My City, My New York: Famous New Yorkers Share Their Favorite Places [Paperback]

Jeryl Brunner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 2011

What do famous people love to do during their free time in the Big Apple?

Most New Yorkers, even famous ones, have cherished rituals and favorite places that connect them to their city in unique ways. They have their beloved restaurants, museums, parks, galleries, landmarks, haunts, and hideaways. It may be watching tango dancers on Saturday nights in Central Park. Or riding a bike over the Brooklyn Bridge for a slice of Grimaldi's pepperoni pizza and a view of the Manhattan skyline from across the East River. Perhaps it entails choosing from the many varieties of bread at Rock Hill Bake House in the Union Square Greenmarket or simply walking across 46th Street and ending up at Joe Allen, the great Broadway hangout.

So imagine a book in which Matthew Broderick shares his favorite bike ride. Nora Ephron describes where she buys discounted roses in every imaginable color. Edward Norton reveals his favorite restaurant. Daniel Boulud describes his favorite pizza joint and where he buys cheese. My City, My New York lets you experience the city as some of your favorite New Yorkers do and get a peek into parts of the town that they hold dear.

In a refreshing step beyond the usual travel guides and tourist listings,My City, My New York quotes VIPs and gives readers something truly unique: a chance to experience the city the way some of its most notable residents do. The activities and establishments included are diverse, often eclectic, and, most-importantly, nonexclusive--you don't need to be a celebrity to enjoy them.

While offering new and creative possibilities for exploration, My City, My New York is also a love letter to the Big Apple and will touch even the most jaded New Yorkers.

Celebrities include:

- Matthew Broderick
- Woody Allen
- Tina Fey
- Bette Midler
- Joan Rivers
- Donald Trump
- Chris Noth
- Mayor Michael Bloomberg
- Alex Rodriguez
- And many more...

Editorial Reviews

Review

Publishers Weekly: "...this book is an excellent resource for tourists, while even lifelong New Yorkers will find some new places to explore."  

New York Daily News: "Famous New Yorkers dish on their favorite spots in the city, the ones that hold their heart."

“In focused sections ranging from parks to nightlife, 300 famous New Yorkers–including actors, athletes, authors, musicians, and politicians–relay their favorite thing about New York City. Salman Rushdie and Gayle King are both fond of Shake Shack's caramel milkshakes, Woody Allen reveals where he performs with his jazz band every Monday night, several folks mention the excellent Hudson River bike path, and Sam Champion of Good Morning America even gives a tour of his favorite spots along that route. In the shopping chapter, costume designer William Ivey Long lists some of the Antiques Garage finds that have inspired his work. In the final chapter, stars reveal their favorite landmarks, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Frick Collection, Yankee Stadium, and Grand Central Station. With addresses and contact listings for locations provided (when applicable), this book is an excellent resource for tourists, while even lifelong New Yorkers will find some new places to explore.” ––Publishers Weekly (11/28/11)

From the Back Cover

New Yorkers, even famous ones, have personal rituals and favorite places that keep them connected to their city in special ways. It might be watching tango dancers on Saturday nights in Central Park or biking over the Brooklyn Bridge to get a slice of Grimaldi’s pepperoni pizza. Perhaps it’s simply walking across 46th Street and ending up at Joe Allen, the great Broadway hangout. Or maybe escaping to a hidden pocket of tranquility that few know exists.

 

The places to go and things to do in My City, My New York are as varied and eclectic as the city itself. This book lets you experience New York as your favorite famous New Yorkers do and get a rare peek into parts of New York they hold especially dear. Much more than a guidebook, My City, My New York is a love letter to the greatest city on earth. But it’s also a guidebook to the secret places you’ll want to experience on your own. And you never know what you may discover.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Globe Pequot; First edition (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762771399
• ISBN-13: 978-0762771394
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #248,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For author and journalist, Jeryl Brunner, a good interview is like a tango - complex, soulful, fiery, exciting and illuminating. She's been "dancing" for years, contributing to a variety of publications including O, the Oprah Magazine, National Geographic Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Delta Sky, Elle.com, ForbesTraveler.com, Four Seasons, People, Us Weekly, Brides, Parade, AOL and Huffington Post.

Jeryl joined In Style magazine in its infancy in 1994, and remained on staff for nine years. As a correspondent at the magazine, she wrote items for nearly every section of the magazine. One of her regular columns was "On the Phone," where she gave a celebrity a cell phone and called the star at random during the week. She also wrote "Lookback," the magazine's final page. Since beginning her freelance career in 2003, she has covered travel, trends, celebrities, food, fashion, and entertainment.

"Freelancing offers such a delicious variety of experiences," says Jeryl. Her work has taken her to the Lord of the Rings premiere in New Zealand; to a luxurious spa in Chiang Mai, Thailand; and to the hospital in St. Remy, France where Vincent Van Gogh painted The Starry Night. "I adore the reporting process," she says. "It's like peeling the layers of an onion until you get to the freshest and most pungent part. Always curious, I cannot think of a time when I was afraid to ask questions. As a child, I used to come up with subjects that interested me, but knew little about, and spent hours in the library investigating (that was long before computers and the internet! I miss the card catalog.) There was something so exciting about the quest. Now I get to and ask questions for a living. And with writing, there's something liberating about having a blank screen and painting with words."

Jeryl lives in New York City. She cherishes walking though Central Park, is absolutely mad for The Musée Rodin in Paris (especially the Camille Claudel room), will never walk out of a play (no matter how bad it is), wonders if you can say you've read a book if you only listen to it, gets a buzz from one sip of pink champagne, always leaves hotel rooms very neat, is gaga for her super cool nephews and has downloaded an embarrassing amount of show tunes on her iPod.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great! October 4, 2011

By CRB

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is to NYC what A MOVEABLE FEAST is to Paris. I can read it for hours just for the mood and with it under my arm I will be able to find the best of The City. Jeryl did a wonderful job in finding interesting people and in encouraging them (although many of them didn't need encouragement, I would expect) to talk from the heart about the most exciting city on the planet.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun read, good for anyone in love with New York City November 29, 2011

By Dom Miliano VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

OK, I'm not an impartial reader. I love NYC, especially Brooklyn and Manhattan. This little book gives you insight into the world's greatest city authored by some of the City's more famous people. I like the break down into Hidden Spaces / Central Park / New York Eats / Nocturnal New York, etc. Clever and useful depending on your mood or general inclination (me, I'm not much of a night owl but love to eat).

To check the book's "cred", I looked for places that I know well and would have picked for a specific chapter. For example, I have been a member of The ICP since it opened and sure enough, there it was and the description was spot on. The Frick Collection is in there too (great first date spot). Of course Grand Central is covered and described properly. (Yes, it's a Terminal...) The admonition to "look up" is sage advice. However, I didn't see anyone telling you that you need to look in the north west corner for the small dark soot smudge on the ceiling - that's the only place not cleaned in the last refurbishment and a reminder of its history bathed in smoke. (Go look, I'll wait.) Plus, in the holiday season, they have a great laser light and sound show for travelers and gawkers alike (I'm always in the second category).

For the food choices, they had all of the easy ones - Per Se, Pastis, Lupa, Rao's and some of my semi-secret favorites like "Good Enough To Eat" and "Tartine". Plus, I read about a few I will try - Big Nick's Pizza Joint, Eatery and Tiny's and the Bar Upstairs - all sound good and will be on my short list.

I was a little surprised that there was an entire Central Park section. After all, it's that huge green swathe in our concrete jungle and magnet for anyone starved for fresh air and a bit of blue sky. To think that there is anything new to be learned is the definition of ambitious. After reading through the section, I decided that I was mostly correct but was surprised that there wasn't much of a mention of the many interesting statues sprinkled throughout the park. The puma ready to pounce is a joy. The statue of the sled dog Balto - medical hero - earned nary a mention. And Cleopatra's Needle - 3,000 year old obelisk behind the Metropolitan - is also MIA. Tisk, tisk! How it got to the Park is a great story for kids of all ages (look it up!).

Overall, this is a charming book and worth a place on your NYC book shelf. I got a few interesting ideas for things to do and places to visit and at my age and number of times I have visited, that's saying something.

And, anyone who is near NYC this holiday season, here is "My City" tip. Go to 5th Avenue at 53rd street. Walk east and look to your left. There is a small vest-pocket park (Paley Park) a few doors off the grand avenue and is a wonderful spot to sit, enjoy a few minutes of silence and even have a decent hot dog (really) or a steamy hot chocolate. In the warmer months, the back wall becomes a cascading waterfall - further drowning out the noise of the street (also a good date spot...)

I recommend this book for anyone in love with NYC - it works as a travel guide and for those who live far away from the madding crowd, it's wonderful arm chair travel.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love NYC, Love this book! October 4, 2011

By Betsy Jennings

Format:Paperback

This beautiful book combines two of my favorite things: New York City and celebrities. The author, Jeryl Brunner, has interviewed hundreds of NYC notables and asked them what their favorite spots are in the city and why. This book is perfect for people who live in the city and are looking to find their own slice of heaven in this crazy city... or for people who are visiting the city and want to go to the hot celebrity spots. Plus, I thought Jeryl's introduction was really touching. Five stars!!