Not for Tourists Guide to New York City [Paperback]

Frances Mayes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2008 | Series: Not for Tourists Guide to New York City

Product Details Paperback: 479 pages Publisher: Not for Tourists; Pap/Map edition (October 2008) Language: English

Product Details

• Paperback: 479 pages
• Publisher: Not for Tourists; Pap/Map edition (October 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981488706
• ISBN-13: 978-0981488707
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,791 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Travel > United States > States > New York

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NYC A&E Recommends, October 17, 2008

By 

NYC AE "www.nycartsandentertainment.com" (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Not for Tourists Guide to New York City (Paperback)

From nycartsandentertainment.com

What attracted me first to the Not For Tourists Guide to New York City (2009 now on-sale) was, frankly, protecting my status as a New Yorker. OK, so I'm a transplant and maybe on permanently shaky ground, but nonetheless here 20 years and I still want to know everything I can about the city I love. Other guidebooks may help you know the city by suggesting "Walk north up Fifth Avenue from Rock Center and pass big-name stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, the NBA Store, Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Bergdorf Goodman, FAO Schwarz, and The Apple Store. You'll also see Trump Tower from the popular Apprentice TV series" (Frommer's), but I've already got the 101 material under my belt. I understand such guides serve an essential purpose (and I've used more than my fair share in other locales), but here my interest was piqued by the "sightseers verboten" selling point of the NFT Guide. It seemed to promise that I wouldn't have to hear about The Apprentice.

What was also on my mind before I dipped into the handbook was the question of whether the ancient technology of a book (instead of the internet via my pda, laptop, or desktop) was still the way to go. I love books as much as ever, but this kind of reference material was supposed to be the first casualty in the book's alleged decline.

So, I got started, took it with me as I walked to work, on the weekend when I went out with the wife & kids, kept it at the ready on my bedside table. Let me first say, regarding the "Tourists Need Not Apply" aspect, it's wonderful for any kind of user, whether you take pride of ownership over the City or not. On my second question, it simply is richer and more helpful than information you could try to cobble together in an hour at your computer, plus it can answer the unexpected questions that arise when you're on the town. Its size makes it almost as portable as my Treo and it is made with durable covers and an elastic band (to bookmark or keep it neatly compact). The interior contains full color maps and charts.

There are detailed street maps for all Manhattan, parts of Queens and Brooklyn, and Hoboken and Jersey City. All other areas (including the Bronx and Staten Island) are covered more quickly and with broader maps. The thorough maps cover the city in a grid format, with (for example) Map 14 detailing the Upper West side from West 59th to West 86th, Central Park to the Hudson. Accompanying Map 14 (and every other map) are lists of essentials in the neighborhood, be it coffee stops, banks, farmer's markets (with schedule), 24-hour pharmacies, hardware stores, etc. This aspect of including "points of interest" that relate to daily life is what especially makes this a city dweller's guide.

After the neighborhood break-down, there are themed sections on Parks, Sports, Transit, "General Information" (again, with resident-friendly information, such as locations for post offices, hospitals, libraries, FedEx, and Wi-Fi hotspots), and Arts & Entertainment (restaurants, shopping essentials, and museums, among others).

OK, so it's comprehensive and user friendly, which is reason enough to recommend it for you and your out-of-towner guests. But one particular reason I really like this guide is that it's a great source of information about what I'm looking at, walking by, and living near. On my shelf at home I have a copy of The Encyclopedia of New York City by Kenneth T. Jackson which I frequently consult at random or on a particular question. Though it's obviously not the case that the NFT Guide could supplant that kind of resource, it helped me experience the city with a similar spirit of discovery. It gives basic information about the city's history. It made me realize that I could go by the Old Police Headquarters while easily making a stop at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory, and helped me figure out the names (and other details) of buildings I walk by several times a week. The information is necessarily brief, but the Not For Tourists NYC Guide for 2009 really opens up so much of the city that may have been hidden to you, whether it is of a practical, intellectual, cultural, or entertaining nature. Who would have thought that such brevity could unlock such richness? --Thomas Murphy, News Director

www.nycartsandentertainment.com

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book for visiting NY, December 3, 2008

By 

J. Pool "poolgrl" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Not for Tourists Guide to New York City (Paperback)

I surprised my sister with a weekend trip to NY (neither of us bad been before), and this book was the perfect purchase to accompany that trip. I have to admit, I bought it simply because of it's size (it could slip easily into my purse or coat pocket), and I was pleasantly surprised when I received the book and found out how much information it held.

Out of all the books I looked at for visiting NY, this one was the best. It's chock full of easy to read maps, subway information, places to visit, eat, tour, shop, etc. I couldn't have wished for anything more comprehensive or easy to understand. Add it's small size and inconspicuous black cover (because who really wants to look like a tourist?) and this is the perfect book for traveling to NYC.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE book to have when visiting New York, November 23, 2008

By 

TPLAND (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not for Tourists Guide to New York City (Paperback)

This is a great little book. It has information in nearly every category -- museums, sports and theater, neighborhood maps, top NY books and movies, great fold-out map. The restaurants are listed by neighborhood, but there are no reviews or detailed descriptions (if there were, the book probably wouldn't fit in your pocket). Would like to have seen a "top ten" list of sights, restaurants, etc. The book is so dense with information, that this may even be in there, but I haven't seen it yet. Lots of great reading for your subway ride!