Customer Reviews

Not for Tourists 2007 Guide to New York City

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

A few weeks ago, I received my acceptance to NYU and I have decided to go there. After visiting the university (and the city for the 3rd time) I decided that it would be one of the greatest opportunities of my life and I was very excited. Once I made this difficult decision, I knew that one of the most important things would be for me to buy a simple easy-to-read guide to NYC so that I could learn my way around the city and get used to my new environment. So, I went to the bookstore and after browsing through at least 50 guides on NYC I bought this one.

It's been a few days, and I have already read the entire thing twice. I have looked at all the maps and all the information and have declared that this book is my bible. I know that once I move to NYC, this book is going to be the most useful of my posessions.

It has comprehensive maps of all 25 districts of Manhattan and each district has three maps: one with the essentials (ATMs, fire departments, hospitals, landmarks, libraries, 24hr pharmacies, post offices, supermarkets, etc.), one with sundries/entertainment (24 hr copy shops, bars, coffee places, gyms, hardware stores, movie theatres, restaurants, shopping, video rental, etc.) and one with transportation (subways, bus lines, car rental, gas stations, parking, etc.). There are also comprehensive maps of all of the outer boroughs.

It has maps and descriptions of all the Parks & Places (Battery Park, Central Park, Lincoln Center, Rockerfeller Center, Times Square, Union Square, etc.) and sports complexes (Madison Square Garden, Shea Stadium, Yankee Stadium, etc).

It contains information on all kids of transit, including biking, staking, ferries, airlines, maps of JFK airport and La Guardia airport and Newark Liberty airport, bridges and tunnes, driving and parking, bud linrd, Amtrack, Penn station, Grand Central Terminal, etc.

It also has general information on New York City, including NYC media, a calendar of events (I found this particularly lovely), Practical Info, Police, Fire Departments, Hospitals, Libraries, Gay & Lesbian, Landmarks, Post offices, Shipping Locations, Hotels, etc.)

Also, there is a wonderful Arts & Entertainment section, which includes Art galleries, bars, bookstores, clubs & cabarets, movie theatres, museums, restaurants, shopping, & theatre.

In the end, there was a fold out subway map of Manhattan and the outer boroughts!

All in all, I feel that this book is the most valuable thing that I have bought in months because it has tremendous amounts of useful information. Whether you've lived in NYC your whole life, just moved there, are planning to move there, or even are a tourist... this book is the most perfect collection of everything there is to know in NYC and everything there is to do there!

I've lived in Manhattan for several years, and I still can't get around the village without this book. For the reviewer who complained about the lack of restaurants/shopping/entertainment: go buy a Zagat's or something. Like the other reviewer said, it's not a restaurant guide. It's for getting around as quickly and painlessly as possible and locating little things like ATMs and bus stops. It accomplishes this beautifully, and in fact, while the other guides may tell you where the best calzone in Little Italy is, they very rarely tell you how to get across the Lower East Side without a taxi (without getting mugged is your own problem). It's discreet color and size save you from mortification on the subway. Besides, nothing screams, "Screw with me" like a big unweildy map.

Bottom line: find out where you want to go with a culture or dining guide, and then let NFT actually get you there without accidentally ending up in Queens (I've done that. It's like Mars or something).

I live in Manhattan. I work in Manhattan. I know this city fairly well. This book is my sacred text. I don't leave home without it in my bag.
Sure, it may not have the most comprehensive listings of restaurants (www.menupages.com) or the hippest shopping, but that's one of the main reasons that it's Not For Tourists! (Although I always arm my visiting friends and colleagues with a copy, and they seem to find it invaluable.) But it sure is handy to have this book nearby when you find yourself beyond the borders of your own neighborhood and decide you need a supermarket, a cafe that's not Starbucks or the nearest library branch.

I was frustrated by the books for people moving to NYC--I'm a single, 20-something that isn't looking to buy a place, put a kid in school, or very interested in property taxes. I also wasn't a tourist wanting to "see New York City as New Yorkers do". I just wanted to be able to get around the city without looking like an idiot!

This book is perfect for anyone unfamiliar with living in the city. Note: this is NOT a good guide for tourists, unless you're interested in the nitty gritty--locations of grocery stores, ATMs, post offices, etc. I do have to agree with the other review--this book is ideal for those moving to Manhattan. The outer boroughs get short shrift--especially Staten Island and the Bronx. As a Manhattanite, though, this book has been invaluable to me!

I've met so many new arrivals to the city that have purchased NFT and have great stories about how it's saved them from getting lost and confused in their new neighborhoods. The maps are especially useful because they are broken down to show you exactly where the subway stops are.

Of course, NFT can't have *every* restaurant and shop listed in it. But it gives you a running start to discover those not listed in the guide. The commentary (in tiny font at the top of each page) is HILARIOUS too! Every time I take the A train to JFK, I think of the NFT writer who described the 45-min. ride as a great opportunity to finish up "War and Peace."

So if you or a loved one is coming to live in Manhattan/recently moved here, buy this book! It will help make you/them feel much more at home in a city that can be very overwhelming to a newcomer.

The 2004 NFT guide to New York City contains very detailed maps of Manhattan and lists and maps the addresses of important locations in each district. I only have a few complaints about this guide. First, the addresses are sometimes wrong or do not match the map. (This is usually not a problem, since you'll see the correct bank or hardware store across the intersection from the address the book led you to.) More of a problem is the limited focus on the outer boroughs. Most people in New York, especially if they're not tourists, will venture to Brooklyn at least once in their lives, and it would be nice to use the same book to get around. However, on the flip side, people working in Manhattan and living outside Manhattan can use this book as a tool for getting around on their lunch breaks.

I also have to respectfully disagree with the "For Tourists" review. I'm normally stingy with a perfect rating (everything can be improved somehow) but this one gets five stars just by dint of its heavy rotation. Granted, I am a Manhattan resident, so I'll concede that some of the outer borough areas get short shrift.
HOWEVER - I love the neighborhood in-depth format. Let's face it, your immediate community is the hub of your universe. The book (in one its previous editions) was invaluable during my last apartment hunt. Everytime I learned of a new potential home, I pulled out The Book and immediately knew where the nearest supermarkets, banks, coffee shops, etc were to be found.
This is a good one.

This is one aptly titled guide. The target user of the 2007 pocket-sized soft-cover manual is the seasoned traveler who is not really looking for ideas on how to spend a day in Manhattan or what the top ten restaurants are in the city. This is a book that focuses on navigating the complexities of a city with an embarrassment of riches - restaurants, hotels, shopping. At the same time, it also speaks to residents and commuters by listing essential services such as ATMs, emergency rooms, gyms, hardware stores, schools, hospitals, copy shops and supermarkets. As a means to organize the wealth of information, the editors have provided highly graphical maps broken down by neighborhood and categorized the listings in a user-friendly manner.

Other than the lack of timeliness associated with print versus the Web, the major downside of the NFT Guide is the miniscule print, a necessity given the condensed amount of information that is being presented. At the same time, there are helpful sections on parks, transportation hubs and routes, sports, the more renowned landmarks and gay/lesbian life. There is even a fold-out subway map inside the back flap. I found it very useful on my recent weekend trip to New York. I already knew most of the areas I wanted to cover, so this provided me with the detailed logistics I needed when I was there. It doesn't replace the tourist guidebooks flooding the market, but the NFT makes a nice, affordable supplement in any case.

I recently used this book to get around the city. I bought it for the transportation information, maps and general essentials for each neighborhood. This is not a restaurant guide by any means! It is a map for heavens sake!

The book was great and I knew where I was all the time and found it to be up to date and helpful. I loaned it to a friend who road tested it prior to my trip and brought back kudos as well.

If you want a restaurant guide, buy a different book, read the local reviews or ask your pals. If you want to get around the city without issue, this is the book for you.

As someone who has done a bit of travelling around the world, I've developed quite a collection of pocket street maps. Had I known this one existed during my first NYC visit, I would have worn it out. Although it says it's not for tourists, sometimes tourists need to know where the nearest Duane Reade or gas station is. This is the perfect book for anyone living, visiting, or planning a trip/move to New York.

The reason that I like this book so much is that it includes things that I need as a resident-- parking garages, ATMs, grocery stores, etc.
This new version actually includes many more neighborhoods outside of Manhattan than in previous versions.
Yeah, some of the restaurant reviews may be superfluous, but overall this is a great resource!