Ever read the Chamber of Commerce description of a town only to find upon visiting it that no such place exists. Beware, these guys either have low standards or Governor Whitman has hired them to write this book. I included their advice in two day trips I took with my wife, and was embarassed to have driven out of my way to see sights most peoople would pass by. I advise you use the book to fill in the possible dull moments, but don't base a total trip around their suggestions.

We've used both editions of this wonderful book endlessly. It's a great blend of the off-beat to standard places to visit. Nothing is overlooked, from outlet malls to antique stalls. The bed and breakfast recommendations are faultless. The food sites range from gourmet to subs. We've had a ball investigating the off-the-beaten-track museums and other tourist attractions the authors recommend. Included, just to spice up the reading, are local legends and profiles of the towns and local celebrities. A guaranteed good time -- even if you pass on actual travel and just read the book!

Oh, so chatty and friendly, everything this guide mentions, profiles, or reviews is simply F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. To read this book is to think that every gay spot in New York is just shy of heaven. Even the biggest dive receives rave reviews. While giving high marks to everything and supposedly being "the authoritative guide to gay & lesbian NYC," it fails to know about new hot spots (particularly in the burgeoning Hell's Kitchen neighborhood). Good for addresses of places only.

Aldous Huxley wrote, "For every great traveler who has any taste of his own, the only useful guidebook will be the one which he himself has written." That said, the editor has created a tremendously useful and compact volume that is much like what I would have written, were I able to visit all these places.

Readers will find this guide good entertainment while traveling to New York (it's very readable, unlike others), as well as good for carrying as a reference while exploring the city (it fits easily into a pocket, backpack, or purse).

This book was written with the audience in mind. It includes directions, websites, phone number, hours of operation, and includes points of interest that may be near a particular entry. While the overall organization of the book is by type of entertainment or activity, the index is arranged alphabetically as well as by neighborhood (a very helpful feature).

Queer New York City is full of practical advice - the kind you would provide a visiting friend. It has a sprinkling of humor without being obnoxious, is clearly written to give the reader a good idea of what to expect from a particular establishment, and is never too wordy.

If you're visiting New York City for the first time and are looking for places to go, if you're a regular visitor and want to expand your horizons and find places you didn't know existed, or if you're a native and want to give visitors a practical, well-organized guide to the queer side of NYC (the one you would write, if you had time), this book is for you.

I hope they'll do this for more cities!

I ordered this book from Chapters-and was thrilled when it came-but when I looked through it I didnt think it was that great!

All this book is about is what the people did there-and what they wore to the club!

So I gave this book to my sister who liked it more then I did-like I said-this book is a letdown!

And the pictures arnt that great either!

Fantastic photos from an age that will never be again. Takes people back to that reckless age and climate.

The several walks that I tried were awful. They were prepared by people with some personal link to a particular neighborhood, and were unbelievably self-indulgent.

I believe it was walk 12, "Jagged Symmetries", that consisted largely of the author pointing out homes and restaurants where he had once hung out with Andy Warhol. The Peter Singer walk involves him pointing out buildings where he had offices when he was writing various books. Virtually no architectural information, or interesting historical information. Just personal reminisences that would have been best shared only with close personal frieds.

I like this book very much. I was in New York City for four days, and I did one walk each day. Each walk (there are twenty three walks in total) is written by a different author, who has memories, passions, or experiences with a particular neighborhood. As I was walking in one neighborhood, I was trying to find the old pickle shop; in an other neighborhood I was looking for the cabaret theatre/restaurant. I did all the things written in the walk chapter I was reading. I ate the desert in that French cafe and I bought some cheese from the shop mentioned in the chapter. This book is, I think, for people who love history, life, art, people and food. I recommend reading the particular walk chapter in advance, and then reading the same chapter piece by piece as you do the walk.
Next time I will do the next four walks that I already chose.

Our experience with a review for a restaurant in New York," Two, Two, Two", was according to Zagat in the price range of about $58.00 per person. This was VERY wrong!!! It cost us $150.00 per person!!! We were EXTREMELY disappointed, as you could probably imagine, with the Zagat's review. That was way, way off and there is no excuse!!!! Be aware!!!

Zagat review was right on the money. I wish we had read the review BEFORE we went to the restaurant. Yes, we put ourselves into the hands of the waiter. He brought us all the wonderful specials. In the end, the bill was $700 PLUS TIP for 6 people. Very little alcohol consumed. Food was great, but we will NEVER go back & have warned ALL of our friends.

If you want to know what a really tacky
person from New Jersey ( the nice part of
New Jersey, mind you) who stops in at a
Manhattan restaurant after seeing a
broadway show thinks of any given restaurant,
this book is for you.

If not, you many find it annoying and
offensive. There are no actual reviews just
sentences constructed from cliches which readers
have mailed in to get their free copy of the
book.

This book contains information and opinions from 25,922 surveyors about 1,924 restaurants in New York City. The restaurant directory is alphabetized and includes a small review about the place and it is rated for it's food, decor and service. The average price of dinner, a drink and a tip is mentioned, so you will have a general idea of how expensive the restaurant is. It also gives the restaurant's address and phone number.

Another nice thing about this book is that it's slender, so it would easily slip into your bag if you wanted to carry it around. In a city like New York, where there are many dining choices, "Zagat Survey 2003: New York City Restaurants" is an essential book for tourists and locals!

The book has a nice sampling of the things to do in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, and Maryland. It's divided by season, month and state. Each activity includes contact information (including website addresses), a description of the events, and insiders tips. It's a great companion for people who are looking for local events in their area throughout the year. It includes state and county fairs, a nice listing of First Night Celebrations, and other resources. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys local events in their area.

I had typed quilt into the search and this title was among those listed. Being from NY I was curious and asked for more info. At the top of the Table of Contents is the phrase "piecing the quilt" - followed by chapters that I thought were quilt block names. Although there is beautiful photography thru out the book and in hard cover version - it would make a great coffee table book - I had thought I was ordering a book featuring quilt block patterns about the Adirondacks!

Although there is a good variety of coffeehouses described , I expected the authors to be more critical. A guide is only useful when it gives people who read it hints and advice on what to choose. In this book there was a mere description , and not a detailed one , of the coffee houses. Furthermore , I think that an edition with some photos of some of the coffeeouses would make the book even more interesting

At 4" x 6.5" and 144 pages this is not cheap information. The real key to the book however, are the lines: "If you are looking for peepshows, topless bars, escort services or massage parlors you won't find them here. In our opinion these businesses not only cater exclusively to men and typically exploit women, but - most important - aren't very sexy." I guess "erotic" is in the definition of the definer.

A good portion of the information could be obtained from either the yellow pages or the internet. Most of the information revolves in one manner or another around the fetish/swing scene. My take on that is that anyone involved in either scene would already know where to look - maybe not. The best information is the list of internet addresses and sites in the back. This is certainly a bit more than most of the "romance weekend" kind of books but leaving out 50% of what one could define as "erotic" leaves a bit to be desired. Beyond the judgement of the authors of what is and isn't for "women".