For travelers with an appetite for the finer things in New York, this guide has it all. Forget the cheapest or the tourist spots, I learned how the natives blow off steam. I showed all my friends an amazing weekend in NYC - and they were all impressed. These two girls are really plugged in!

This book is amazing: you can find any valuable information you are looking for, to make your discovery of New York in a certain way. Secret hideaways, little restaurants, great trendy shops, original bars, etc. Since I bought it, I use it every day and can't go around the city without it! A bible!

An old time NYer agrees completely with the reader from California. It's tremendously helpful to know what is where, especially in a town where the landscape is constantly changing. At least the landmarked buildings stay in place and give points of reference to all the newer construction. It's a highly detailed and informative pictorial essay. The photos are sharp and clear, catching New York at it's finest. A must buy!

I was in New York last Spring and used this book on my visit to the Observation Deck of the Empire State Building. It was fantastic! I had been up to this area before but was somewhat frustrated by not really knowing what I was viewing. This book takes care of that problem quite well. It's division into directional views is very easy to use; you know when you are looking north, south, east or west. You are first shown the particular vista in a color spread and then shown the same view in black and white with easy-to-read captions identifying virtually every building and place of interest, parks, docks, etc. It made the whole experience much more rewarding than any past visits. I was so taken with this publication that I purchased several more to give as gifts to my jaded, New York friends and family, assuring them that this book warranted their visiting the Empire State Building one more time.

I just got this book for Christmas, and it was by far the best gift. As a Californian who is in LOVE with New York, I could not have asked for a better book. The photos will leave you speechless, and longing for the city that never sleeps. I just spent 2 hours going through the different photos, and I can honestly say I have never seen a book that has done the city justice like this one. If you want a good book with photos that need NO explanation, this is it. I would not change this book for the world.

I am not a big buyer of "coffee table books" but I made an exception for this one. The photographer is the brother of a boyhood friend of mine (Richard, if you're reading this, tell Jim I said hello!) and I got the book for my parents as a gift. I spent hours pouring over the incredible pictures thinking time and time again, HOW did he take THAT? I can only describe the pictures as breathtaking, sumptuous, and evocative of a New York that is all too easy to take for granted if you've lived in it. The pictures here make you see it anew.

I agree that this is a great collection of photographs, many either never or seldom published before, and supported by interesting and original text. It is amazing how little biographical information exists on so many photographers. I bought the book because it encompassed so many of my photographic heroes and introduced me to some photographers I was not familiar with. But the reason I decided to actually write a review here was to correct the previous reviewer who mentions that Gary Winogrand's work is included in the book. It's not. But it sure is nice to see more on the Photo League. What a great group. And it's nice to see their influence so fully recognized. Thank you Ms. Livingston!

This is treat for anyone interested in photography, especially in the period leading up to Winogrand, Friedlander, etc. Most of the photographs in this book, I've never seen before. Included are interesting 35mm work by Diane Arbus, some untypical Avedon, great Robert Frank's that I haven't seen published anywhere else, early Winogrand. However the really nice thing about this book is in being able to see the work of those lesser known, but nonetheless great, photographers such as Leon Levinstein, Louis Fauer, Alexi Brodovitch, and many more. Also includes a thorough and informative essay as well as individual profiles on the artists involved.

As a veteran traveler I have always thought I pretty much knew a lot about various hotels in NYC. After getting a copy of this book I realize I did not know as much as I did. It is very helpful to anyone visiting New York City. Charles Suisman and his staff have meticulously rated 250 hotels from 5 star to near flop houses. A grand hotel like Four Seasons gets a rave. A bad hotel is spanked liked a naughty child. It isnt just a dry review of these establishments. He also interjects a lot humor. He awarded the Basil Fawlty Award for Inhospitality to the manager of the Hampshire Hotel and Suites. It is well researched. While the rates are the year 2000 it isn't difficult to figure out what they currently would be. It has 2 kinds of indexes...by type of hotel/inn and alphabetically with the rating so as to save you time. Before you check in to another New York hotel read this book. You won't regret it!!!

I found this very helpful in picking a hotel in New York. It seems thorough and well-organized. Some funny reviews, too.

Great descriptions, delightful drawings. A slim little book you'll always wish you had handy.

This is a wonderful companion for a bibliophile or or just anyone who wants to discover NY. The illustrations by Tristana Maccio are just as witty as the writing.

I've decided to buy this book for a few of my New York based and New Yorkophile friends who don't quite yet have everything! Its substance and detail remind me how feather-weight and useless the Zagat guides are....

Who ever knew brunch was worth a book? It reads somewhat like a novel - not just numbers and quotes in the manner of most restaurant review books. I liked it - seems like it would be great for a tourist in particular.

I (like many) have been to NYC many, many times. But, going with children is a whole new experience. This book is helpful because it mentions things many visitors wouldn't know (Did you know there was a monorail in the Bronx zoo?). Great book!

You will no longer have any excuse for being bored on a rainy day (or a sunny day either!) I recently took my 5 year old to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island without first checking to see what information this book offered. BAD MOVE! My son was tired of waiting on the long lines, bored with static exhibits, hungry, hot, etc. If I had checked with New York's 50 Best Places to Take Children I would have found out that there is a 90 minute tour boat that goes past the Statue of Liberty. My son would have seen the statue without the long, tiring lines to wait on just to go to the top of the pedestal (we weren't early enough to go to the crown). Mr. Ishac has captured the best attractions the big apple has to offer a child from the kid's point of view. The book is small enough to carry in a pocket while acting like a tourist; even if you have lived in NY all of your life like I have. Included in the featured attractions are the usual favorites such as the American Museum of Natural History and the Empire State building plus some unusual and obscure spots such as the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. Now I just have to try and find the time to visit all of these great places.

With hundreds of galleries in New York, this is one guide that narrows down the best of the best, the newest of the newest. Extremely accessible and written in a sprightly, knowing style. If you care about art, or are simply curious about the New York art world, this is a terrific introduction, with valuable advice even for old hands.

I bought this book in a museum gift shop in New York City. It told me about all sorts of great art galleries all over town. It was great to be able to see interesting art no matter where I went. Barbara's gallery reviews are entertaining and helpful. I hope she keeps them coming, so I always have something to see when I go to the "Big Apple."

Great book for to research genealogy or local history. It's even a great book just to curl up with! The writer did an excellent job! I would love to hear more from her!

This book is an excellent resource for not only finding the old burial grounds in NJ but the explanations of the different funerary art and customs that Janet Sarapin details along with the approriate pictures as a pictorial guide. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to know more about the old burial grounds and their history. These old burial grounds are also a living history of our country.