New York Books

Many players played for the Pied Piper(Holcombe Rucker).No one was has great as him though.He was a great man and founder of the Rucker Tournament.Most people who ended up playing in the Rucker Tournamet was better then most players in the NBA.They first started playing just in Harlem,New York then went to playing more teams in New York then more and more teams.They played as far as Mississippi.

this book talks about problems the players and coaches had with racism.Most players got started in the Rucker Park Tournament.After the park tournament they went on to college ball even some went to the NBA!
Asphalt Gods by Vincet M. Mallozziwas a great book about players before professional ball games.This book is a excellent book to pick up and read.

An excellent book. Well worth the read. Great read on the history of the fabled blacktop and the man who dedicated himself to making a difference in people lives. Great read on some of the characters to grace the early days of the tournament. you won't be dissapointed getting this book

Asphalt Gods is the best book on the planet.If you love basketball you should read this book.It is a true story which took place at Rucker Park.Rucker Park is named after the brother named Holcombe Rucker.Who was born in Harlem on March 2,1926.He was raised by his grandmother.It is interesting because Mr.Rucker brought some of the best players ever to play there.

I've read Heaven is a Playground, City Game, and seen On Hallowed Ground, for anyone that is a "real" basketball fan this is by far the "BEST" story of the best streetball.

Great subject, great storytelling. By the way, I played with Rucker legend Billy Rieser (aka White Jesus) and he was hands down the most incredible basketball talent and the most compelling personality I have ever been around. His story is worthy of a volume in itself.

I Just returned from 1 week business/pleasure visit to New York and I found this guide full of good recommendations and descriptions were accurate. Better than Lonely Planet or Time Out's, which I also bought. Quite a useful guide with plentiful restaurant, watering hole and sight-seeing suggestions. It's replete with valuable information about attractions, hotels, eateries, shops, spas, etc. Beyond this, however, the layout is terrific, and the book is remarkably easy to use as a result. The maps, in particular, are helpful.I'd definintely purchase an Avant Guide guidebook again. I am happy to say that this book was by far the best single-city guide I used.

I am a big fan of the Avant-Guides. I used this book almost exclusively for a trip to NYC in the spring of 2002--thus some of the information had changed. Otherwise I would have rated it at a 5 star. The information on the museums and where to get the best deal on theater ticket was very helpful. I have since ordered the guides for Las Vegas, New Orleans and Toronto in hopes of finding the same cool, underground type of information provided for NYC. PLEASE--do guides for Montreal, Washington D.C. and Seattle.

I love to travel and I love guidebooks. This one is the best series Ive seen. it makes me laugh, has a great senseability about the places I like and really feels like it was written by a friend. I never write these reviews, but Im inspired to write this one because the book is so good.

Honestly, I've been living in New York for the past two years, and I think I have a reasonably fair grasp on its nighlife, restaurants, whathaveyou. Not only did this book have a listing of some of my favorite spots, but it talked about some places I wish I'd known about earlier. Some good stuff here.

when we first scanned this guide we thought perhaps we were too old to appreciate it {my husband and I are in our fifties]. However, we loved every bit of it and were especially helped in terms of what not to do or where not to eat.

Ms. Sheridan really brought this book into my heart. She knew exactly how to make me feel for these brave men and after I was done reading I really wanted to know more because I truly felt connected with them. Excellent book and I do recommend anyone wanting to read a book about the FDNY to read this book first!!!!!

This is a truly heart-wrenching story of the pipers and drummers pf the FDNY pipe band. Written in a strong journalistic style, the suthor really conveys the strength of these men and their close relationships.

While she gets a few details of uniform (shawls for piper's plaids) and piping (puffing on their pipes) wrong, she's really captured the feelings of these men who face danger and death on a daily basis.

From the first page, I was hooked. I felt like I was living that day all over again. This time, I wasn't sitting in my home in Seattle in shock and horror, I was in New York with an emotional connection to the families mentioned in the book and those not mentioned. I have a new found respect for all fire fighters. I already have a great deal of respect for those who put there lives on the line for any job but now it's impossible to put into words the level of respect I have for them.

This book WILL take you on an amazing emotional journey.

This book is very powerful. I picked this book up and thought it would be an interesting read then I could not believe how moved I would become. It is well written and allows the reader to get close to the men and their families. The readers anxiety grows as the date of September 11 approaches. I had to put the book aside a few times and remind myself of the gratitude I feel toward the brave men who gave their lives to save others and inspiration from those who survived and went back to look for family members, friends and complete strangers in order for those who were murdered to be laid to rest properly. The unity and brotherhood of the elite group of bagpipe players is inspirational. Thank you to the author for allowing readers to gain a new perspective of the days following September 11 and what the FDNY suffered. I felt as though I knew these men personally.

Bagpipe Brothers: The FDNY Band's True Story Of Tragedy, Mourning, And Recovery is the true story New York City's Emerald Society Bagpipe Band, who used their instruments to mourn in the and show their respect at the funerals for the victims of the 9/11 attacks, including the 343 firefighters who died and those who were unearthed from the rubble at ground zero. The band itself lost one of its own from the attacks, as well as the brother of a member; Bagpipe Brothers recounts in vivid detail the emotions, experiences, terrible grief and striving to help any way one can in the wake of tragedy. A profound and powerful tribute to both the lost and the survivors struggling to cope.

Battling For Souls: The Vaad Hatzala Rescue Committee In Post-War Europe by academician and historian Alex Grobman tells the story of the men, women, and rabbinical leaders of the Vaad Hatzala Rescue Committee, who strived to keep and nourish the spark of Jewish spirit in the hearts of survivors in the wake of the unspeakable atrocities of the Holocaust. A mission that sustained itself despite lack of funds and even in the face of open hostility, from both local populations and other Jewish organizations, The Vaad Hatzala Rescue Committee battled tirelessly for nothing less than Jewish souls. An eye-opening true story of group dedication, determination and purpose.

In all the sectarian arguments about who did what after the Nazi assault on the Jews, Alex Grobman has written a book guided by truth. He tells it as it is, and we are all in his debt.

Rabbi Nisson Wolpin, Editor, The Jewish Observer, official English-language publication of the Agudath Israel World Organization, New York, NY.



Battling for Souls gives us a new perspective on the history of the post-WWII period and the activities of Orthodox Jewry in America and in Europe. Dr. Grobman's research reveals new aspects of the Vaad Hatzala's activities and those of other relief organizations that have never been available to historians before. This unprecedented presentation helps us understand some of the residual misgivings different populations have about each other in today's Jewish community. These misgivings were based on conclusions from false assumptions. This book clears the air.

Dr. Grobman has written an incisive book on the little known and, until now, much maligned role of the Vaad Hatzala in the rescue of Jews in the dark days of the Shoah and subsequently. Battling for Souls is a riveting exposition of the emotional and spiritual damage-control effort of a small group of selfless people determined to return to the surviving victims that which was ripped from them by the Nazi beasts; their faith and religious self-esteem. For the first time in print, Grobman documents the yeoman efforts of the Vaad to provide spiritual sustenance to the survivors, something that was "overlooked" by other rescue organizations.

Rabbi Yale B. Butler

In this fascinating and well-written book, Alex Grobman chronicles the important work of the Vaad Hatzala during the Holocaust and its assistance to Jewish survivors after Liberation, in particular the DP Camps in the American Zone in Germany. As a small child, who was raised as a religious Zionist and survived the Holocaust, I passed through several DP camps including the Neue Freimann DP Camp, where I experienced first-hand the religious support that the Vaad gave to surviving children and adults. Alex Grobman brings to life the Vaad's main activists and presents the chronology of important events, important locations, and numerous photos.

tao lin's bed is prolific in a way that separates him from the traditional style of today's modern contemporary authors. his loosely structured almost stream of conscious syntax and innovative diction emphasize the jaded apathy of his generation, characters who have at young ages resigned all hope of finding passion, and seem to exist only in the perpetual motion of living. they are accepting but child-like and seeking consolation in the seemingly insignificant, barren corners of insipid daily routine. with just the right balance of sardonic humor, numbness, and melancholy, tao lin's bed speaks to the beginning of a new literary movement.

Bed is NOT a hospital bed, it is much much more than that. The goal it has tried to achieved is the usefullness of an adjustable bed coupled with the luxury of a top quality mattress. Bed is powered using the latest in German technology. What this means is Bed is very quiet when adjusting to it. Bed can be adjusted to for any number of purposes, I suppose people with medical conditions are in mind, but that said Bed would be ideal if you like to use your laptop in bed. Bed features two seperately adjustable single mattresses combined into one frame. This means you can adjust to Bed in one position while your partner can have it in another.

I feel like a jerk for being surprised that such a young writer could do what Tao Lin does. The beginnings of the stories in Bed make me feel like I am an ant being picked up and dropped in a swimming pool in New Jersey. The middles and ends of the stories in Bed make me feel like I am an ant not quite dying for some reason, in a swimming pool in New Jersey, hearing muzak being piped in from underwater speakers. They are all slightly different from one another. They are all good.

I was looking for the garden, but I guess since I am here I will tell you about this book. This book is unbridled imagination. If imagination were a horse, this book would be a pretty white horse in the middle of Mall of America, shy and blushing a little, alone and unable to handle the existential anxiety of free will. The horse would headbutt a Jamba Juice stand, then apologize, then accidentally do something beautiful, then listen to sarcastic punk music (almost like that Vandals song, People Who Are Going to Hell) until the horse's brain is a calm white sphere with red dots.

I heard there were tomatoes in the garden. Where is the garden? Thank you.

i enjoyed this book. buy this book as a present for another person or yourself. buy it, do it, do it. you will feel good and surprised, maybe, to have it arrive in the mail. to feel really good you ought to buy it from an independent publisher because then you'll help decrease suffering, i think. this book makes me want to be nice to everyone, especially people who i think i don't like, which is silly because not liking other people is like not liking yourself, which is also possible but self-defeatist, um why does not being self-defeatist matter, uh i feel confused right now.

This book and its sequel, "Between the Woods and the Water," is truly a classic of the personal odyssey genre. Together they are the report by the English author of a diary he wrote between the ages of 19 and 22 while he walked from Holland to Istanbul. But he writes his report after a lengthy career in military service and, among other things, in journalism. The result combines the enthusiasm of a young student with the measured and spare prose of a seasoned and skilled veteran. The author as student is amazingly well schooled, even though thrown out of his public school. His reflections on what he sees are both erudite and almost poetic. (Read, e.g., the chapter, Prague Under Snow.) They don't serve as a normal travel guide, but they'll introduce you to the lands he traverses in a way that will make your own visit unusually well informed.

This is the continuation of, "A Time of Gifts." The English youth continues his walk across Europe to Constantinople. He picks up now in Austria, on to Hungary following the Danube valley. I wanted to quit reading this - page after page of allusions to east European history from Roman and pre-Roman times, Hungarian geography, reflections on Slavic languages. Esoterics I cannot appreciate. Still, they lured me and challenged me. These are places and these are people - Magyars and Gypsies - we seldom find in writing. We are introduced just as an era is about to end and everything is to change. It can be a book to go to bed with.

I got this book before Amazon existed and I've bought multiple copies since then.
Buy this and treasure it, give it to your friends.

`Between the Woods and the Water' is a delightful travelogue, even though the sites and sounds are long gone. Fermor paints a picture of the life every young man wants to lead - well-funded itinerant travel, nearly effortless sociability, and a seemingly endless nightlife. This is the ultimate "Wish You Were Here" card, well worth the read for anyone interested in travel, history, and tales of pre-war social frivolity in Eastern Europe.

The narrative structure took me by surprise. Almost every region receives a minor academic treatment prior to Fermor's personal tales: history, language, architecture, nature, fun and games, repeat. I found myself skimming past descriptions of birds and trees, but fascinated by the author's insights into the interplay of geography, language development, and regional history. And, of course, it is impossible not to be won over by the author's late nights, fleeting loves, and brief stays with forgotten royalty.

My father often told me that `On the Road' had a profound effect on him as a youth. `Between the Woods and the Water' has a similar effect on me, only later in life. After the reading the story I was offered a brief trip to Hungary which I could not pass up. Far from Fermor's experience, I was greeted with mindless business meetings, post-communism industrial architecture, a robbery, and small-scale street riots. In the end, my disappointment with reality deepened my appreciation of the book - a memorializing tale of a geography and way of life that no longer exists.

The title above is German for "Absolutely nothing!", Fermor's droll reply to "What are you studying?" when visiting a scholar with his newfound Transylvanian friend Istvan, who laughs about such blasphemy all the way back from the visit. The polymathic Fermor had contemplated his answer a few moments before answering-"Languages? Art? Geography? Folklore? Literature? None of them seemed to fit." The truth is, of course, as anyone who has read of anything of Fermor's knows full well, that Fermor has been studying all of these things, but with his own assiduous, unacademic zeal. This time he spent in Transylvania (The country's name meaning, as any first year Latinist would know, "Across the Woods") is by far my favourite: His escapades with Istvan, the fleeting amour with Angela, the effortless historical erudition about the region all make it exemplary of the book as a whole - which is not to slight the rest of it at all!

I disagree profoundly with the reviewers who take umbrage at Fermor's "esoteric" use of language and historic allusion. For the armchair traveler, these qualities make the book just that much more fun - Diving into the OED and various encyclopedias to thresh out some of the references.

The overall effect of this book, as with A Time of Gifts, is best likened to a friendly punch in the gut by an old chum. It takes you at unawares but leaves you invigorated and happy to be alive in the world. Yes, there are sadnesses to the book, not the least of which is that the beautiful View of the Danube near Regensburg on the cover of the NYRB edition is now underwater, lost forever; But as Fermor contemplates as his time with Angela draws to a close, "There are hours in life worth more than diamonds." This book is full of them!


And all these youths chain-smoking cigarettes! Perhaps the Surgeon General should put a warning label on the book lest a youth of today discover the vibrant meaning of carpe diem!

One gruesome story after another about the death and misery brought by those tiny critters we share the planet with-you'll look twice before you sit on a rock while camping or go swimming...or eat...or travel...not for the feint of heart

About: A very in depth look at the bites and stings of different animals and the diseases they may cause. Spiders, snakes, jellyfish, tsetse flies, cone snails, ticks, mosquitoes (including a particularly wonderful section on West Nile), Komodo dragons, alligators, crocodiles, seals, dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, camels, humans, monkeys, rabies, bird attacks and fish with spears are all covered. In fact, the only thing that I thought was missing was a section on sharks, but the addition of so many other biting animals more than make up for this omission. Besides, there are plenty of shark books, but this is the only book I've seen camel, donkey and seal bites addressed.

Pros: Engaging and fascinating. I looked forward to picking it up again after I put it down. Covers things I've never read about before. Scientific terms are clearly explained in the text as well as in the included glossary. Writing is very accessible. Great balance of science and anecdotes. Glossary, references.

Cons: A section on sharks was notably absent but this is a minor gripe considering what is covered

Grade: A+

Great book! Each chapter reads like a separate short story which makes it perfect for traveling.

If you like this genre of writing, you will enjoy this volume. Fascinating true stories, and yes, it would make a great travel guide for some.

_Bitten_ by Pamela Nagami, is a very interesting and well-researched popular science compilation of information and stories about just about every animal that stings, bites, or can carry infectious disease. Though a few are left out (notably sharks), a great many are included, each chapter often opening up with an interesting case history of a person afflicted by one of the animals in question, followed up by information on the organism, details on the disease that they may spread, and generally several other case histories of various patients throughout the world (some of which are from the author's own experiences as a practicing physician specialized in infectious disease). I found riveting not only some of the case histories but also the incredible medical detective stories, both those relating to saving patient's lives and in other instances the struggle to develop an anti-venom or to find the animal spreading a disease. Several chapters included information on what the reader should do when confronted by this animal (for example tips on safe tick removal and effective treatment for cat and dog bites). A helpful glossary and extensive bibliography are included.

The first several animals included in the book are dangerous mainly because of their venomous bites or stings, namely fire ants, several spider species, Portuguese man-of-war and various jellyfish species, cone snails, and a number of venomous snakes.

The fire ant chapter was illuminating. I was fascinated to learn that fire ants are even more trouble than I had imagined; livestock have been known to starve when fire ants render their food inaccessible, thousands of trout have been found that died from venom poisoning after eating swarms of winged males and queens that had flown into lakes, and fire ants, attracted to the warmth of heated asphalt, have caused rural roads to collapse as they built mounds beneath them, the undermined soil eventually subsiding and causing the road to collapse.

The chapter on spiders was also quite interesting. The reasons why small spider bites can cause such huge problems for victims is still incompletely understood, but may have to do with an enzyme found in some spider venom (such as that of the brown recluse) that attacks and dissolves cell membranes. This enzyme sets a victim's defenses against his or her own tissue, leading white blood cells to dissolve a victim's flesh. This necrotic arachnidism is a worldwide problem and there isn't any consensus on best treatment.

The next group of animals was largely included for the ability to transmit infectious disease. Included in this section are ticks, tsetse flies (with the emphasis being largely on sleeping sickness), and the sandfly (which spread leishmaniasis, parasitic diseases of the skin, moist membranes of the mouth and airway, liver, spleen, and bone marrow, caused by protozoa of the genus _Leishmania_ ). Also included was a chapter on the West Nile virus, a chapter which read like a medical thriller.

Tick paralysis was very interesting to read about. At first a rather mysterious paralytic illness, physicians discovered that an attached tick could cause a type of spreading paralysis in a person or in livestock, a completely debilitating and even potentially fatal paralysis yet one that can be stopped and completely reversed when the tick is found and removed (viewers of the show _House_ will remember a case of tick paralysis from the series; indeed many of the case histories sound like the opening segments of a _House_ episode, minus of course the misanthropic doctor).

It was sad to learn that human African trypanosomiasis (East African and West African sleeping sickness) was present on the continent since prehistoric times but only became widely disseminated when Africans left their ancestral homelands thanks to roads and railways brought by the Europeans during the colonial period, a problem exacerbated when what measure of disease control maintained by the empires collapsed during the civil wars and chaos left in the wake of the European withdrawal.

Massive efforts were made to control sleeping sickness, including for a time the draconian method of wholesale destruction of wild game. In addition to "being repugnant to practically everyone," these efforts were doomed to fail because the tsetse fly, when deprived of lions, hartebeests, and bushbucks, simply moved to smaller game, and in areas cleared of wildlife, humans and their livestock moved in, becoming replacement hosts themselves for the parasites. Nagami quoted from Dr. Robert Desowitz, the author of an essay on sleeping sickness ("The Fly Who Would Be King"), who noted that "the tsetse and the trypanosome are the most stalwart guardians of the African ecosystem and its magnificent wild fauna."

The final section looked at animals that pose a danger from the damage caused by their teeth and claws and from the infection of those wounds. Included in this section where chapters on the komodo dragon, alligators, crocodiles, dogs, cats, ferrets, rats, horses, donkeys, camels, garfish, seals, roosters, owls, monkeys, the wildlife that spreads rabies, and surprisingly humans (human bite injuries, particularly to the knuckle joint, can become infected with the bacterium _Eikenella corrodens_ which can cause irreversible damage).

I was surprised to read how vicious ferrets can be. In 1988 alone physicians in Denver, Colorado reported three cases of severe facial injuries to infants from attacks by pet ferrets. In one instance a three-month-old girl, placed in her crib with her bottle, was attacked by the family ferret which managed to climb in and a few minutes chew off forty percent of both her ears. Another patient, a baby girl, lost her nose to a ferret attack.

A very interesting series of chapters, the squeamish reader is warned about "seal finger" (a bacterial infection caused by seal bites, one that can cause swollen and stiff fingers and joints and pain so agonizing that sealers once amputated their own fingers for relief) and rats eating the flesh of sleeping people (those with nerve damage, such from diabetes and leprosy, are quite susceptible to rat attacks at night).

somebody told it like it is...The judicial system is not balanced and it never will be. Thanks judge for telling the truth!

As a New Yorker, I remember Judge Bruce Wright well. He was dubbed: "Cut 'em loose Bruce", because he often released arrested citizens without their having to post bail money. Mr. Wright upheld the law that bail is not to be used as a punishment, but only as a guarantee that the accused party return to court to face the charges against he/she. This infuriated the "powers-that-be". The fact that Judge Wright is a Black man, and many of those who came before him were also Black people, swayed the media to portray his actions as racially motivated, as opposed to his acknowledgement of the law. His book superbly reflects the blatant inequitableness of the criminal justice system and how it is purposely designed to work against Blacks and other people of color. His personal experiences, as a sitting judge, lend great credence to his analogy and conclusions concerning the legal system. Wright fearlessly gives names and elaborates on instances wherein he witnessed and experienced bias in the system. This book is not written in "textbook" fashion, provides some humorous irony and is very informative. Add it to your library.

I'm still reading this book. First time reading a book like this.This is one of the greatest. I recommend this book to be added to your library. It's gives truthful information of the legal system concerning the racism of blacks in the court system.

This book is an eye opener. It give you the truth behind the justice system from the perpective of a Sumpreme Court Judge who exposed the racism in the court system in New York. I never heard of Bruce Wright and happen I purchased this book. I have a lot of respect for the author.

somebody told it like it is...The judicial system is not balanced and it never will be. Thanks judge for telling the truth!

This was one of the few books that I have read in one sitting. The story and the characters come together to create one of the most exciting, intense, and provocative books that I have ever read. I cant wait till the movie comes out.

This is an exciting story of great success and great failure. The stories are fun and should be adopted into a movie!
Not as much blood as one would think but the heists they pulled: pretty interesting. Overall a decent read for a weekend. Enjoy

Very interesting topic and very interesting characters. I can't get over the fact that they are real characters.

I grew up in NY and had never heard of the Israeli mafia so I picked up this book out of curiosity.
Copeland does a fine job of relating the facts in the case of this violent organization that helped usher in the cocaine craze of the 1980s.
With the pen of a veteran reporter Copeland delivers a clear and fast paced narrative.

Thrilling and mesmerizing. Copeland tells the story of a fasinating character with remarkable attachment. Great Read!!!!

Carol von Pressentin Wright's BLUE GUIDE NEW YORK is a brilliant guide to the city and stands alone for historical perspective, cultural depth, and effective prose. Though I've lived in New York City for 12 years, this book serves as a constant companion, and I grab it nearly any time I walk out the door--every outing can now yield new layers of understanding of this, my adopted town. In the midst of a busy day, I might pass through, say, Union Square and take a moment to read the appropriate entry. Not only do I absorb details of architecture and city planning that previously eluded me, but also the whole checkered and colorful history of the place jumps to life.

Thus, I heartily recommend the book to all longer-term visitors and to those New York residents who yearn for a greater appreciation of home. Indeed, the richness of detail and comprehensive geographical coverage may actually render BLUE GUIDE less than ideal for the short-term visitor. (For those in need of a restaurant or hotel guide, there are more than enough lesser guides to fill the bill.)

One caveat. As an avid user of the 1991 2nd edition, I looked forward to the long overdue 2002 edition. With all due respect to the two new co-authors and their well-intentioned efforts, I believe that the newer, more user-friendly visual format actually decreases the book's effectiveness, as does the additional text, which lacks the consistently high critical standards of Wright's solo work. I recommend seeking out the 1991 edition (Amazon seems to offer several copies at reasonable prices). Whatever inconvenience is caused by the several outdated entries is outweighed by the ample rewards of the text.

Although Amazon lists only one author, the current edition of this book was actually revised and heavily rewritten by Stuart Miller and Sharon Seitz as a glance inside the book itself will reveal.

Co-authors of "The Other Islands of New York City" and individually authors of "Big Apple Safari for Families" (Seitz) and "Where Have All Our Giants Gone" (Miller), we streamlined many of the routes and shifted the emphasis of the book to add more on the boroughs outside of Manhattan and to add places that reflect previous oversights in terms of nature and of popular culture (places like CBGBs, for example).

All right, the most recent edition of the Blue Guide added CBGB's, an East Village rock, punk club that has now gone out of business. A few other establishments in the various editions of this fantastic guide are undoubtedly also no longer with us.

Having said that, even the oldest first and second editions (the latter, from 1991) are still incredibly useful, even timeless. For even they have listings of the most important sights in each of the city's five boroughs, a bevy of maps, lists of hotels and restaurants, sightseeing services, theaters, amusements, gardens, museums and so on.

But unlike the average, perfunctory city guide, this one (at least the 1991 edition) has more than 760 pages, including all the maps. And those pages also encompass a broad spectrum of architectural descriptions and historical events.

Not only buildings and the like are described here. So are whole parks, streets and districts, along with detailed pointers on all the exterior and interior trivia one could ever want to know while on a walking tour.

I can't attest to the value of any of the other 40-plus Blue Guide titles. But if you forget every other guide book while in New York, it will be okay, so long as you bring along at least some version of this one.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

Because I note that the existing reviews on this site refer to the previous edition, this New Yorker recommends the Blue Guide as the only NY guidebook you will need. I refer to mine again and again.
One caveat: the subway lines are now happily back to normal, again running to South Ferry, and the map included in this book, which went to press shortly after the World Trade Center disaster, is out of date. Updated maps are posted in every subway station and train, are available free at every subway change booth, and can be reviewed on the Web.

Carol von Pressentin Wright's "Blue Guide to New York" is probably the most comprehensive guidebook to the Big Apple available. Absolutely indispensable, it includes 41 detailed maps for all five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, along with several black and white photographs. As a New Yorker, I cannot think of anything that has not been included here. I frequently use the book myself, especially when I have out-of-town visitors. It is also excellent, for New Yorkers and visitors alike, to use on walking tours. I have the 2002 edition.

In an extremely accessible format, "The Blue Guide" presents information on all NYC districts and important sights, including: practical information, lodgings, restaurants and eateries for every budget, transportation, museums and galleries, sports, performing arts, shopping, monuments, historic detail and districts, detailed walking tours and background information. As noted, there is a veritable plethora of clear and easy-to-follow maps, along with a large pull-out MTA map of the subway system, and bus, railroad and ferry connections.

From the posh shops on Madison and Fifth Avenues to the funky Lower East Side, from the streets of Greenwich Village and Soho to the brownstones of Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope, this is the one and only guide you will need to navigate through this fabulous city, and to find fascinating out-of-the-way places most tourests never discover. There are myriad cultures here: Little Odessa in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, Little Italy, Chinatown, a thriving Greek community in Astoria, Queens, Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn where Arabic is heard on the street and wares from all over the Middle East are sold. Almost every country in the world is represented here and you can visit them all easily with the Blue Guide in hand. I hope you enjoy the city I love!
JANA