5 comments about Subwayland: Adventures in the World Beneath New York.

1. I've traveled a bit but I've never spent any time in NYC. I am going to spend a week in the city in October and besides some good tour books I wanted to read something that made me feel like I lived in the city. This book was a nice journey. The essays are well written and amusing but also help explain, for those of us who live elsewhere some of the humanity and heart of the city and why people love to live there...



2. new yorkers learned first hand how vital the iron horses are to the city when the mta went on strike for three days last year. i have never taken the work the subway operators do for granted. coming from a small town, i think it's cool to jump on the train at any time and go anywhere. of all the transportation systems i have ridden, MBTA, Chicago Transit Authority, San Francisco MUNI, Paris Metro, London Underground, etc, mta transit is hands down the best...randall kennedy's essays cover the exploits of the subway workers, the people who ride the trains and the underground characters who bring life to the subway. kennedy, a new york times writer, also gives you a history of the new york city subway, which is also quite cool...it was interesting to discover that the g train is the only train that doesn't go into manhattan or that the travel time on the a train can take over an hour, it being the longest route in the subway system, going from queens to manhattan or that the mayor rides the iron horse once a week...this book is cool...



3. This is a great book and a fun read by Randy Kennedy. I'd never read his Tunnel Vision article before, but am certainly glad that he compliled a bunch of them to form this great little book.
   
   Kennedy approaches the articles a sort of "snapshots" into the often strangish world of the Subway. Although he doesn't come out and directly say it, you can tell from the flavor of the whole book that on pretty much any given day you can find more diverse things going on in the subway than virtually anywhere else in the world. Bill Cosby said it better when he said, "If you plan on moving into New York City, don't bring a lot of money with you. They've got all the entertainment in the world here for just [$2] - just ride any of the subway cars they have here!" Kennedy makes this all come alive by sharing the daily workings of New York's underground railed caverns: most of which, if they happened anywhere else, you'd be sending people off to asylums.
   
   But that might paint the book as too much of a 'book about insanity' when really it's a lot more. Kennedy shares about not only about the odd things and people who ride on the subways, but about the track workers, conductors, lost and found workers, repair workers, etc., all who keep the world's largest subway system running. And sometimes, running smoothly.
   
   I've only lived in New York City (mostly Brooklyn) for about three years now, but even in that short time I've seen a lot of the things that Kennedy talks about in his book - in fact one of my favorite things about reading the book was being like "Hey! I know that guy!" (the saw player, et. al) or "I've seen that!" (the track tester train, which I've seen three times, et. al.).
   
   I think that the most satisfying part of the book for me was when Kennedy talked about "pre-walking" (wherein you know which part of the platform your exit will be on and walk to that spot before you even get on a trian to begin your journey if there's no train in the station to leap onto). I started pre-walking after only riding the subway for about four months because it just makes sense. Most people I get on the subway with, even people who live here, look at me like I'm crazy when I arrive on the platform and just keep walking...this book has validated my pre-walking life. THank you Randy Kennedy.
   
   If you're reading this book before you come out to NYC, read close his chapter on Helpful Tips for the First-Time Traveler, and no irritated New Yorker will give you the rules in a much ruder fashion. One thing that I will say though that I'm not sure Kennedy mentions in the book. That is this: if you get lost on the subway, just ask someone where to go. People are used to having people ask, and are usually very friendly and more than willing to help out.
   
   Great book!



4. A colleague of mine taught this book to a class of new immigrants. As a daily denizen of the NYC subway system, I wondered if they really would want to read about the very thing they had to grudgingly trudge through to get to class (or read on it on the way).
   
   "It's fun," she said. "Read it, you'll see!"
   
   Two years after I quit that teaching job, I finally read the book. I wish I hadn't waited so long. For one, it would have been more timely, as the book is essentially a collection of NYTimes columns from 2000-2004. But more importantly, my colleague was right - it is a lot of fun. Kennedy catches the character (and characters) of the subway with flair, pathos, and a strong reporter's eye (to the point of that stodgily self-referential first-person "the reporter" when he finds himself in his stories).
   
   In Kennedy's hands, the subway is a 500-mile-long Coney Island, with a strange (but all too recognizable to any New Yorker) assortment of heroes, bums, workers, entertainers and representatives of both sides of the law. As could be guessed by its time period, it ends with a section of pieces from the aftermath of 9/11, but even then things never get too heavy; at its heart the book is 225 pages of a transplant's love of the city under the City (Kennedy's from Texas), a fun, elucidating read for any immigrant, whether from Korea or Kansas.



5. A collection of short NY Times essays, these were fun to read and finally answered the question I've always had about the Knickerbocker sign at the Grand Central/Times Sq. train platform. Not really a historyof the subway, but a nice sampling of stories of the subway and it's users/inhabitants/workers.

3 comments about New York City Laminated Pocket Map by Pocket-Pilot.

1. ... be it as a newbie or not, it is this map. Accurate, perfect format, and above all, indestructible. Survived long days in my pockets without wear or tear, and continues to draw jealous looks from everyone with a crumpled and dog-eared paper pocket map ;-)



2. This really is a great little NYC map. It unfolds and refolds easily without that frustrating 'which part do I fold in now?' experience traditionally associated with folding maps. The lamination ensures that it won't suffer from wear and tear. Get one!



3. I was blown away with all the info they crammed into a two sided page that folds up to 3" x 4" pocket size & it's water proof too. I can't imagine what you'd need that this little map doesn't have. One side includes the "street" map with a list of all the "main" street names & guides for all the sights along with the NY City subway routes.
   
   The other side includes day trip suggestions, top sights to see and this larger map covers NYC and all the surrounding areas ... The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan Midtown, Financial District, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greenwich Village, SoHo and a bit of info about each including subway info.
   
   This map also has facts of all kinds about the city ie: history & statistics, climate, airport info, and my favorite ... listings of all the museums/galleries, music/theaters/opera, skyscrapers, parks/gardens/zoos, annual festivals/festivities, & other sights with a brief explanations of each and their location on the map.
   
   I bought several books at the same time I bought this map. I've been studying this map and charting on my trip and haven't even looked at the books yet. This map is really all you need unless you want to read up on the history of sites before you arrive. DS

3 comments about Streetwise Brooklyn Map - Laminated City Street Map of Brooklyn, New York - with integrated subway station locations.

1. This map was not at all helpful. The text is small. It splits the borough in half vertically with one half on one side and the other half on the flip side of the map. I have found other maps that are much more user-friendly especially for individuals who are not very familiar with Brooklyn.



2. To add to the criticism of this map, it does not have the directions of one way streets on it. The Streetwise Manhattan has little arrows on all the one way streets, and this is even more crucial for navigating in Brooklyn!
   
   I would definitely pick out a map in a store and then buy it online if it's cheaper.



3. I loved Streetwise Manhattan so I bought this. What a disapointment! The main strength of Streetwise is the integration of Streets and Subways. But Streetwise Brooklyn actually leaves off some subway stations! Ever try to mark up a laminated map to add a stop? Doesn't work, and neither does this map. And the north/south split just doesn't work for Brooklyn. Also, the trains to Brooklyn changed when the Manhattan bridge re-opened to subway traffic, so where's a new edition? Do get the Manhattan version, it's complete and works great, but skip Brooklyn.

1 comments about Streetwise Queens Map - Laminated City Street Map of Queens, New York.

1. I've used the Streetwise maps for New York (Manhattan and Queens), Chicago, London and Dublin and I've found them extremely useful. One measure of how good they are is how unobtrusively they work their way into your trip. The maps are compact (fit in an inside jacket pocket - good for hiding your tourist status!), contain all the right information (great overlay of subway and street information - in the New York case, probably better than their transit map) and extremely durable laminate (minimal wearing at the folds). Great map.

1 comments about Streetwise Long Island Map - Laminated City Street Map of Long Island, New York - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated LIRR tracks & stations.

1. This map was accurate and really helped us get around the island. The laminated finish is the best feature. You can use it over and over, it doesn't tear and is very easy to refold.

5 comments about The History and Stories of the Best Bars of New York.

1. Jef Klein sure knows how to put the reader in the story-or bar in this case - I thoroughly enjoyed "touring" the old glory days as well as the existing booths at some of the most interesting places NYC has to offer. I've made a list of which ones I plan to visit first- most notably the places with deep carpets, mood music, thick leather seats, soft lighting,and perhaps a celebrity or two (just for atmosphere). Thanks JK for a lovely evening! -RG



2. I had already heard these stories about the usual suspects ("21". King Cole Bar. Fraunces Tavern. The Algonquin Hotel.)... I was looking for other bars that aren't in every other book about famous NYC bars. Basically there are no bars here that are less than 20 years old. Which is sad, because these are amazing too, and have not been done to death. Where is Red Rock West Saloon in Chelsea, which is an amazing and gorgeous place to photograph (with fire-breathing barmaids)? Flute (W. 54th St location) which at one time was owned by Texas Guinan and was a speakeasy? The Ava Lounge, an art deco masterpiece on top of the Dream Hotel?
   
   Basically, this is a pretty good book if you want to read about bars you already know about, but it doesn't take any chances with the "new" generation of what, I think, are the real "Best Bars of New York" around.



3. Mr. Klein has done a remarkable job of bringing to life some of the most well known bars and restaurants of New York to life in this photographic collection. Revisit the glory days of historic New York with this title. Each bar or restaurant has its own individual chapter, detailing the history of the location through pictures and antidotes. This form allows a more intimate introduction for the reader, especially if you are not terribly familiar with the business.
   
   This is a must have for anyone's personal collection, would make a beautiful gift for those that enjoy a leisurely stroll through history with entertaining captions along with a healthy dose of beautifully taken photographs. This is one title I highly recommend.



4. So glad I bought this book and can think of several people it would make a great gift for. I plan to use it as the basis of a few tours of New York (though at this point in my life, I'll only be sipping water at the later stops). What a fun thing to do with out-of-town guests--and the book will make you an excellent tour guide, as it contains so many great stories. You can tell that the author, Jef Klein, is a former bartender and somebody who knows and loves New York. Her passion for these places is contagious--it makes you want to visit them...or maybe head to your neighborhood bar and become part of the lore. The photos by Cary Hazlegrove are also incredible, and one of the great things is that they're in black and white, which is so fitting for the book's sense of history.



5. I've only been to New York one time and that was for a short stay on business so I didn't have a lot of time to experience the nightlife in the "city that never sleeps." But, when I do go back, I will be armed and ready with a great reference tool, "Best Bars of New York", by Turner Publishing Group. This is a gorgeous, hardcover book, loaded with great photography along with stories and histories about some of the top nightspots in the Big Apple. The locations in this book aren't the trendy, here today-gone tomorrow type places, but rather the long-established businesses that are often off the beaten track and known only to the locals...but not anymore thanks to Jef Klein's fascinating research.
   
   Klein interviewed people at over 50 locations in preparation for his book, and the stories are truly mesmerizing. As a history buff who loves to visit local historical spots when I travel, Klein's book is the perfect offering, presenting clubs, taverns, and bars that have been around for decades, sometimes centuries! Klein doesn't give you just listings of establishments with notes on fare and prices...it's not a traveller's guide per se. Rather, Klein gives readers and inside and intimate look at the thirty bars that made the cut. You'll learn about the history of each one, and hear stories as if you were sitting barside, talking to the chatty barkeep.
   
   Liquor has been dispensed at 279 Water St since 1794. The site on the waterfront is now the Bridge Café. The site has a history that is colorful to say the least. It was formerly the site of a bordello in the 1850's. When it was purchased in 1979 by the current owners, basement excavation turned up artifacts dating to not long after the revolutionary War period! Today, the café is romantic and elegant, perhaps haunted by a ghost or two, but much more quite than it was a couple of hundred years ago.
   
   Chumley's is one of the more unique bars in the book...a former speakeasy, it has no name outside to identify itself, only the number "86" on the door...one of two doors with the same number, often leading to embarrassing mistakes. The bar had secret exits so its patrons could get out quickly during prohibition-era police raids. The bar was a popular spot among literary figures and the likes of Hemingway, Kerouac, Faulkner, Mailer, Steinbeck, and many others, all tipped a drink there.
   
   The building that is now home to the Corner Bistro has been there since 1827. It's become a West Village establishment that has been frequented by the famous including James Baldwin, Bobby Timmons, Miles Davis. Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro.
   
   In all, thirty bars are covered, from meeting places of the rich and powerful, to neighborhood hangouts, Jef Klein brings you all of their unique tales. Take this book with you on your next trip to New York and start your journey to all of these bars!
   
   Reviewed by Tim Janson

5 comments about Brooklyn Then and Now (Then and Now).

1. The greatest borough of the greatest city on Earth deserves its own special history, and Marcia Reiss has provided it. BROOKLYN THEN AND NOW is a reminder that Manhattan is not the only place that underwent enormous changes over the last century and a half. Capturing Brooklyn in recent photos and juxtaposing them with shots of the same area 50, 75, 100 or 125 earlier, dramatizes the growth that Brooklyn (the fourth largest city in America before the 1898 consolidation) experienced. It's too bad that you can't "take a look inside" this book on this website, but take my word for it, it's jammed with great photos!



2. I was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and so enjoyed looking at pictures of places I knew as a child-- a nice contrast of way back when and today. My family lived in North & South Williamsburg from the 1820s to 1920s before heading to Sunset Park, Bay Ridge and Glendale. I really enjoyed seeing the photos along with an explanation of how the neighborhoods have changed. I bought an extra book to give to a friend who grew up in Sheepshead Bay/Marine Park/Coney Island. A nice compendium. :>)



3. This volume bests many other photographic books about Brooklyn because the book format is large and "landscape" shape (the photos measuring 10 x 6.75" inches), the individual photos are sharp (where other books too often have muddy reproduction), the subject matter is interesting, and the captions accurate. I think I know my Brooklyn, as I have explored it for sixty years. I have not yet found an error in the text. Because the author usually positions the camera in the "now" scene close to where it was in the "then" scene, the photos are exceptionally interesting. For instance, page 86 shows the Hanover Club, Bedford and Rodney Street, in 1893. The "now" photo shows it as a yeshiva, with the details of the pedestrian, the "Don't walk" signs, and yellow school bus. A "circa 1908" photo of Times Plaza shows the same Interborough head building (then a fare collection area) that I walked past last month. The author earns extra stars for including people in most photos. This book is far more than a book of Brooklyn buildings. The streets are alive!



4. I wish I could share the enthusiasm some of the other reviews have, but I found this book somewhat disappointing. There are some interesting shots, yes, but many of them are stock photos you've already seen if you own earlier books on the subject. I also would have preferred less shots of scenes that haven't changed from then to now. Additionally, all the "now" pictures were taken in the summer, so in many instances trees obscure almost the entirety of what the photographer means to showcase. What's the point of that? Why not wait a few months so that the scene is visible? It exemplifies the somewhat slapdash feel of this book.



5. Wonderful collection of historical photo's alongside a current day view of the same location. A must have for anyone interested in the history of Brooklyn.

No comments about City in Time: New York (City in Time).

4 comments about Lonely Planet New York City Encounter.

1. I was recently in the area for a business trip and had a couple days to spend in the City. LP's "NYC Encounter" book was invaluable as a quick resource for addresses, the subway map, and highlights of the more touristed Manhattan districts. To its credit, and unlike many other guides which believe visitors have no business leaving Manhattan, it also included a brief overview of some Brooklyn sights. For a short visit I found New York City Encounter perfect, but when I return for a longer visit a more detailed guide would work better- hopefully with more coverage of the other boroughs.



2. Very Useful Guide to the Big Apple, it includes pretty much all you need: metro maps, street maps, major attractions, descriptions, and properly selected Tips. Unfortunately no real insider news.
   The chosen listing into different districts is great since it shows detail maps for every sightseing spot shown in every district, a rip out full fold map of manhatten is included though too.
   Negative:
   The suggested "hot clubs" are the common meat markets of the city. The recommended "harlem soul food restaurant" disappointed as well Nothing special...
   
   Buttom Line:
   
   For a short trip to NYC this Book is all you need. Major phone numbers, sight seeing, tips to save money, culture, arts, shopping you'll find it all! To find the really sneaky places you have to talk to the locals!



3. It is a small book, but it did a pretty good job in providing readers necessary information on where to go with clear metro map on the back. I found the color-coded pages are quite easy for me to scout a district. The only drawback may be it's a little bit official.



4. It includes information about museums, etc, divided by zones, but I think not so good restaurant and bar choices.

2 comments about 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: New York City: with northern New Jersey, southwestern Connecticut, and western Long Island.

1. You would think that a hike in New York City would take you from say Central Park to Battery Park along the sidewalks. To my surprise, the Brooks have found all of these hikes within a reasonable distance from the city. As a for instance, the Pelham Bay Park is 2,766 acres in size with 13 miles of shoreline. It's also reachable by public transport. (Take the #6 train followed by the Bx29 bus.) The hiking there is flat, shoreline and all that. Or there's Norvin Green where you'll need sturdy hiking shoes, and find multiple deep-water streams to cross in a 9.3 mile up and down trail. Other hikes include wildlife refuges, state forests, national recreation areas, swamps, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, ocean shores. You can get away from the concrete.
   
   As a book, the layout makes it easy to find things. The overall maps lead you to the general area you may find interesting. The descriptions of each of the 60 hikes includes a description, a detailed map of each, elevation profile, and directions - usually by automobile and public transport. As the back cover says, If you live near NYC, get it.



2. Christopher Brooks surely did his homework in writing 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: New York City: with northern New Jersey, southwestern Connecticut, and western Long Island. The details on the many hikes in the Tri State area are very helpful. One can easily trace around the suggested trails that Brooks provides. Also Brooks adds a little history to many of the recommended trails.
   
   He gives equal emphasis to New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island, and the Hudson Region. Also a comprehensive index is provided so the reader can easily distinguish flat hikes from vigorous climbs to ones to bring the children on. Every base is covered as this book is a fantastic guide for anyone looking to explore new hiking trails in the New York area.