Customer Reviews

Frommer's New York City 2008 (Frommer's Complete Guides)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Whenever I plan a trip, I want information about the place and what to do when I get there. I've bought many Frommer's guides over the years (National Parks, Hawai'i, San Francisco) and have never been disappointed. I suppose one criticism might be that it tries to be too comprehensive, but on the other hand, this gives you a lot of choices. It might be nice, say, to review fewer hotels and restaurants but to give more in-depth information on the one's they do review.

One thing I really appreciate about Frommer's is that you know that if they mention it in the guide that there's already something to recommend about it. If a hotel isn't mentioned, then it's probably not worth mentioning for one reason or another. A good example is the Grand Hyatt near Grand Central Station. It's not a bad hotel, but it lacks character and, judging from the pictures on their website, it's very much like every other Hyatt/Grand Hyatt in other cities. You're, likely, paying a lot of money to visit New York so you ought to at least experience New York. That being said, we will probably spend a couple of nights at the Grand Hyatt because we will save a little money and get Hyatt points. :-) But, we'll go to another hotel for the remainder of the stay because it's more fun and we'll get to stay someplace that isn't like another hotel in another city. I got that information from this book and followed it up on line.

And, for me, it's nice to have a book that covers all of the bases. I've never been to New York, so I want to do all the "essentials" like see Times Square, a Broadway show, the "big" museums, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, etc. This book does a good job of giving me the information I need to get that done.

I am so glad I listened to other people and purchased this book. It is very informative and lends a lot of insight into the many areas of New York and what it has to offer. Having never been there, I feel like I can go prepared and know the ins and outs of visiting this big city and seeing all there is to see, the smart way. Now I know why Frommer's is the best resource for travel!

I received this book just in time for my Daughter to leave on her 4 day excersion to NYC. She said the map was better than the one she purchased and was the only one she used. She used the guide book to find locations that she wanted to experience and her trip was perfect especially with the guidance she found in Frommers NYC

I spent about a month before our vacation reviewing this book. I highlighted, tabbed,and turned the corner down on pages that I thought I would use frequently. The section on suggested itineraries was an excellent "check list" for visiting the hot spots of New York. I was a little disappointed in the restaurant reviews- apparently my family's palate didn't correspond to Frommer's. However, the price rankings were very helpful. The fold out map was indispensable; and be sure to spend some time acquainting yourself with the sections of the city. Once you get the hang of uptown, downtown, west side and east side - and the transporation system - you'll do great! And New Yorkers are EXTREMELY helpful if you get lost or can't find that terrific landmark you are actually standing in front of. This guide is definitely worth purchasing.

If you are looking for fancy pics, this is NOt your book. But if you want to have a peek to New Yorkers life, do purchase this book. Plenty of text and good advice beginning with how to get a taxi from where you can find best burgers in the city. If you are flying over Atlantic, you have plenty of time to get through with this book. Pair it with some more traditional tourist guide with pics and you have a working duo. Little minus from the fact that there are some old info, like the book is for 2007 and there's some info that some places will be closed in 2007.

The most helpful part of the book were the maps and the restaurant information. I was really looking for a Rick Steves type of guidebook for New York. This was not it!

Very helpful with maps and planning! And what not to do!! I used this book before and during our trip!

I bought this guide as a second book when I was planning a short trip to NYC. It has good suggestions for things to do, also has many suggestions for hotels and restaurants. I used it primarily for things to do and see, as I used other guides for food suggestions. If this is your first time visiting NYC or if you are traveling with your family, this is a good resource. It also includes a folding map. One drawback is that it lacks depth, as it includes so much information. I do recommend it as the first book you look at when you start to plan your trip, then you can branch out to more detailed guides. It is a little bulky in shape, and doesn't fit so well in a pocket.

When I plan on traveling somewhere I haven't been, or somewhere I'm returning to, I am always sure to have the newest version on Frommer's handy. Actually, even the older versions are still a good resource for information, too. I cannot say a bad thing about this guidebook.

After having visited NYC several times in the course of a month (I live near) I had been using this book. What I love about it are the maps, esp. the one at the back in which you tear from the book.

However, some of the activites he suggested and also some of the restaurants, I ran into problems with. Either the addresses had changed and they couldn't be found, or it was a bad eatery. I have found several things in this book that he suggests that I did not like. So I would have to say this book is good for pointing out Points of Interest and showing them on a map, but you are best to check the reviews on Yelp to see if it's something you would actually like. He loves to pick very pricey restaurants for this book, and they don't taste all that great.