The Encyclopedia of New York City [Hardcover]

Kenneth T. Jackson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 26, 1995

How did Tin Pan Alley get its name? Which structure in New York City contains debris from the bombing of London during World War II? Who was the last Republican presidential candidate to carry New York City? Where are Manhattan Beach, Manhattan College, and Manhattan Transfer? (None are in Manhattan.) When and how did the population of New York increase by 70 per cent overnight? Answering questions such as these, this encyclopaedia spans a range of facts about what many consider to be America's most fascinating city. It covers subjects throughout the five boroughs from prehistory to the present. The book consists of more than 4000 entries in alphabetical order by more than 650 contributors, along with 680 illustrations and maps. Among the topics covered by the encyclopaedia are architecture, government and politics, business, religion, weather, the arts, education, transport, the law, science and medicine, and sports and recreation. Entries reflect the city's inhabitants, past and present, describing a wide range of neighbourhoods and immigrant groups as well as such varied figures as Bella Abzug, Woody Allen, Mother Cabrini, Lou Gehrig, Emma Goldman, John Gotti, Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, Donna Karan, Captain Kidd, Miguel Pinero, Adam Clayton Powell, Nelson Rockefeller, Big Tim Sullivan, and Andy Warhol.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

McSorley's Old Ale House? Park Slope? Madame Restell? Pfaff's Cellar? CBGB? Look 'em up... Just about anyplace or anyone notable in New York is contained in this huge book, which is roughly the size of the Manhattan white pages. The Encyclopedia of New York City is a fitting tribute to the city it both documents and celebrates: it's a sprawling and endlessly interesting read. This unique project was supervised by the New York Historical Society, and boasts more than 4300 alphabetical entries (with hundreds of illustrations) spanning 1300 pages--a feast of facts. You're not sure when New York's first subway opened? Don't know the capacity of Ebbett's Field? Can't place "Dead Man's Curve?" Puh-leeeze... just look it up!

From Library Journal

How can you review a book when all you want to do is look up just one more item, check out just one more fact, and answer just one more question? This compendium, 13 years in the making, is the first work ever to try to encompass the wonder that is New York City and does so with remarkable success. Edited by academic Jackson (history, Columbia Univ.), it supplies information on people, places, events, and experiences, from prehistory to today, along with illustrations and maps, charts, and tables. Thus, this reviewer could find the Brooklyn public high school she attended; the Manhattan private schools to which she sent her children; a description of alternate side parking (a particularly New York phenomenon); the inception of one-way traffic; the New York Giants, baseball and football teams; Frank Costello and Philip Roth; the Lambs Club and the egg cream. A dictionary arrangement with uppercase cross references makes it simple to use, the editorial board of outstanding scholars makes it reliable, and the subject makes it irresistible. A reference work for all natives, visitors, or the simply curious; for all collections in the metropolitan area and for every major collection elsewhere. A word of caution: this book can be addicting. Highly recommended.?Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum of Art Lib., New York
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1392 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; First edition (September 26, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300055366
• ISBN-13: 978-0300055368
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.9 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #198,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #99 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > History

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great reference book and history., November 16, 2000

By 

Eric V. Moye (New York, by way of Dallas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of New York City (Hardcover)

Another reviewer said it best: Every New Yorker ought to own this book. It is huge, and chocked full of obscure facts about literally every facet of New York life. Sure, we all know who Bronck was, and working my way through Gotham, I learned about the Delancey family. But here, looking up the old neighborhood, I was able to find out how streets got their names, and so much more.

Want to know who won Mayoral elections? Look here. Want to know which newspapers were published and when? Again, look here. Searching one entry will guarantee that two or three or ten others will pop into mind. It is great for specific knowledge and for just browsing.

Not even the most knowledgeable New Yorker could read through this book and not learn some things. A wonderful reference work.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you, Mr. Jackson, January 29, 2003

By 

Rocco Dormarunno (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Encyclopedia of New York City (Hardcover)

If you are a student of New York City or among the millions who love it, Kenneth Jackson's mammoth Encyclopedia is indispensible. I began using it as a reference book for my novel, The Five Points. Before I knew it, I was reading it from cover to cover. What a ride! What an achievement! While loaded with gorgeous illustrations, this is no coffee table book. This is a fact-filled guide to assist the serious student and amorous admirer through the intricacies of the greatest city on Earth. And unlike most books about New York City, this encyclopedia actually covers the other four boroughs, not just Manhattan! The enormous effort that went into this book will be gratefully acknowledged by anyone who reads it.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Settle all bets around the dinner table., July 2, 2004

By 

Graham Campbell (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of New York City (Hardcover)

This tome, as I like to think of it, is spectacular in it's scope. It covers everything from hospitals that have long since closed, to details about the city's aqueduct water transportation system. You usually go to the book, in order to look up a specific piece of information, but spend hours perusing entries you never heard of and discovering things about America's largest city that make you gasp. If you live in New York, get this book. It holds an essential place on any New Yorker's bookshelf.