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NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette
New York Times Bestseller
Living in New York City for five years as a transplant from Ohio, illustrator and T-shirt designer Nathan Pyle was fascinated by the unique habits and unspoken customs New Yorkers follow to make life bearable in a city with 8 million people (and seemingly twice the number of tourists). In NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette, Pyle reveals the secrets and unwritten rules for living in and visiting New York including the answers to such burning questions as, how do I hail a cab? What is a bodega? Which way is Uptown? Why are there so many doors in the sidewalk? How do I walk on an escalator? Do we need be touching right now? Where should I inhale or exhale while passing sidewalk garbage? How long should I honk my horn? If New York were a game show, how would I win? What happens when I stand in the bike lane? Who should get the empty subway seats? How do I stay safe during a trash tornado? Each tip is a little story illustrated in simple black and white drawings.
Living in New York City for five years as a transplant from Ohio, illustrator and T-shirt designer Nathan Pyle was fascinated by the unique habits and unspoken customs New Yorkers follow to make life bearable in a city with 8 million people (and seemingly twice the number of tourists). In NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette, Pyle reveals the secrets and unwritten rules for living in and visiting New York including the answers to such burning questions as, how do I hail a cab? What is a bodega? Which way is Uptown? Why are there so many doors in the sidewalk? How do I walk on an escalator? Do we need be touching right now? Where should I inhale or exhale while passing sidewalk garbage? How long should I honk my horn? If New York were a game show, how would I win? What happens when I stand in the bike lane? Who should get the empty subway seats? How do I stay safe during a trash tornado? Each tip is a little story illustrated in simple black and white drawings.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2013
42 people are currently reading
653 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
July 15, 2020
This book does what the title states - provide basic tips. Common sense type tips that might have been more interesting to me if I hadn't lived in New York for roughly 7 or 8 years.
Even so, I might have rated this higher if there weren't so many blank and/or mostly blank 'tip' boxes. I think it was a formatting issue, and not the author deciding to have several tips be empty boxes, or have a box that says something like '2 says to cross the street' then have the rest of the box completely empty. Plus many boxes were filled with 'stuff' but it was hard to tell what was supposed to be conveyed because everything in the box was too dark and the same shade of black.
Rating: 3
July 15 2020
Even so, I might have rated this higher if there weren't so many blank and/or mostly blank 'tip' boxes. I think it was a formatting issue, and not the author deciding to have several tips be empty boxes, or have a box that says something like '2 says to cross the street' then have the rest of the box completely empty. Plus many boxes were filled with 'stuff' but it was hard to tell what was supposed to be conveyed because everything in the box was too dark and the same shade of black.
Rating: 3
July 15 2020
January 13, 2026
Love the simple but smart illustrations but apart from four pages on how to navigate New York and the distinction between popular places and monuments, the book's main message comes out too be... Do Not Stand or Saunter on the sidewalk (or anywhere really in NYC.)
December 24, 2021
Fun to read. Some useful advice, some good mnemonics for keeping track of NYC. Easy read, and the pictures make it easy to remember the advice.
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January 24, 2022First book of 2022! NYC sounds overwhelming and stressful... but this book was fun!
December 13, 2022
I was bored and borrowed this from hoopla on a whim. Yes, there were better things I should have been doing. I'm a procrastinator, okay?! And it's my lunchtime. Full disclosure: I live in NY but I do not live in NYC; I've been there quite a few times as a tourist.
The basic message in this book is pretty much a no-brainer to me but maybe people need to be told: be prepared, pay attention, don't be an asshole, avoid eye contact, and stay out of the way.
Things I learned:
The Staten Island Ferry is now free!
Convenient mnemonics for telling Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge apart (Manhattan=med from metal, Brooklyn = built from blocks)
That's about it. This was cute, but it was not as location-specific as I was hoping.
The traffic cartoon on page 40 made me laugh. I learned how to drive in NJ. If you are that person who is afraid to pull into traffic because there is not a big enough gap, and I am in a car behind you, I am definitely yelling: "what are you waiting for, a written invitation? gooo!!" Pyle nicely calls this attitude "being assertive." Conversely, when I am teaching my kids to drive, I tell them to be safe, don't pull out until they are comfortable, and to hell with the person behind them. So, if you're just learning how to drive, know that I understand. But I'm still yelling about you needing a written invitation.
Pyle talks about cabs a lot, which was weird, because of all the times I've visited NYC, I've only taken a cab once. Seeing cabs is part of the NYC experience for me, but riding in cabs is NOT. One thing he did not talk about was a rule that I've enforced with my kids from day one while waiting for the subway: stay away from the platform edge, keep your back to a wall or column, so you don't get (accidentally or on purpose) pushed. Does that happen often? no. Is it potentially catastrophic if it happens even ONCE? YES! Is it easy enough to just stay away from the edge? YES. So I was surprised he didn't mention it, when he spent so much page space on common-sense things like: don't fall for scams, don't let your backpack block the aisle, don't hog the seat, don't stop in the middle of the exit, etc.
He also uses several pages to talk about being prepared for cold weather, which was weird for someone from Ohio. Isn't it cold there, too?
The basic message in this book is pretty much a no-brainer to me but maybe people need to be told: be prepared, pay attention, don't be an asshole, avoid eye contact, and stay out of the way.
Things I learned:
The Staten Island Ferry is now free!
Convenient mnemonics for telling Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge apart (Manhattan=med from metal, Brooklyn = built from blocks)
That's about it. This was cute, but it was not as location-specific as I was hoping.
The traffic cartoon on page 40 made me laugh. I learned how to drive in NJ. If you are that person who is afraid to pull into traffic because there is not a big enough gap, and I am in a car behind you, I am definitely yelling: "what are you waiting for, a written invitation? gooo!!" Pyle nicely calls this attitude "being assertive." Conversely, when I am teaching my kids to drive, I tell them to be safe, don't pull out until they are comfortable, and to hell with the person behind them. So, if you're just learning how to drive, know that I understand. But I'm still yelling about you needing a written invitation.
Pyle talks about cabs a lot, which was weird, because of all the times I've visited NYC, I've only taken a cab once. Seeing cabs is part of the NYC experience for me, but riding in cabs is NOT. One thing he did not talk about was a rule that I've enforced with my kids from day one while waiting for the subway: stay away from the platform edge, keep your back to a wall or column, so you don't get (accidentally or on purpose) pushed. Does that happen often? no. Is it potentially catastrophic if it happens even ONCE? YES! Is it easy enough to just stay away from the edge? YES. So I was surprised he didn't mention it, when he spent so much page space on common-sense things like: don't fall for scams, don't let your backpack block the aisle, don't hog the seat, don't stop in the middle of the exit, etc.
He also uses several pages to talk about being prepared for cold weather, which was weird for someone from Ohio. Isn't it cold there, too?
September 13, 2016
I won this book at my University and so I decided to read it.
NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette is what it says on the tin. Since I am not in New York and hopefully visiting New York City often this does help a lot.
Plus it helps that there are drawings to go along with these tips.
Extra: a lot of these tips and etiquette are things people should know, this does not only apply to New York City. -_-
NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette is what it says on the tin. Since I am not in New York and hopefully visiting New York City often this does help a lot.
Plus it helps that there are drawings to go along with these tips.
Extra: a lot of these tips and etiquette are things people should know, this does not only apply to New York City. -_-
May 10, 2014
Excellent! Read it in one sitting, mostly because I just couldn't put it down! Clearly written, cleverly illustrated. Pretty sure I'm buying this book for every NYC transplant in perpetuity. A+!
December 13, 2022
Informative and hilarious. I'd added this to my TBR back in 2014 after getting back from our three-day weekend in NYC and never did scrounge up a copy. Memorable about that trip: My mom cannot read subway maps and tried to hop on a train to Queens or Brooklyn or somewhere-not-Manhattan when all we wanted to do was get to midtown :D
Here I am eight years later and it's on Hoopla, because of course it is. (Bonus: This is the guy who writes the Strange Planet aliens!)
Here I am eight years later and it's on Hoopla, because of course it is. (Bonus: This is the guy who writes the Strange Planet aliens!)
June 13, 2020
Never been to NY, but I think these tips are super helpful. I liked this book a lot because it was mad simple. Will reread before I book a trip there.
July 21, 2014
Fun single-page drawings and tips that amount to 'you are not the center of the universe; other people exist' and 'behave as though someone is always walking behind you on the sidewalk; be aware of your surroundings'. Some NYC-specific info, but also a manual for how humans should behave in any city.
November 23, 2015
Actually, this book was a very pleasant surprise. The illustrations are cute and to the point, and the advice right on. There's something addictive about it... couldn't put it down.
Maybe because I love New York City so much...
#120
Indeed some moments in New York are unpleasant.
#121
In these unpleasant moments, I find it's best to remember how amazing New York is.
Maybe because I love New York City so much...
#120
Indeed some moments in New York are unpleasant.
#121
In these unpleasant moments, I find it's best to remember how amazing New York is.
February 9, 2018
A quick, fun book of tips about NYC. Notes about the way things work, etiquette advice, and a few random thoughts from the author (like the things he misses most about Ohio). The art is punchy and bold in black and white, and I like that the author/artist sometimes snuck in personal recommendations (like his favorite $1 slice of pizza). Like all books like this, I just wish it had been longer.
January 8, 2016
Pure genius. Hilarious and heartfelt. Great for seasoned NYers and newbies alike
December 31, 2019
Quick and informative
I borrowed this book after I finished "Strange Planet." This is an informative guide with lovely and funny illustrations of NYC etiquette and tips. A quick read.
First book finished in 2020!
I borrowed this book after I finished "Strange Planet." This is an informative guide with lovely and funny illustrations of NYC etiquette and tips. A quick read.
First book finished in 2020!
December 28, 2020
I don't see any chance of going to New York in near future, but reading about a new place is always fun, and it increases when someone illustrates the city in a funny way. And yes, New York seemed lot like Dhaka from this book, only richer.
February 12, 2020
that was pretty good. I grabbed it because the library had it and a queue for the Strange Planet book so this came faster.
I think I'm going to get the kindle version just to see the animations.
I think I'm going to get the kindle version just to see the animations.
April 24, 2021
Required reading for everyone moving to (or visiting) NYC. On point and very fun.
December 30, 2021
cute, funny, I enjoyed the Ohio->NYC element. nice gift book!
July 3, 2023
I loved this. Some people need to be told not to stand in the street. I recall going to Paris on a high school trip and a 16 year old girl had to be told not to stop in the street, not to stand in the metro doorway and to hurry up.
Great illustration.
Great illustration.
January 21, 2024
Speaking as not a New Yorker, I thought this was adorable.
June 24, 2018
Hilarious comics imparting very honest advice relevant for all wandering the streets of New York, from the tourist to the freshly-moved-here to the seasoned city dweller.
August 27, 2019
Not only funny, but surprisingly useful during my recent trip to NYC :)
July 26, 2025
what a riot
May 27, 2014
New Yorkers can be a little prickly about some of the things tourists do. Pyle's inner Midwesterner is too nice to let this creative graphic guide to our fair city degenerate into a mean rant, but he does a good job of explaining, for locals and visitors alike, why it is that seemingly innocuous behaviors can be really, really annoying in New York.
He balances these chastising moments with wondeful tips for visitors and New Yorkers, turning his book into a pointed but accessible guide to navigating this or any city with grace and ease.
The visual style is clear, welcoming, and brilliantly intuitive. at helong his points come to life. There's a sense of wonder and love for New York at work here, and it adds up to a fun, easy read and a great gift book for a tourist, new New Yorker, or even a diehard local.
He balances these chastising moments with wondeful tips for visitors and New Yorkers, turning his book into a pointed but accessible guide to navigating this or any city with grace and ease.
The visual style is clear, welcoming, and brilliantly intuitive. at helong his points come to life. There's a sense of wonder and love for New York at work here, and it adds up to a fun, easy read and a great gift book for a tourist, new New Yorker, or even a diehard local.
May 8, 2014
Librito muy entretenido con un montón de consejos para sobrevivir/no ser un capullo/no perder el tiempo en Nueva York. Varias de las ilustraciones pueden verse aquí. El libro está escrito con muy buen humor y es muy entretenido. Recomendable.
September 13, 2021
This book contains mainly advice on how not to annoy New Yorkers in the metro. An entertaining read for your flight to NY but not much else.
February 4, 2019
NYC : Basic Tips and Etiquette by Nathan W. Pyle is a delightful, charming and very funny guide explaining how New Yorkers make life easier for each other in a city of 8 million residents, and what can seem like an equal number of tourists. This would make a perfect welcome gift for anyone new to the city.
My companion picked this up at the New York City transit museum when we went to the museum. When she saw the page about removing all extraneous language from your sandwich order, she laughingly intuited that a Midwesterner had to be the author of this book. Why? A New Yorker would know to do that already and wouldn’t think it would need to be explained.
What a terrific person author Nathan W. Pyle would be to have in your circle of friends with his eagle eye for thoughtfulness and gracious behavior. I especially appreciated a whole section in the book which explained when, where, and why the assertive thing to do was the polite thing to do. That’s a concept not often explained that I wish was more universally implemented.
He should do a book like this for other large cities, as many of the concepts are universally needed in urban environments.
My companion picked this up at the New York City transit museum when we went to the museum. When she saw the page about removing all extraneous language from your sandwich order, she laughingly intuited that a Midwesterner had to be the author of this book. Why? A New Yorker would know to do that already and wouldn’t think it would need to be explained.
What a terrific person author Nathan W. Pyle would be to have in your circle of friends with his eagle eye for thoughtfulness and gracious behavior. I especially appreciated a whole section in the book which explained when, where, and why the assertive thing to do was the polite thing to do. That’s a concept not often explained that I wish was more universally implemented.
He should do a book like this for other large cities, as many of the concepts are universally needed in urban environments.
May 28, 2020
This was a cute book with solid advice for visitors and transplants alike. Also, considering that this book was released many years ago, I appreciate that most of the advice was not outdated and likely still will be relevant in years to come. Nothing really blew me away about this book (aesthetically or content-wise) but I would still recommend it to non-New Yorkers because I wish everyone knew these walking / train rules before they arrived here. It would really make our commute a little less annoying lol. Two things to note though (for anyone who plans to religiously follow the book's guidelines):
1. Yes, panhandling is illegal but no one's going to arrest you if you choose to give money to someone on the train who is asking for it. Also, unless you are actually in danger from someone who is panhandling, do NOT call the police on anyone who is doing so. This book calling out that it's illegal felt like it gave an excuse to people who like to weaponize their privilege. If you want to give money, do it and if not, don't.
2. As you can imagine, white men do not make up the majority of NYC residents. Most of the little black and white characters here seemed to be that but alas, other people exist in New York. Thank you to the person who previously pointed this out in another review. That was sadly a miss on Pyle's part.
1. Yes, panhandling is illegal but no one's going to arrest you if you choose to give money to someone on the train who is asking for it. Also, unless you are actually in danger from someone who is panhandling, do NOT call the police on anyone who is doing so. This book calling out that it's illegal felt like it gave an excuse to people who like to weaponize their privilege. If you want to give money, do it and if not, don't.
2. As you can imagine, white men do not make up the majority of NYC residents. Most of the little black and white characters here seemed to be that but alas, other people exist in New York. Thank you to the person who previously pointed this out in another review. That was sadly a miss on Pyle's part.
June 3, 2025
Stumbled across this book when I was looking for more works by the author in my library catalogue; it was obviously not part of his Strange Planet work, but I thought there might be some similar humor in it. Sadly not the case.
It is a perfectly fine book and probably useful to its intended audience. But one of its points is that New York City is a nice place to live once you understand the logic of how everyone acts, but everything it shows about life there just convinces me that I'm happy not to live there, and also glad that I have no plans to visit.
It is a perfectly fine book and probably useful to its intended audience. But one of its points is that New York City is a nice place to live once you understand the logic of how everyone acts, but everything it shows about life there just convinces me that I'm happy not to live there, and also glad that I have no plans to visit.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews