The Underground Guide to New York City Subways [Paperback]

Dave Frattini (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

The only guide you will ever need to travel around New York City by subway.

From the theater district of trendy Manhattan to the quaint residential neighborhoods of Queens, every single station in the four boroughs has been researched to help you maneuver the system like a pro.

Highly Informative and Resourceful, The Book's Highlight's Include:
Noteworthy stations featuring the best in underground art
The best nearby restaurants for affordable, informal and ethnic dining
Insightful historic information on the IND, BMT, and IRT transit lines
A token rating scale that gives an honest assessment of each station's
Decor
Cleanliness
Safety
Surrounding neighborhoods
Nearby points of interest such as museums, theaters, parks and shopping

New York City residents and visitors alike will find this comprehensive handbook indispensable for riding the mass transit rails.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dave Frattini received a BA in political science from Santa Clara University. He was born and raised in New York and has been fascinated with the subway system since childhood.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312253842
• ISBN-13: 978-0312253844
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,386,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Off the track, November 1, 2000

By 

Goldie - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Underground Guide to New York City Subways (Paperback)

I can't swear for the rest of the boroughs, but I can tell you that the author doesn't appear to have all his Brooklyn facts straight. A couple of examples: He talks of a stop on the "N" line at 86th Street and 8th Avenue (p.259). Not only is there not a stop there....there is no "there" there. Those two streets do not cross. Eight Avenue ends in the 70's. Also, the author talks of the view of the Ave X subway yards and overhaul center that can be "clearly seen from the "N" and the "R" Lines as they begin the Stillwell Avenue descent into Coney Island" (p.5). Problem is, the "R" train goes nowhere near Coney Island. In fact, it is underground for its entire run in Brooklyn. There were others, but I won't bore you with the details. In a book that purports to be a "guide," attention to detail is important. In a lot of cases here, we are not talking about minor details. The prose style, if you can call it that, is way too cute. All in all, if you want a guide to the subway, get the free map from the MTA. If you want to know about the neighborhoods, take a bus tour and see for yourself. Given the unreliability of the book regarding areas of the world with which I'm familiar, I'd be very hesitant to count on it for anything at all.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wrong, repetitive, and worse, December 18, 2003

By 

"antonthegreat17" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Underground Guide to New York City Subways (Paperback)

This book's goal is admirable to anyone who loves the city subway - visit every station and desvribe it for all to know. However, Dave Frattini, makes a pretty bad job of it. While his effort is admirable, his information as duly noted by others is often plain wrong.
His style could use some work too - how many times can one write "let's face it" in one publication??
Furthermore he includes completley unnecessary racial comments into the descriptions: why "scary black guy"??(p.180) Why shouldn't residents of Ralph Avenue watch a TV sitcom with white characters?(p.37) Van Siclen Avenue area is not a shanty town - why should it be surprising to see satelite dishes? (pp.179-180) I can't find such remarks informative or funny.
Real people live and work in all these neighborhoods - they have many more positive sides than can be seen from a brief peek from inside the station - but it seems the author did not really do this much for some of his listings...
The book presents New York, New Yorkers and the subway as the same old stereotypes from bad movies of a few decades back.
Some one should us all a favor and write a new and better book!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frattini is fittingly raw, April 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Underground Guide to New York City Subways (Paperback)

A no-holds-barred depiction of the NYC "underground". Frattini has a witty and audacious style that makes this book more than a guide...it's real New York adventure!