A fantastic guide to the neighborhoods of New York City.
587311
An exceedingly well-researched encyclopedia of the constituent neighborhoods of the five boroughs that comprise New York City, this book is a great read and research manual for both those who are planning to visit or move to the city as well as long-time residents. Written by the Real Estate Editor of the New York Times, this guide is a valuable resource of information about all the things that make the neighborhoods of NYC distinctive and unique. I definitely recommend it.
1095295
An astonishing variety of experiences, all in or near the Big Apple, described with humor, insight, and enthusiasm.  The authors' intimate knowledge and deep love for their city beam from every page.  The directions and details are precise and easy to follow.  A useful feature is the annotated contents section that makes it quick and easy to browse and choose a destination.  HIGHLY recommended for the visitor or for the native who has spent too much time indoors.
3801103
If by New York City Lonely Planet means Manhattan, this is a nice start.  There are various sections for that part of Manhattan where the tourists go, with many hotels and restaurants listed.  But this isn't the entirety of New York City; it's just the touristy parts and for a first-time visitor, this is a decent book to carry because of its smaller size.  Pack it in your backpack and this will take you to the big sights, but I always recommend you also do internet searches for events happening around the neighborhoods.  Prices and opening hours will always change.

There are many smaller maps in this book showing various neighborhoods, and a pullout map of Manhattan.  The photos are nice and the sections are colored in different colors.  New York is divided by five boroughs and Manhattan is the featured borough, but there is plenty more to see and do in this great city.
252570
Traveling in unfamiliar territory scares me, I admit it. I ordered this book because I actually was heading to NY just a couple months later.

It's a beautiful full color guide with clear and concise maps.

There are nine helpful categories in the book.

The Best of the Big Apple, which covers the noteworthy places.

New York City in Depth, which talks about the history of New York City.

New York City Neighborhoods, which explains what the names of the districts mean and give you a tour, including suggested itineraries.

Where to Stay, which is pretty self explanatory. Hotels, price ranges.

Where to Dine, also self explanatory. It talks about the best restaurants and delis.

Exploring New York City section which lists attractions with star ratings.

Shopping guide to find the department stores, souvenir stores, bookstores.

New York City After Dark talks about Broadway and off Broadway shows, concert halls, music, comedy, and bars.

Planning Your Trip to New York City is about getting in and out of the city and safety tips.

I absolutely love NYC. When I visited this summer, with only three full days, I barely scratched the surface. I'm excited to plan my next trip with the help of this guide and see things I didn't get to see, go places I didn't get to go. It's very comprehensive. If you're planning a trip to NYC, I highly recommend it.
3770012
If you truly love the look, feel and vibe of classic New York City neighborhoods, you will love and appreciate "Store Front:The Disapearing Face of New York". Beautiful color photographs that will take you back in time to the community neighborhoods and the specialty merchants who served their customers needs and knew their individual names. The book comes in two sizes, I bought the mini version, same number of excellent photos with brief write ups about the various neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs of NYC.
4538565
This walking guide to San Francisco contains numerous historical and architectural tidbits of a variety well-suited for curious urban day-hikers. I've lived in San Francisco for three years and have walked by a great number of interesting buildings without noticing them until they were pointed out in this book. The text is organized into chapters devoted to neighborhoods, with (somewhat limited) information about lodging and dining and a walkable itinerary highlighting the most distinctive features of the area. Noteworthy are the chapters concerning the Victorian Painted Ladies of the Haight-Ashbury District and the excellent Mission District walk. A book like this is a fine way to get off the beaten path of San Francisco tourism and to see what the real neighborhoods are like.
2996790
This wonderful exploration of the lives of residents of New York and of the city itself will be very pleasing to anyone who loves the city and loves to read.  If you haven't seen the movie Man on Wire, it will help.  the study of the women is especially strong.  A book club selection that was loved,.
3691930
I live in Manhattan - seen a lot of "things to do in NYC" - this is the best guide I've found as a local, great for visitors.  Well organized, accurate, comes with a nice map of the city.
2621244
I was looking for a book about what to do when I arrive to New York City and this is just what I was looking for. It has a very complete list of places to visit, such as museums, restaurants, parks, buildings and so on. Whoever wrote this knows a lot about Gotham and he/she did a really good job recommending his/her favorite places and giving some really useful advice about what to do, when to do it, how to get to those places, how to save some money on your visit to the Big Apple and much more.
903985
This book is so compact it fits nicely into a pocket.  But why would you want to keep it in a pocket?  Of course you should use it before coming to the Big Apple for a taste of what the city offers.  But once here it is a wealth of small tips on shops, restaurants and cultural places to see.

Keep in mind that its focus is on Manhattan, which by and large is what someone visiting New York City wants to tour.  There is a section on how to plan a 3 day tour of the city as well as other types of tours.  There are tips such as how to hail a cab (walk to the curb and put up your arm....just like on TV) and what to do if you are on a side street with few cabs coming down.

While you may not have the resources to shop Tiffany's, Macy's, Bloomingdales, you should plan to walk through these flagship stores.  There is nothing like experiencing them and the throngs of people shopping.  Of course this book also talks about Century 21, the huge discount store.  As well as the main Public Library (huge, huge, huge), St. Patrick's and museum row.

There are plenty of larger books on the city that never sleeps.  This one you can easily take with you and not worry about what you have to leave behind in the hotel room.

For what it offers it is a wonderful, compact resource.
1988524
While doing research for my inventions, I find that a good book is priceless. I believe this book to be one of the best metropolitan guides that I've ever run across. Complete detail of all five buroughs is at your fingertips here. There is alot  of info based around the architectural style of the city, but what else defines a city more so than the edifices that line its streets? With a plethora of detailed pictures, you'll find that it's a lot easier to find your way around. This can be unbelievably crucial to your survival. I think you'll enjoy the bemusing stories that make the city more that just concrete, but rather part of a greater gestalt of people, stories and the lives that contain them.  This book greatly accelerated the research of my latest project,  "The Security Wallet-Pant". Once in New York I perused the pages of said book and quickly found the high crime areas I would need to test "The Security Pant-Wallet". "The Security Wallet-Pant" is a special Pant made entirely out of the soft, supple leather of used wallets. You'll notice I called them a Pant, not a pair of pants. I never liked the unecessary pluralization. I made the "The Security Wallet-Pant" out of necessity after having my wallet stolen 4 times. The idea behind "The Security Wallet-Pant" is to confuse would-be theives to the point of grand confusion leading to them ulitimately giving up. I strapped on "The Security Wallet-Pant" and made my way for the mean streets of the Big Apple. Within minutes "The Security Wallet-Pant" was being put to the test. Thankfully, New York City is one place where you can catch a cab, pant-less.
2925146
As someone who has visited NYC more than a dozen times in the past 3 years, including extended stays in a variety of locations, I have low expectations of learning from travel guides.  Lonely Planet is one of my favorite travel publishers and this book does not disappoint.  This books hits all the high spots, including tourist favorites and lesser known jewels alike.  It tipped me off to several restaurants and cultural locations that I will definitely try on my next visit.

The book is a decent size to carry in my purse and its layout is very pleasing to the eye.  Use of color images and high quality paper are a nice plus as well.  It doesn't feel like its going to fall apart after one or two uses.  For my travels I will still rely on the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Not-For-Tourists-Guide-to-New-York-City-2013-Not-for-Tourists-Guidebook/dp/1620870835/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Not For Tourists Guide to New York City 2013 (Not for Tourists Guidebook)</a>, but I will definitely recommend this title to friends who are visiting the city for the first time.
4200229
With a large collection of New York City guide books, I am pretty well read in this area.  I like to keep myself current on both popular tourist sites and obscure stuff since I act as a tour guide myself when I have guests from out-of-town.  There seem to be a run on new books the feature 'unusual' places in New York.  "New York's Unique and Unexpected Places" is the third guide I've see published in the past year, following "Off the Beaten Subway Track" and "Secret New York", each which also sit on my bookshelf.  Unfortunately, this title covers no new ground.

Starting with its strengths, the photos are crisp and nicely capture the spirit of some of these lesser known sites.  The photos are the star of the show, but the writing is only acceptable and it lacks personality.  This title would have been better as a coffee table book of photo essays, rather than a hard cover guide book.  In terms of value for your money, "Off the Beaten Subway Track" is a soft-cover book that cost me half as much money, covered all of the same sites with dozens that are not in this book, and featured a more engaging narrative structure.

If you are looking for interesting places to visit in New York, this book provides a sample of the oddity that New York contains.  However, it is not alone in a growing niche.  Since I tend to be a bit of an outlier when it comes to NYC books (I literally have dozens), I suspect most people only need one book regarding this narrow subject.  Explore the alternatives, since this book falls short.
194858
A great history of NYC and its subways - I highly recommend it.
389838
Exploring Brooklyn can be an overwhelming adventure - there's just so much there! This book does a beautiful job highlighting some true treasures in the borough with stories that you'll want to repeat to friends. As a New Yorker, I love this field guide and have referenced it the most!
3411939
The guide not only offers wonderful suggestions for dining and lodging, but insight into activities and off the beaten path exploration. Clearly,  the author's love and knowledge of the region resonates through the book.  A very helpful tool for planning a weekend getaway, or a longer stay in this beautiful region of New York state.
2584975
We absolutely love the Frommer's guides. If you are only going through town a few days and like to explore this is a perfect guide. It gives you plenty of the local highlights and a good outline of the neighborhoods. Lots of pictures and maps. The best part is it is small enough to fit in your back pocket or bag.