto the pages. That's one of the reasons I bought the book. The photos and the way they were printed are beautiful.
   
   On the other hand, the accompanying text ranges from awful to average. Some of it has barely a connection to the photo and many have little to do with people. Some gems include cheezy puns such as this text which accompanies a picture of the bronze bull statue near Wall Street: "in the aftermath of the attacks ... in Septmber 11, it was hard to be bullish." And this text which accompanies a picture of lower Manhattan from the tip to the Brooklyn Bridge: "Here we are looking chiefly at Manhattan". And they are mistaken to say Manhattan is 23 sq miles in size; it is 33 sq miles. There is also an excessive use of commas.
   
   I understand only a limited number of pictures can be included in the book but since Hoberman is an accomplished aerial photographer, I have to ask where are aerial pictures of buildings in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens? Where is the Holland Tunnel? These are places I associate with ordinary New Yorkers (and their commuting neighbors).



2. This lovely tribute to the city of New York, dedicated to the innocents who were so cruelly murdered in the September 11 attacks on the US, is a moving, heartfelt ode to the greatest of American cities. The photography and production values of this book are incredible beyond the ability of mere words to describe. The text is moving without being cloying or sappy, and adds to the photography without overpowering it. This book also includes several photographs of the Twin Towers that were not included in the Hobermans' hardcover edition, "New York", a massive 160+ page book that is well worth purchasing. I highly recommend "New York: A Tribute to the City and its People" for those who want to remember the Big Apple the way it was. And will be again...

2 comments about The Big Onion Guide to Brooklyn: Ten Historic Walking Tours.

1. Take a narrowed focus on Brooklyn, New York alone, put it in a tall but narrow pocket-sized take-along tote, add historic photos from the Brooklyn Historical Society along with maps and directions, and you have created a walking tour guide unique in its approach and scope, with The Historic Walking Tours: Big Onion Guide To Brooklyn. Several pages of fuzzy printing mid-book don't but temporarily mar the success of a wonderful little guide probing many historic neighborhoods and buildings.



2. As a fellow tour guide, I know Big Onion does good work, and this is no exception. As a rival tour guide (New York Like a Native), I'll also suggest that this book, like any guidebook, is no substitute for a live guided tour. There are a couple of errors (but not at an unacceptable level). More importantly, any tour enshrined in a book is already out of date--for example, a tour of Fort Greene & Clinton Hill should address the looming Nets arena complex. And any book has space limits; this omits numerous streets, buildings, institutions, and bars/restaurants/stores I'd want to mention.

No comments about Rand McNally New York City, Metro Area Counties, Long Island New York: Regional Map (Rand McNally).

1 comments about Frommer's Portable New York City 2007 (Frommer's Portable).

1. Take the United States' largest city, limit yourself to 200 pages, and then write in a style that never fails to state and then restate the obvious, and you have this embarrassment of a travel guide, published by the usually reliable folks at Frommer's. While having the distinction of being a slightly better guide than either the Portable Paris or Portable London volumes, this is not high praise, since the aforementioned guides are among the worst ever written. Still, the author of this guide provides largely accurate information, something lacking in big dollops in the London and Paris attempts.
   
   The problem with this New York edition is that its subject simply cannot be well-covered in 200 pages. And it would be interesting to know who edits these books, although it would be no surprise to find it was Edward Scissorhands. The narrative is choppy and incohesive, and the information provided- while accurate- is woefully incomplete. A traveler simply could not make an informed hotel or dining choice by using this guide, and isn't that sort of Travel Guide Book 101?
   
   It has been suggested that this writer has overly carped about the poor selections included in this series' Paris and London volumes, but here it is less the inclusions than the omissions that cause concern. In a city this size, it must indeed have been formidable, for instance, to try to recommend restaurants in every part of Manhattan of every variety in every price range. But if one chooses to include Wondee Siam (very fine, by the way) and omit Per Se and Le Bernadin, there is simply no way one will not look particularly foolish (and while I am thrilled that the under-appreciated Aquavit got a nod, it is virtually inconceivable that the Arctic char is what the author chose to recommend since this restaurant brims to overflowing with innovative Scandinavian cuisine).
   
   There is nothing in this guide that you probably don't already know if you are above the age of twelve. Apparently, this is Frommer's attempt to take advantage of what the editors perceive as our "sound bite" mentality and give us an MTV version of a truly symphonic city. What a shame!

No comments about Quick Escapes New York City, 6th: Getaways from the Big Apple (Quick Escapes Series).

1 comments about New York.

1. In "New York" the architectural landscapes and skylines of the city of New York are showcased in the cover-to-cover photography of Christopher Bliss. All five of the boroughs comprising "The Big Apple" are represented both in terms of their downtown and uptown landmarks, as well as the brownstone neighborhoods. A tribute to the diversity and vitality of the nation's premier city, "New York" could well serve as a template for how other major American cities could be (and should be!) photographically documented.

No comments about Time Out Shortlist New York 2009 (Time Out Shortlist).

1 comments about Barnes & Noble Complete Illustrated Map and Guidebook to Central Park.

1. This is a supurb directory to the joys of New York's Central Park. What could be nicer than to know where things are to plan your park experience. I love this book and refer to it often.