New York City

Eyewitness Travel Guides

by Annelise Sorensen, Eleanor Berman, D.K. Eyewitness Travel

Drawing on the same standards of accuracy as the acclaimed DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, each book in DK's Top 10 series uses evocative color photography, excellent cartography, and up-to-date travel content to create a reliable and useful pocket-sized travel guide.

Dozens of Top 10 lists provide vital information on each destination, as well as insider tips, from uncovering a city's most memorable sights to finding the best restaurants and hotels in each neighborhood. And to save you time and money, there's even a Top 10 list of Things to Avoid.

Each Top 10 contains a pull-out map and guide that includes fold-out maps of city metro systems, useful phone numbers, and 60 great ideas on how to spend your day.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, New York, Guidebook, The United States Of America, American History

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Lo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good guide for planning a trip to New York with a handy map at the back that can be removed to take around with you.

It has a nice introduction to the history of New York city which I liked reading before I went. It was an extensive guide to the city and the boroughs beyond Manhattan which proved to be very useful.

The only problem with it was that it was heavy and rather large so it wasn't the best for carrying out while on holiday, and to be honest, that is the most important part of having a travel guide! However, a great guide if you are willing to plan before hand and write down the details of where you would like to see.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

With an upcoming visit to New York later this year I picked up this guide. Well, to be honest, I actually borrowed it from my daughter when she wasn't looking!
This book is absolutely crammed with useful information ranging from a brief history of New York to walks, places to eat, attractions etc etc. There are also plenty of excellent photographs, detailed maps, drawings & even (as it's a heavy book) a pull out city map.
After reading this guide I realise we won't need five days in New York.....we'll need about 5,000!

[Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books by DKEyewitness usually never disappoints. This informative travel guide of NYC is filled with beautiful photos, useful maps, & fascinating facts. Even thought I currently lives in NYC, it seems like every pages of the guide have new information about NYC that I didn’t know about before. I think this guide is great for foodies since there are many pages written about restaurants. There is a pleasant surprise at the end of this book (a free glossy foldable map of NYC included).

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I try to do long weekends for a little rest and relaxation. Now that I'm aware of this series, I've decided to invest a little time and money to pick up some of these to enrich those mini-vacations.

One future trip will be to New York City. And the Eyewitness Travel "New York" surely looks like a good companion for such a trip. As with the "Eyewitness Companions" series (another DK publication), this volume begins with background on "The Big Apple." "Introducing New York" provides a brief history of New York as well as other interesting minutiae to ground one, including a segment on the "Skyline" of Manhattan.

After that, it is an exploration of Manhattan (outside of a few references such as restaurants elsewhere); this is a Manhattan-centric work. I'll go over a few of these to provide a flavor for the book. First, "The Theater District." There are some nice maps (e.g., the map on pages 142-143 of Times Square) that lay out key sites, from restaurants to museums to cool buildings to other sites. For the Times Square area, the map shows where Sardi's is located, where key theaters and hotels are placed, as well as other places. Other parts of the coverage of this area discuss Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, Carnegie Hall, etc.

Or "Lower Midtown." A photo of the Chrysler Building starts this section. There is a street level map, showing some of the highlights of the area (Grand Central Terminal, Helmsley Building, Tudor City, and the UN). Another section? "Upper East Side." One feature is a lot of museums--the Guggenheim Museum, the Jewish Museum, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Frick Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Man, I love visiting there!).

Later on, there are a series of guided tours that the reader can take on his or her own (e.g., a 90 minute walk in the Lower East Side), a listing of recommended hotels to stay at, and a set of restaurants and bard that one might try.

All in all, this is fun reading, even if one does not plan to visit New York City. And, if co, this promises to be a fine resource.

[Pat Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My wife and I took a trip to New York City two weeks ago and I got this book to help point out places and things we wanted to see and do. It is a tour guide, with contributions from multiple authors. I found the info accurate. It was published for 2020, and had no info about the Covid pandemic, which didn't really matter to me. All in all, it did what I wanted it to. The writing is typical of a tour guide book. Just facts to know about. I gave it 4 stars because it did it's job. I didn't give it 5 because I have read tour books that had passion in them. You pick up the excitement from the writer and it is infectious. There were exclamations here and there, but no personal descriptions or reactions by an excited writer. I admit that I have only found one or two guide books that had that feature, but this one didn't have it. The saving grace is that New York has so much character and charm and history and the best of so many things that the excitement and passion will come just from being there. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to know about New York City for a possible visit.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the Eyewitness Travel Guides. The format is appealing -- a lavishly illustrated introductory section expounding on the history and key features of the city followed by color-coded sections, each devoted to a different area. The rear of the book is devoted to practicalities such as transportation, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment. Since it heavily relies on pictures rather than words, it's easy to pick up a guide, thumb through it, and let a striking photo serve as inspiration for where to go or what to do. The text on even the major sights is succinct, so if it's the full monty you're after, supplement this guide with something more substantial like a Blue Guide. However, if you want to get a quick sense of what a destination has to offer, an hour or so spent with one of these guides is probably one of the most effective ways to do background research.

One quibble is that since the Eyewitness Guides are printed on nice, heavy stock, they're not that light. Perhaps in the future another format - digital? - will get around this problem.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is so full of information, so respectful towards the city and the reader, the maps are great, the structure is really good at providing an overview of all the boroughs. Great outline of the cultural background and enough history to make you want to find out more about New York City. Too bad the trip is cancelled for now due to the current situation. Thinking of New York, hope we all come out of this soon ❤

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first introduction to the DK series. I feel they produce a stellar travel series that is far superior to anything else on the market. I am a DK snob! They have a lay-out that makes sense, amazing pictures and diagrams, and they provide the perfect amount of history and facts (which are really important to me).

[João Costa]

Great guide... used it in my trip and couldn't be more satisfied

[Ariadna73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very beautiful, complete and useful guide. The paper quality is superb, and it makes the book a little heavy to carry around, but not unbearably heavy. I liked the thorough description of each one of the neighborhoods, the maps and even the little Easter eggs with museum pictures and sculptures.
Here is the edition I read:
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Here is how they divided the city in different areas:

One of my favorite places in the world: the Public Library. I have been so blessed to have had the opportunity to spend many hours of my life in this sacred place. I love the peace, the feeling that you are surrounded by a wealth of knowledge that you can barely fathom.

 Then there are pages dedicated to different neighborhoods, and emblematic sightseeing.

 The trump tower

St. Patrick's Cathedral:

Museums:

Here is one interesting piece of art from one of those museums:

Central Park is of course a must:

And then the botanical garden. Such a nice place to visit!

An finally, there is this beautiful emblematic landscape:

All in all, I loved this little guide and how it reminded me of all the small corners of such a grandiose city. I would go back again and again and never get tired of it. This is one of the best cities in the world. I love her!
Psst! I have a blog too! Take a look here: http://lunairereadings.blogspot.com

[Marc Sebastian Head · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I've mentioned it before, but when planning a trip I like a Lonely Planet guide for a country-wide overview, but prefer the DK Eyewitness series for city breaks.

This edition has all the usual good features. There are brief itineraries for various lengths of stays, and they split the boroughs up into bitesize chunks to make it easier to navigate.

There are still some things I'd change - more information on how to buy AirTrain/Metrocards from JFK, and less focus on some of the weird niche museums - but the guide has to cater to everyone, and I still think they're among the best.

[Christy George · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remain obsessed with all things NYC, especially since I discovered that my 8th great grandfather was Peter Stuyvesant himself. He seems like he was the worst, but maybe my insane pull towards New York is in my blood. This book was PACKED with interesting information, useful visuals, and maps that are easy to read and make sense. It helped me add to my extensive list of things to do on my return to NY.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely an awesome book. It was super detailed and now I feel like with modern GPS I can navigate new york with ease and know what places to go. Its a bit dated but most of the places still exist so I have to give it a 5 stars. The images are probably the most detail I ever seen in a travel guide.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great guide book!

[Paul Delacruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is worth reading having all the updated information about visiting NYC. So if planning to visit or live in the area you will learn new places to explore.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guidebook, my itinerary is now substantially longer and more organised.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice breakdown of the neighbors in New York City, where they are located in Manhattan and what each has to offer.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the clear descriptions and particularly all the photographs. Many guide books are all words and no pictures but this book gets the balance perfectly. Really useful.

[Marko Mravunac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time <3

[Alsjem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll get there one day.

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannot wait to see the new year in, IN NEW YORK CITY!!!!

[Nick Salenga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that I plan to live in New York City in the future.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book getting ready for a trip to New York with my son’s high school orchestra. It had a lot of great history and information about the neighborhoods and highlights of the city. There are lots of photos and I could study the maps for hours.

[Sharon Siepel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very complete travel guide to the city of New York. Book divides the city into 15 sections: Central Park, Upper East Side, Upper Midtown, Lower Midtown, Gramercy and the Flatiron District, East Village, Lower East Side, Brooklyn, Morningside Heights and Harlem, Upper West Side, Midtown West and the Theater District, Chelsea and the Garment District, Greenwich village, SoHo and TriBeCa, and Lower Manhattan and the Civic Center.

Each section begins with a map with all the noteworthy sites listed. The next pages describe each place of interests, including pictures. There is also an overview of New York City, seven self-guided walking tours, and listings for restaurants, hotels, shopping and entertainment. A survival guide section provides necessary information on how to get around the city, along with local customs. The book ends with several pages of larger detailed maps.

I found this book to be very informative and it was designed so that I could easily find what I was looking for. When you purchase the book you also have access to audio tours which you can download and use

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although know a travel book is outdated as soon as it's published, my family used this as a resource to plan our trip to NYC. It has lots of pictures which is helpful for the kids. On that note, it doesn't cater to kids though and I know we will need to do additional research to find the best spots for them. It also has maps and those don't change to much, although I would daresay we need an updated subway map. I didn't even use for hotels or restaurants. It also includes a handful of 1 1/2 to 3 hour long walking tours through different neighborhoods. These look fabulous. Long review short, use for planning the activities and places.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I used one in London, the "eyewitness travel guides" have been my favorites. They are very visual. Above all, I appreciate the focus on each individual neighborhood, (one at a time!), including very clear and navigable little maps. In the back there are also lists of interesting locations based on subject; I recently spent awhile poring over the food pages.

My one complaint is that this book is quite heavy for a tourist book that you'll be carrying around.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!!! The restaurant section had great choices and the maps were extremely helpful when moving through the city. The subway map was a little small, but was also helpful. The information was accurate and I loved the the book was broken down by area and color-coded by area making it incredibly easy to find exactly what you were looking for. I would definitely use the book again and buy books for other cities that I plan on visiting.

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read a travel guide before, nor used one for a trip. This guide was perfect. The map of NYC districts and breakdown of what could be found/seen/done in those districts was super helpful, and it made it easier to plan what I wanted to do day-by-day. I paired this with good old Google Maps searches to find other things within walking or transit distance to make the most of sight-seeing days. Excellent resource.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any Eyewitness book, this one is so chockful of pictures and drawings that it's dizzying. I thought it was too visually overwhelming at first, but repeat viewing of this book made me appreciate it more and I was able to absorb more info. The paper is high quality and heavy--I'm not sure I'd want to lug it around in a purse. It would be a great book for a curious child or teenager.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great pictures, but I hate the set-up of this book. Not a practical travel guide if you're going there. I suppose this would be a great book to look at if you don't plan on going somewhere but just want to feel like you've been there.