10 books about New York

Uncover the masterworks of modern art hidden across New York City in this charmingly illustrated exploration of one of the world's greatest artistic treasure troves. There's so much to love about New York, and so much to see. The city is full of art, and architecture, and history--and not just in museums. Hidden in plain sight, in office building lobbies, on street corners, and tucked into Soho lofts, there's a treasure trove of art waiting to be discovered, and you don't need an art history degree to fall in love with it. Art Hiding in New York is a beautiful, giftable book that explores all of these locations, traversing Manhattan to brings 100 treasures to art lovers and intrepid New York adventurers. Curator and urban explorer Lori Zimmer brings readers along to sites covering the biggest names of the 20th century--like Jean-Michel Basquiat's studio, recently uncovered Keith Haring murals,the controversial site of Richard Serra's Tilted Art, Roy Lichtenstein's subway station art, and many more. Each entry is accompanied with a beautiful watercolor depiction of the work, as well as directions for those itching to see for themselves. With a compact size, perfect for bringing on the go or displaying on any art lover's shelf, and curated itineraries for exploring the city, this inspirational book is a must-read for those who love modern art, New York, and, of course, both.

The Overstory, winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of--and paean to--the natural world. From the roots to the crown and back to the seeds, Richard Powers's twelfth novel unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fables that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. There is a world alongside ours--vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us. This is the story of a handful of people who learn how to see that world and who are drawn up into its unfolding catastrophe.

Beautifully illustrated with line drawings and photographs, engagingly presented, and richly detailed, this charming guide traces the architectural and social history of Manhattan one building at a time. The island of Manhattan has been through remarkable architectural and social change throughout its history. Organized roughly by neighborhoods, this book explores the seemingly never-ending depths of architectural, personal, and social history of Manhattan, building by building. Follow the family feud that led to the construction of the luxurious Waldorf Astoria, or trace the decay of a once proud home to an increasingly humble storefront, delving into the surprising, sometimes scandalous, often touching stories of the people who lived there along the way. Alongside the details about each architect, dates, and styles, author Tom Miller reveals the joys, tragedies, and scandals of those who lived within. In addition to iconic structures, the book includes many off-the-beaten-path buildings that most guidebooks overlook, as well as notable buildings that no longer stand but remain key to Manhattan’s architectural history. Beautifully researched, engagingly presented, and richly detailed, Seeking New York is truly a must-read for anyone interested in the story of New York and how it got that way.

The must-have guide to pop culture, history, and world-changing ideas that started in New York City, from the magazine at the center of it all. Since its founding in 1624, New York City has been a place that creates things. What began as a trading post for beaver pelts soon transformed into a hub of technological, social, and cultural innovation—but beyond fostering literal inventions like the elevator (inside Cooper Union in 1853), Q-tips (by Polish immigrant Leo Gerstenzang in 1923), General Tso’s chicken (reimagined for American tastes in the 1970s by one of its Hunanese creators), the singles bar (1965 on the Upper East Side), and Scrabble (1931 in Jackson Heights), the city has given birth to or perfected idioms, forms, and ways of thinking that have changed the world, from Abstract Expressionism to Broadway, baseball to hip-hop, news blogs to neoconservatism to the concept of “downtown.” Those creations and more are all collected in The Encyclopedia of New York, an A-to-Z compendium of unexpected origin stories, hidden histories, and useful guides to the greatest city in the world, compiled by the editors of New York Magazine (a city invention itself, since 1968) and featuring contributions from Rebecca Traister, Jerry Saltz, Frank Rich, Jonathan Chait, Rhonda Garelick, Kathryn VanArendonk, Christopher Bonanos, and more. Here you will find something fascinating and uniquely New York on every page: a history of the city’s skyline, accompanied by a tour guide’s list of the best things about every observation deck; the development of positive thinking and punk music; appreciations of seltzer and alternate-side-of-the-street parking; the oddest object to be found at Ripley’s Believe It or Not!; musical theater next to muckracking and mugging; and the unbelievable revelation that English muffins were created on...West Twentieth Street. Whether you are a lifelong resident, a curious newcomer, or an armchair traveler, this is the guidebook you’ll need, straight from the people who know New York best.

Now in its third edition, The Historical Atlas of New York City, takes us, neighborhood by neighborhood, through four hundred years of Gotham's rich past, from the city's initial settlement of 270 people in thirty log houses; to John Jacob Astor's meteoric rise from humble fur trader to the richest, most powerful man in the city; the fascinating ethnic mixture that is modern Queens; and the new "Freedom Tower" at One World Trade Center. With full-color maps, charts, photographs, drawings, and mini-essays, this encyclopedic volume also traces the historical development and cultural relevance of such iconic New York thoroughfares as Fifth Avenue, Wall Street, Park Avenue, and Broadway. This fully revised and updated edition brings the Atlas up to the present, including new spreads of the One World Trade Center site. A fascinating chronicle of the life of a metropolis, the striking third edition of The Historical Atlas of New York City provides a vivid and unique perspective on the nation's cultural capital.

Do you know that the building you pass every day may not even be real? Are you familiar with the etiquette of the Subway System? Did you know the Pizza Principle is secretly controlling the cost of your subway fare? Will you rest easier at night if you could just find out what size shoes the Lady Liberty wears? With this guide in your hands, you will view New York City with wholly new eyes. Whether you have lived here all your life or visit it but never stay too long, you might not know your city as well as you thought you did.For your ease, we have divided this guide into several main categories. It contains facts about NYC's History, People, Food, Landmarks and Attractions, Celebrities, Daily Life, Geography, and Climate. We have also included activities that signal the beginning of each new section. Try them out because as you brainstorm, you may discover details about your city that were hidden - or forgotten - before!

"New York wouldn't be New York without the subway. This one-time engineering marvel that united and expanded the city has been a cultural touchstone for the last 114 years. Somehow though, there has never been a book that celebrates the subway from the scars it left on the city's fabric to the romantic fantasies it unleashed. Subway will convey a sense of wonder and fun about the world's largest transit system. The book will include a complete, concise history of the subway beginning with the technical obstacles and corruption that impeded plans for an underground rail line in the late 1800s, and the visionary and sometimes wacky schemes put forward in that era for subterranean and elevated transport. It will also tell how additional lines were built and how three independent subway systems were merged, creating the mishmash of numbered and lettered lines we have today.Interspersed throughout will be sidebars and stand-alone sections including profiles of characters that helped make the subway what it is (including the mostly forgotten August Belmont Jr., a flamboyant financier who bankrolled the first subway); graphics and imagery showing the evolution of subway cars, tokens and MetroCards, graffiti, and even subway etiquette ads; how the subway has been characterized in movies, television, and music; a look at abandoned cars and stations and more. Packed with compelling stories, fascinating facts and anecdotes, vivid portraits of the people who made the subway and those who saved it, all supplemented with engrossing imagery and a dynamic design, Subway will be a visual feast and must-have gift book, perfect for any coffee table"--

The years 1980 until 1993, a time we call the New York days, are the final unknown piece of the jigsaw puzzle that was Freddie Mercury's life. (Rock superstar and always dynamic front man of Queen). In fact, the movie Bohemian Rhapsody basically skipped over this important time of his life, moving from 1980 to 1984 in maybe fifteen to twenty seconds. My close friends Lee Nolan, Joe Scardilli, and John Murphy were eager to meet Freddie when he returned in 1981 after I had first met him in 1980. Freddie and his twenty-four-hour attendant and loyal friend, Peter Freestone, liked our group and wanted very much to be a part of it. At that time, many of New York City's residents and day-trippers from Long Island and New Jersey knew Queen's music but could not identify the band members. Freddie felt free and absolutely cherished this newly found and so-unavailable-in-Europe nonrecognition. He had recently grown a mustache, cut his hair short, wore jeans and tee shirts, and blended in perfectly with the gay culture in New York-we mostly all looked alike! Freddie loved being just "one of the boys." Unfortunately, John and Joe have passed on. Lee and I, however, continued the relationship beyond 1986 when we were invited several times to Freddie's beloved Garden Lodge in the heart of London. Lee was the constant photographer and has preserved a great many of these photos, which have never been seen prior to our book. One of the last things that Freddie repeated to Lee on our last visit, June 1991, was to "make these photos work for you, darling!" You will see wonderful photos of Freddie, off the stage and participating in the real world. You will see fun and excitement in his face at every turn of the page. Enjoy! Thor Arnold and Lee Nolan

A pictorial tour of Manhattan's neighborhoods, transportation and traffic, buildings, and the city's activities, from the local shoeshine stall to Wall Street.