To gather material for the book, Myrna and Harvey Frommer conducted over 100 interviews. Among those who contributed their personal recollections are an ex-ticket taker at Ebbets Field, a former Mr. America, a Baptist pastor, a retired garment worker, and an opera star. Their stories evoke a special place and time, a more innocent era when Brooklyn really was the world. Although that world is gone, the Frommers' book brings it all vividly back to life.

The inspiration for the Frommers' new celebratory album came about as they were traveling around the country to promote It Happened in the Catskills. They kept meeting people who, like themselves, were born and bred in Brooklyn. " We could be in places as diverse as Los Angeles, Brenham, Texas, and Canaan, New Hampshire, and invariably we's run into prople from Brooklyn. As soon as the connection was discovered, it was always the same question: What high school did you go to?, followed by memories of that special Dodger game, of trying clothes on the floor of he original Loehmann;s on Bedford Avenue, of eating the shorefront dinner at Lundy's or Nathan's franks in Coney Island, or the incomparable Ebinger's blackout cake. When we finished the Catskill book, which was filled with stories by Brooklynites, we thought it might be a good idea to apply the same interactive oral history approach to a book on Brooklyn, and try to discover what there was about life in the borough at mid-century that still exerts such a powerful pull."

I just finished the book and I enjoyed it so much. Its easy to see why
Brooklyn has been the inspriation for so many novels and movies.

It was so interesting to see how so many different ethnic groups had such
similar stories of growing up. A real shared memory .

Well this book is a treasure and I am so glad to have it.

Satisfies a persistent hunger for details about the inner workings of New York City, shared by the native and outsider alike. Frommer and Frommer have assembled a playful, interestingly arranged, and stimulating collection of extracts from oral histories. Organized topically, the comments span such issues as street life, school life, the not-so-private worlds of Brooklyn apartment dwellers, Coney Island, ethnicity, and assimilation. Over 100 voices include famous entertainers (e.g., Betty Comden, Jerry Stiller, and Marvin Kaplan), obscure teachers and school principals, and ordinary individuals. Asked to reflect on the three decades between World War II and Viet Nam, they offer comments that add up to a mosaic of the life and extraordinary times of a borough.

A funny read- and a great bar guide. I'd been to a few of the bars in the book before purchasing, and I found the book to be accurate. I also found some hidden gems I'd never heard of- it is now my mission in life to become a regular at a few of the bars.

Highly recommended.

As a drinker for a good two-thirds of my years, I was heartened to discover this lovely guidebook. It made me want to see my native New York again, to rediscover its sweet old barfly haunts, with their sticky counters and slanted floors--and pour down some potables at a few new watering holes.

Ms. Mitchell has an keen eye for detail and a fine taste for parts of the city that New York-based books and movies rarely depict: its seedy, soused underbelly. Does Woody Allen ever wash up at the Blarney Cove? Could Tom Wolfe trick fellow drinkers at the Sly Fox? Would you rather a Blue & Gold Budweiser or a "Maid in Manhattan"? Answer? A resounding no.

This book in engaging, informative, illuminating, and voluble, a veritable Zagat's for the demimonde. I tip my hat--and raise my glass--to you.

Forget Zagat's, this is the New York City Nightlife guide you really need. If you're tired of $12 beers, snobby cosmo-drinking New Yorkers, and waiting outside velvet ropes, check out the bars Mitchell has tried and tested--places where you can hang your hat, settle in on a bar stool and have a good time with _real_ friends. Not the imbibing type? You'll still get a kick out of Mitchell's crisp writing and funny drinking tales.

Joseph Schneiderman did his homework in abundance for this extraordinary guidebook. He displayed a deep interest in the New York Fire Department for many years before the tragedy of 9-11 showed the rest of the world what tremendous human beings and professionals the firefighters are.
Consequently, the guidebook pays due attention to the outer boroughs, which in the culture of firefighting and firehouses do not relinquish pride of place to Manhattan. The anecdotes about his particular experiences with individual firefighters enliven each page, as do the abundant and high-quality photographs of a great many of the "houses". He provides a most welcome feature for the interested person--the prospective "buff"--who wants to visit some of the houses: a sense of the context of each within the city, e.g. travel directions, listing of other firehouses nearby that could easily be grouped for a short tour, even mention of where to get snacks in the vicinity.
And the Quiz for readers is one of the funniest things in print.
My advice: run don't walk to buy this book for yourself. If you know anybody who likes firefighting, firehouses, firetrucks, firemen, or any part of New York City, give it as a gift as well.

This book is excelent, Everyone that checks out this book, will love it. I personally know the author, he sits in front of me in chemistry class, and all i will say is, the kid knows something about firemen. Buy the book and send a kid to college.

Hagstrom NYC 5-Borough Atlas is the definitive one. But this price actually isn't that bad; THIS edition is the deluxe laminated version. Caveat emptor: do a search; Amazon also has the large-format spiral bound and pocket sizes ... for the correct (less expensive) price (and you even save a buck over Hagstrom's own website).

Amazon is no bargain on these maps. You are better off shopping elsewhere. As a stockholder I am very disappointed with this section. Zero savings plus shipping. New York City & 5 boroughs map is 3x's the price than in the stores, unless you made a mistake. All titles that I need are not current, cost to much and to boot BACKORDERED!

This is the map book that NYC taxi drivers carry around with them when they need to look up some street they don't quite know where it is located. Sometimes it is used as an excuse when they are taking you on the 'scenic route' around town before charging you triple what is supposed to cost to go from destination A to B, but I digress. This atlas is excellent, and shows every street in every borough of New York; Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. There is little in the way of tourist
attractions, and landmarks, so tourists may not find this atlas too useful, except as an accurate road map around town. There are several versions of this excellent atlas. The spiral bound pocket version is the smallest, and smaller does not mean tinier maps; it means the full-sized maps are cut smaller to fit into this book resulting in more pages to scroll through. Pages are laminated so you can simply wipe pages clean should you spill coffee on them.

This is the driving bible that NYC taxi drivers carry around with them when they need to look up some street they don't quite know where it is located. Sometimes it is used as an excuse when they are taking you on the 'scenic route' around town before charging you triple what is supposed to cost to go from destination A to B, but I digress. This atlas is excellent, and shows every street in every borough of New York; Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. There is little in the way of tourist attractions, and landmarks, so tourists may not find this atlas too useful, except as an accurate road map around town. There are several versions of this excellent atlas. The spiral bound pocket version is the smallest, and smaller does not mean tinier maps; it means the full-sized maps are cut smaller to fit into this book resulting in more pages to scroll through. Pages are laminated so you can simply wipe pages clean should you spill coffee on them.

I bought this book back in 1999. I am a New Yorker and I wanted a book that showcased all of my wonderful city. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that I would have to look at this book in order to ever see the World Trade Center again. After the attack on New York City on Sept.11, 2001, my whole world as I knew it changed forever. This wonderful, beautiful book is my only reminder of the New York City that I have known and loved all my life. I know the Twin Towers will rise again! Until then I have my book!

I bought the book based on the coverphoto. Regarding that I in fact wanted a book on New York, I cannot say I regret it. The book is fully illustrated with beautiful photographs of New Yorks five boroughs. Though I`ve been to New York five times before I`ve only been to Manhattan and Queens, but I surely was tempted to see all five boroughs when I go back during fall -99. The photographs has a soul in a way and all represent a motion or a mood that I catched right away. I could actually feel the smells the sounds and the dynamic pulse New York stands for. Pete Hamill's text as an introduction to each borough gives the reader a fully good and poetic insight in New Yorks majestic soul.

This Hagstrom map was highly reccommended by a New York native. It's the best map to get you around Manhattan.

The world's oldest subway tunnel, the second largest art museum in America, and the greatest concentration of historic houses in New York. These are just three of "Brooklyn's Best" described in this book. Every time I visit New York I always spend time in Brooklyn and with this excellent guide in hand, I now have even more reasons to visit. Brooklyn is huge-it would be the fourth largest city in the States on its own. The authors, both Brooklyn residents, manage to pack an enormous amount of information in its compact 160 pages: shopping, sightseeing, restaurants and "happy wanderings." Few guides to New York City spend much time covering Brooklyn except for the three "B's"-the huge Brooklyn Museum (which has a real mummy), the Botanical Garden (go in May for the cherry trees), and the most famous bridge in New York (which happens to be named after Brooklyn.)

The book's chapters are short-usually two pages-and conducive to browsing. Before you know it you've read half the book and learned that Brooklyn has 93 ethnic groups, the Park Slope area has one coffee shop per adult resident, and the tallest building is the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower which, by the way, is every bit as impressive as anything in Manhattan. You'll also learn where to find the colonies of parrots that thrive in Brooklyn, or the floating barge that hosts chamber music recitals. From its colorful cover to its list of web sites, this is a handy and attractive guide to the best of Brooklyn.

Born 79 years ago on Bway. near Van Cortlandt. Lived in Kingsbridge & Mosholu areas 27 years. Drove the trolley cars, Bx.& Van Cort., University, Webster, 167 st. xtown, etc. after WW2. Fordham Rd.,3 movies and the Windsor within a few blocks. Loews Grand, Paradise and 1 more few blocks east. What an era! Skinny dip & sleep out in Botanical Gardens. De Witt Clinton Grad. 1938. Jacob H. Schiff center. Brought back many memories. Only complaint, didn't cover enuff. Faded roses are almost impossible to revive. Still a few childhood friends left from those years. Going back brought a mixture of emotions, so many are gone. elkvppast@aol.com

I loved the book, but was very disappointed that my neighborhood which is around Mckinley Square, Morrisania Library, Fulton Avenue Y, Crotona Park and the Indian lake, Boston Road Yiddish Theater, Jennings Street with Jackie the Pickle man were not mentioned.

First read the book at my brothers in Florida, had to have one. So many memories, Happy ones. The RKO Royal my farther worked thier for over 25 years. The pictures were so good again memories of days gone by. I lived in Edgewater remember the Mansion and our Volinteer Fire Dept. How things have changed, but your book brought it back to life for me again, no Bronx-ite should be without one Thankyou Bill Taylor

If you've never been to Brooklyn you'll have a wonderful time exploring the short stories of some of the most legendary writers in American literature. It's a collection of writers who capture a sense of place, spirit, and culture and do it beautifully. Of course, in any anthology, some stories and writers appeal to each reader moreso than others.

As a Brooklyn resident, I found this to be a wonderful collection of 30 perspectives of 30 different aspects of life in Brooklyn. Some aspects are long gone and it's wonderful to catch a glimpse, but surprisingly much of the Brooklynese still rings true. The stories capture the settings, the many cultures which landed and had to mix, and still try to work out the cultural boundaries, the languages and even, of course, the legendary Brooklyn accent er...(da Brukln axe sent)!