Not for Tourists Guide to Los Angeles 2010 [Paperback]

Not For Tourists (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 2010

Not for Tourists guidebooks are map-based, neighbourhood by neighbourhood guides designed to lighten the load of already street-savvy residents, commuters, business travellers, and yes, tourists too. Each map is marked with user-friendly icons identifying the services and entertainment centres that you look for as you make your way through town: everything from post offices, car parks, restaurants, bars, DIY stores and gyms to information on hotels, airports, public transport and parks. Whether you're a seasoned resident, a returning visitor, relocating, or someone who is completely new in town, Not for Tourists guidebooks help you make the most of your time in the city, while you're in it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Take an A-Z, mix it with a Lonely Planet and throw in all the things a guide book should NEVER say and voila, you get the Not for Tourists Guide" - The Observer a most useful book for visitors, full of imaginative advice on shops, sights and restaurants - and jampacked with invaluable maps." - The Mail on Sunday "The new must-have resource (the Yellow Pages are so over)." - Chicago "...an answer to a prayer." - CBS Newsradio " - for people who don't want to be seen carrying a guidebook." - The New Yorker " - a series of guides designed to make you feel like a local." - CNN "NFT books keep you from looking like that most loathed of public figures: the guy with the map." - Men's Journal" - sleek, black, concise - " - Men's Journal "Survival handbooks for natives --- Boston Globe & - Toronto Star

About the Author

Not For Tourists is the ultimate guide for the savvy city-dweller. Our philosophy is simple: Whether you've lived in your neighborhood for 55 years or 55 minutes, NFT will help you navigate and explore the city like a local. Written and designed by in-the-know city slickers themselves, NFT is mobile-oriented, cartographically-inclined, and to-the-point. For over a decade, our cabal of mapmakers, writers, editors, graphic designers, and urban adventurers have scoured the streets, read the writings, and lived the credos of practical, esoteric city travel. Within the matte black covers of our guides, discover secret city spots you never knew existed—from dive bars and extravagant restaurants to local hardware stores and abandoned buildings (we don't judge).

Product Details

• Paperback: 518 pages
• Publisher: Not for Tourists; 9 edition (January 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981559166
• ISBN-13: 978-0981559162
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Handy book, March 3, 2010

By 

seedless grape (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Not for Tourists Guide to Los Angeles 2010 (Paperback)

This is a very handy book for people who have just moved to L.A. There are detailed, street-level maps of most of the neighborhoods in the greater L.A. metro area, and each neighborhood has two maps--one with the "essentials" (schools, post offices, fire stations, gyms, grocery stores, etc.) and one with "extras" (shops, restaurants, etc.) There's also information at the back about local beaches, parks, performance and sports arenas, radio stations, farmers markets, etc.

The only minor drawback about the book is that the restaurants and shops it identifies are sort of hodgepodge. This is not a restaurant or shopping guidebook and none of the shops are rated, like they are in a Zagat-type book, so you have to take its recommendations with a grain of salt. I've found some of the highlighted restaurants to be somewhat uneven in quality/enjoyability. But the detail of the maps more than makes up for that.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A directory of select businesses, October 13, 2010

By 

Sarah B (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not for Tourists Guide to Los Angeles 2010 (Paperback)

I bought this hoping to learn a thing or two about "hidden" LA but I could have just Googled/Yelped stuff and been better informed. I'm not sure how they pick the businesses they list for each neighborhood but I noticed in several neighborhoods that didn't list restaurants I would have included in a guide. And you don't get many details, and no reviews about the places they list. It's a list with addresses, phone numbers, prices, and maybe a small blurb.

Some sections are a little more detailed (parks, beaches, hiking, sports, museums) but if you bought a book called Not For Tourists you probably know about museums and beaches... maybe not.

Most people have Internet at home and/or a smartphone and could easily get as good or even better info off just a couple of sites. NFT has a website with a bit more detail on select places in each neighborhood but you still might as well use Yelp... they hadn't posted anything for my neighborhood since July 2009. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you want something on the go and you don't have a fancy Internet phone.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Missing Parts of LA, August 21, 2010

By 

J. Kawakami "declutter69" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Not for Tourists Guide to Los Angeles 2010 (Paperback)

I read an older edition of this book, and it was missing some parts of LA. So it was incomplete. Also, the web and review sites like yelp generally do a better job, in my opinion, even though they also miss many parts of LA. Still, it's a good effort. One bonus star for effort, because compiling a book like this is a lot of work.