Customer Reviews

The World in a City: Traveling the Globe Through the Neighborhoods of the New New York

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Joe Berger's magnificent new book deserves to become another filament in the tapestry of the city he so eloquently and lovingly describes. He has a sixth sense about people, place and time that bring to life the essence of New York . He weaves history, sociology, politics and personal anecdotes into a seamless whole that illuminate the nooks and crannies of our great metropolis. In conclusion, this reader, for one, cannot wait for the opportunity to embark on the world tour lying outside his doorstep with "The World in a City" as my Baedeker!

I happened upon this book and thought it would be a perfect one while I prepare for our trip to NYC this summer. I thought it would tell me many interesting neighborhoods to check out, as well as tell me some stories about the places - given his background as a journalist, I would not have assumed otherwise. Well, he's good at telling about neighborhoods, but their stories are all the same - old immigrants are replaced by new ones. Too many census statistics, too few interesting tales. Oh, and the map is very unsubstantial. I got a few ideas, but in general it was not as good as I thought it would be.

Each chapter in this book profiles a different neighborhood that has been transformed over the past few decades - in most cases, by the "new immigration" from Latin America, Asia, and even Africa (though Berger also discusses a couple of newly-gentrifying areas and the Orthodox Judaism that now dominates Midwood).

As a new resident of NYC, I got some ideas about places to visit; in fact, this morning I visited the Bukharan Jewish Center, the opulent Bukharan synagogue in Forest Hills that Berger mentions. I also learned why there are so many Bukharan restaurants that often do not appear to be open; according to Berger, Bukharan Jews have a custom of gathering in restaurants during the seven-day mourning period after a relative's death (as well as monthly and annual anniversaries of same), thus creating a market for restaurants that are open only for such special occasions. This book is full of similar tidbits about other ethnic groups and their neighborhoods.

One caveat: because this book was written in 2007, some of the specific bakeries, restaurants, etc. mentioned in the book have already closed.

Manhattan, with its gleaming skyscrapers, shopping and entertainment, financial district, street-life, etc. etc. IS WONDERFUL. But there is still more to New York City, and that "more" is found in the ethnic neighborhoods of its other boroughs. And Joseph Berger, himself a first-generation American, brings many of these immigrant neighborhoods to life with chapters on each. There's Astoria, long known as a Greek-American stronghold which is changing as other groups move in, and East Harlem, now as much Mexican as Puerto Rican, and areas of The Bronx where emigres from Ghana now predominate. The city constantly changes, which makes it an always fascinating place, but one with which it is sometimes hard to keep up. Berger's book makes the task easier, providing a look at areas of the city that aren't, but should be, in the tourist guides. And, best of all, each chapter concludes with a list of things to see AND places to eat! Overall, an excellent book.

Joseph Berger, who has delighted us for years with his articles in the NY Times and prevous books, delights us once again with a vivid and fascinating portrayal of life in the City (there is no other). The pictures of prayer services around the City is enthralling.Great book.