New York Books

Tomorrow will be our last full day in New York City, so we're feeling a bit (lie, a lot) sentimental and weepy. New York nostalgia in the next few posts, starting with our New York books. I bought this Rough Guide to New York City years before we moved here. Despite some of the material being dated (like the Fulton Fish Market no longer existing), this book was still very helpful. We were also able to check off almost everything on their top to do list.

No Reservations has been one of our favorite television shows. We love Anthony Bourdain's dry sense of humor, sarcasm, and his love for food and all things meat. Before we knew we'd be moving to New York, we wanted so badly to visit Kebab Cafe in Astoria, Queens. But after we moved here, we heard what kind of crook the owner was and decided to pass. Too bad we didn't run into Bourdain on the street or at a restaurant, but we were able to try some of the restaurants he mentioned on his show and in his books, like Manganaro's, Prune, and Di Farra. We're looking forward to seeing the New York Outer Boroughs episode on September 7th, which includes his visit to Xi'an Famous Foods.

We bought this New York photo book published in 1977 at Housing Works, one of our favorite Chelsea thrift stores.

What's great about this book is photos like this.


This one's self explanatory.


The iconic photo.


We loved this polaroid photo of the iconic photo being taken on August 1974.


A walk through their (and our) favorite park, Central Park.


The Dakota.


Last but not least, a book we bought soon after we moved here. It's one of our favorite essays on New York, Here is New York by E.B. White. This deserves its own post.