{"id":13260,"date":"2023-08-29T10:36:39","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T14:36:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/?p=13260"},"modified":"2025-05-20T12:32:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:32:15","slug":"books-about-new-york-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city","title":{"rendered":"11 Books About New York City to Read Before Your Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>There have been hundreds upon hundreds of books written about New York City. Novels, memoirs, histories, children\u2019s books, young adult novels, expos\u00e9s, and novellas. This American metropolis has a way of inspiring a good story.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re preparing for a trip to the Big Apple, head down to your local bookstore and <strong>pick up a few of the books about New York City below<\/strong>. They\u2019ll illuminate New York City, making your time there a more memorable one.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #443d47;color:#443d47\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #443d47;color:#443d47\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#Our_Picks_for_the_Best_Books_About_New_York_City\" title=\"Our Picks for the Best Books About New York City\">Our Picks for the Best Books About New York City<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#1_Up_in_the_Old_Hotel_by_Joseph_Mitchell\" title=\"1. Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell\">1. Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#2_The_Village_400_Years_of_Beats_and_Bohemians_Radicals_and_Rogues_a_History_of_Greenwich_Village_by_John_Strausbaugh\" title=\"2. The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues, a History of Greenwich Village by John Strausbaugh\">2. The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues, a History of Greenwich Village by John Strausbaugh<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#3_Brat_An_%E2%80%9880s_Story_by_Andrew_McCarthy\" title=\"3. Brat: An \u201880s Story by Andrew McCarthy\">3. Brat: An \u201880s Story by Andrew McCarthy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#4_Manhattan_45_by_Jan_Morris\" title=\"4. Manhattan 45 by Jan Morris\">4. Manhattan 45 by Jan Morris<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#5_The_Power_Broker_Robert_Moses_and_the_Fall_of_New_York_by_Robert_Caro\" title=\"5. The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro\">5. The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert Caro<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#6_The_Death_and_Life_of_Great_American_Cities_by_Jane_Jacobs\" title=\"6. The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs\">6. The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#7_Just_Kids_by_Patti_Smith\" title=\"7. Just Kids by Patti Smith\">7. Just Kids by Patti Smith<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#8_The_Colossus_of_New_York_A_City_in_13_Parts_by_Colson_Whitehead\" title=\"8. The Colossus of New York: A City in 13 Parts by Colson Whitehead\">8. The Colossus of New York: A City in 13 Parts by Colson Whitehead<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#9_Kitchen_Confidential_Adventures_in_the_Culinary_Underbelly_by_Anthony_Bourdain\" title=\"9. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain\">9. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#10_What_Else_But_Home_by_Michael_Rosen\" title=\"10. What Else But Home by Michael Rosen\">10. What Else But Home by Michael Rosen<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\/#11_The_Bowery_Boys_Adventures_in_Old_New_York_by_Tom_Meyers_and_Greg_Young\" title=\"11. The Bowery Boys: Adventures in Old New York by Tom Meyers and Greg Young\">11. The Bowery Boys: Adventures in Old New York by Tom Meyers and Greg Young<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Our_Picks_for_the_Best_Books_About_New_York_City\"><\/span>Our Picks for the Best Books About New York City<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Up_in_the_Old_Hotel_by_Joseph_Mitchell\"><\/span>1. <em>Up in the Old Hotel<\/em> by Joseph Mitchell<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This magical collection of essays profiles ordinary but unusual New Yorkers in the early 20th century. Joseph Mitchell had a knack for finding charismatic people lurking in the netherworlds of New York City streets and then letting them speak for themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This New York has mostly vanished, but the prose and characters still resonate in a way that you can still very much feel Mitchell\u2019s New York on the streets today. He writes, for example, about McSorley\u2019s Old Ale House, an East Seventh Street saloon that opened in the mid-19th century, and <strong>how it was the last bar in the city to forbid women to enter <\/strong>(it was forced into changing their \u201cmen only\u201d policy in 1970). The bar is still pouring beer, and everyone is now welcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"828\" src=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mcsorl-1024x828.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13261\" style=\"width:1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mcsorl-1024x828.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mcsorl-600x485.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mcsorl-768x621.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/mcsorl.jpg 1266w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>McSorley&#8217;s Bar, <\/em>a painting from 1912 by the artist John Sloan. Photo credit: WikiCommons<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_The_Village_400_Years_of_Beats_and_Bohemians_Radicals_and_Rogues_a_History_of_Greenwich_Village_by_John_Strausbaugh\"><\/span>2. <em>The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians, Radicals and Rogues, a History of Greenwich Village<\/em> by John Strausbaugh<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Village<\/em> is an entertaining and enlightening history of one of the planet\u2019s most famous neighborhoods. <strong>Strausbaugh\u2019s tome starts at the beginning of New Amsterdam, when what would become Greenwich Village was just a collection of farms<\/strong>. The dirt roads leading to each farmstead would eventually become the winding, diagonal streets of the Village. Once the grid was planned for Manhattan in 1811\u2014the rigidity of which city authorities hoped would create a kind of moral pattern for New Yorkers\u2014the Village\u2019s unusual street plan was left in place, hence the reason so many tourists are confused and lost when wandering this historic neighborhood.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1960s the neighborhood became a mecca for artists, musicians, hippies, and bohemians. Strausbaugh makes the connection between the Village\u2019s warren of zigzagging streets and its attraction to artists who perhaps had an aversion to the austere grids of the rest of Manhattan.\u00a0<strong>Of the many books about New York City, many of the most fascinating are about the Village.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/gv-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13262\" style=\"width:1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/gv-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/gv-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/gv-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/gv.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Greenwich Village is perhaps most known for being a Bohemian haven in the mid-20th century. Photo Credit: Colin W<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Brat_An_%E2%80%9880s_Story_by_Andrew_McCarthy\"><\/span>3. <em>Brat: An \u201880s Story<\/em> by Andrew McCarthy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Andrew McCarthy marries his experience as a superstar actor in the 1980s and his talent for writing in this excellent memoir about his wild days as part of the informal group of actors snarkily dubbed the \u201cBrat Pack.\u201d McCarthy, who is now an acclaimed travel writer and TV director<strong>, spins intriguing tales of 1980s New York, full of all the excess and excitement you\u2019d imagine from a member of the Brat Pack<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Manhattan_45_by_Jan_Morris\"><\/span>4. <em>Manhattan 45<\/em> by Jan Morris<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Jan Morris focuses her keen, <strong>insightful travel writer\u2019s eye on Manhattan in the mid-20th century<\/strong>. Morris\u2019 astute observations and detailed descriptions of New York City at the time are evocatively wonderful, as she wanders from Harlem to Greenwich Village to Wall Street and all the nooks in-between.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"614\" src=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/man-1024x614.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13263\" style=\"width:1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/man-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/man-600x360.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/man-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/man.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Mid-century Manhattan was the genesis of the modern New York that most people are familiar with today. Photo Credit: Gerd Eichmann<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_The_Power_Broker_Robert_Moses_and_the_Fall_of_New_York_by_Robert_Caro\"><\/span>5. <em>The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York<\/em> by Robert Caro<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When Americans were quarantining in spring and summer 2020 and TV interviews were being done in people\u2019s homes, there was often one book that kept appearing on bookcases in the background: Robert Caro\u2019s 1974 biography of Robert Moses, <strong>the Secretary of State of New York who partially succeeded in re-making New York City in his image. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was his public works failures, though, that are most fascinating. If Moses had gotten his way, New York City would look and feel very different today.\u00a0This is <strong>an essential read if you&#8217;re delving into books about New York City.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"976\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/RM.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13264\" style=\"width:1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/RM.jpg 976w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/RM-600x630.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/RM-768x806.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 976px) 100vw, 976px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Power Broker<\/em> details Robert Moses&#8217; use of unelected positions to design and implement dozens of public works projects. Photo Credit: C.M. Stieglitz<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Insider&#8217;s tip<\/strong>: If these books about New York City have sparked your desire to see the best of NYC, check out our selection of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/new-york-tours\/\">NYC walking tours<\/a>. Led by local guides, you&#8217;ll be able to see some of the locations on this list in real life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_The_Death_and_Life_of_Great_American_Cities_by_Jane_Jacobs\"><\/span>6. <em>The Death and Life of Great American Cities<\/em> by Jane Jacobs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<strong>More Jane Jacobs, Less Marc Jacobs<\/strong>,\u201d is a sign you can sometimes see while strolling around Greenwich Village. It\u2019s a response to the luxury-ification of the neighborhood, particularly on and around Bleecker Street where designer Marc Jacobs has practically colonized the area.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jane Jacobs\u2019 book is a great companion to Caro\u2019s biography on Robert Moses since Jane Jacobs\u2019 raison d\u2019\u00eatre was to stop many of Moses&#8217; projects<\/strong>, which often involved ramming a highway through historic parts of town such as Greenwich Village and Washington Square Park.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Traveler&#8217;s tip<\/strong>: Did you know that Greenwich village is not only one of New York&#8217;s most unique neighborhoods, but also a serious foodie haven? Check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/new-york-tours\/greenwich-village-food-tour\/\">Ultimate Greenwich Food Tour<\/a> to explore inside authentic, family-run spots, classic pizza shops, Brazilian bakeries, and much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Just_Kids_by_Patti_Smith\"><\/span>7. <em>Just Kids<\/em> by Patti Smith<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Published in 2010, this memoir by singer and artist <strong>Patti Smith is a hard-to-put-down book about her time living in New York in the late-1960s and \u201870s<\/strong>. It\u2019s also about her relationship with the late photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Winner of the National Book Award for nonfiction,<em> <\/em><strong><em>Just Kids<\/em> is an excellent window into what New York City was like in the late 1960s<\/strong>\u2014particularly for the then-struggling artists, some of whom (like Smith and Mapplethorpe) went on to fame and acclaim.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/psmith-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13265\" style=\"width:1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/psmith-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/psmith-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/psmith-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/psmith.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Patti Smith is a New York luminary with ties to many of its artistic talents. Photo Credit: Daigo Olivia<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_The_Colossus_of_New_York_A_City_in_13_Parts_by_Colson_Whitehead\"><\/span>8. <em>The Colossus of New York: A City in 13 Parts<\/em> by Colson Whitehead<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Colson Whitehead, the great novelist, goes nonfiction in this collection of essays and musings about New York City.<\/strong> Some of the essays focus on a particular place\u2014like, say, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/best-sights-of-central-park\">Central Park<\/a>\u2014but there are also musings on mood and vibe. Whitehead, who grew up in New York, is an ideal companion to virtually stroll through this American metropolis. &#8221;You become a New Yorker when what was there before is more real and solid than what is there now,&#8221; he writes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Kitchen_Confidential_Adventures_in_the_Culinary_Underbelly_by_Anthony_Bourdain\"><\/span>9. <em>Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly<\/em> by Anthony Bourdain<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Anthony Bourdain was an unknown chef at a ho-hum French brasserie on Park Avenue and East 29th Street when he randomly submitted an essay to The New Yorker about being a New York chef. <strong>It got published and Bourdain\u2019s life was forever changed. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A book deal soon followed and so did bestseller status. And for good reason: <em>Kitchen Confidential <\/em>gives great insight into the New York food world, taking readers into the crevices of the kitchen, into the fish markets, the after-shift bars where chefs congregate, and every other part of a chef\u2019s life we wanted to know about but were afraid to ask.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/tony-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13266\" style=\"width:1200px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/tony-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/tony-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/tony-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/tony.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Before he got his start as a travel writer and host, Bourdain was chef at New York&#8217;s Brasserie Les Halles. Photo Credit: WTMUploader<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_What_Else_But_Home_by_Michael_Rosen\"><\/span>10. <em>What Else But Home<\/em> by Michael Rosen<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This memoir of living in lower Manhattan is a compelling account of the kind of cross-cultural mixings that can take place in New York<\/strong>. Writer Michael Rosen and his wife Leslie \u201cadopted\u201d a mixed-race group of their son\u2019s friends while living in the East Village. This book is a musing on how tolerance and compassion open the door for others to succeed.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Traveler&#8217;s tip<\/strong>: Lower Manhattan isn&#8217;t necessarily on many tourists must-see itineraries. Best known for being home to Wall Street, this quirky area actually has a lot to see and do. Check out our list of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/things-to-do-in-lower-manhattan\">Things to do in Lower Manhattan.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"11_The_Bowery_Boys_Adventures_in_Old_New_York_by_Tom_Meyers_and_Greg_Young\"><\/span>11. <em>The Bowery Boys: Adventures in Old New York<\/em> by Tom Meyers and Greg Young<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on their wildly popular podcast, the Bowery Boys (aka Tom Meyers and Greg Young) take a deep dive into the history of the Big Apple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Meyers and Young do a wonderful job of bringing the long-lost, forgotten, buried, and arcane history of New York City back to life<\/strong>. The prose is compelling and they illuminate places the reader may have just strolled through in the last few days. The Bowery Boys book serves as an excellent primer for a visit to New York City that will certainly make the traveler see the city with different eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reading about New York through any one of these books will take you on a thrilling NYC adventure. Of course, if you&#8217;d like to live the real thing, we recommend signing up for one of our NYC walking tours. From a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/new-york-tours\/met-museum-private-tour\/\">Private Met Museum Tour<\/a> to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/new-york-tours\/statue-of-liberty-tour-ellis-island-tour\/\">Statue of Liberty Tour<\/a>, our local guides will guide you through some of the best spots in NYC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> &#8230; <a title=\"11 Books About New York City to Read Before Your Trip\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\" aria-label=\"More on 11 Books About New York City to Read Before Your Trip\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":13267,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[614],"tags":[780,709,783],"ppma_author":[667],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>11 Books About New York City to Read Before Your Trip<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here is a list of 11 books about New York city that will give you a more intimate look at one of the world&#039;s most bustling metros.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"11 Books About New York City to Read Before Your Trip\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Here is a list of 11 books about New York city that will give you a more intimate look at one of the world&#039;s most bustling metros.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Walks Tours Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/walkstours\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-29T14:36:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-20T16:32:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/NYC.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"David Farley\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@walks\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@walks\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"David Farley\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"David Farley\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/de1fe35e0e847fbcb2ee882aab5fd9de\"},\"headline\":\"11 Books About New York City to Read Before Your Trip\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-29T14:36:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-20T16:32:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city\"},\"wordCount\":1574,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/books-about-new-york-city#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/NYC.jpg?wsr\",\"keywords\":[\"books\",\"culture\",\"New York City\"],\"articleSection\":[\"New York Art &amp; 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