CLASSIC BACKLIST
The City Observed: New York
By Paul Goldberger. Photos by David W. Dunlap. Vintage Books.
1979. Superb period piece by talented cultural observer and critic
describing selected Manhattan landmarks and street scenes. Moody,
elegiac black-and-white photographs complement the sensitive
text.
By Elliot Willensky and Norval White. 3rd ed. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 1988. Don't be misled by the "AIA" in the title--this massively detailed but surprisingly easy-to-read volume is for anyone who's interested in the buildings, streets, and character of New York City, not just architects. An updated version is in progress, but due in part to the death of co-author Willensky (see entry below), work on the revision has not been rapid.
When Brooklyn Was the World 1920-1957
By Elliot Willensky. Harmony Books. 1986. Excellent chronicle with personal touches by subtle, talented writer. Well-designed, with evocative black-and-white photos and nice cover art. Unfortunately, Elliot Willensky isn't living to write a follow-up volume, but I recommend obtaining a copy of this one.
From My Mother's Kitchen (Out of Print)
By Mimi Sheraton. Harper & Row. 1991. Warm, well-written and well-designed volume from veteran food critic/New York City memoirist depicts slightly idealized reminiscence of Brooklyn family life in the 1930s and 1940s.
The Brooklyn Cookbook
By Lyn Stallworth and Rod Kennedy, Jr. Alfred A. Knopf. 1991.
Lively, well-designed book of recipes and personal vignettes
portraying both the older Brooklyn that many remember and a more
contemporary multi-ethnic mix.
On Broadway: A Journey Uptown Over Time (Out of Print)
By David W. Dunlap. Rizzoli. 1990. Oversized, high-quality volume of black-and-white photos (by collaborator on Goldberger book, see entry) with intelligent text. A fine gift, but not just a coffee-table book.
New York: A Guide to the
Metropolis (Out of
Print)
By Gerard R. Wolfe. 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill. 1994. Solid, thorough
history and guide to many New York City locations of note, both
large and small. Many black-and-white photos.
Brooklyn! A Soup-to-Nuts Guide
By Ellen Freudenheim. 2nd ed. St. Martin's Press. 1999. Literate, comprehensive listings of almost all Brooklyn attractions in all neighborhoods, not just the better-known ones. (The only drawback: the first edition--1991--listed most public library branches; this one does not.)
New York in the Sixties: Photos by Klaus Lehnartz
By Klaus Lehnartz. Dover Publications. 1990. Fine black-and-white collection evokes various 1960s moods.
The Lower East Side: A Guide to its Jewish
Past
By Ronald Sanders. Dover Publications. 1979. Photos by Edmund
V. Gillon, Jr. Another high-quality Dover volume; moody, evocative
presentation both in text and black-and-white photos, which date
from the 1970s. This area is currently a hotbed of real-estate
development; this book preserves a record of how it looked then,
which was itself a study in contrasts.
Wishes, Lies, and Dreams: Teaching Children
to Write Poetry
By Kenneth Koch and the Students of P.S. 61. HarperTrade. 1970.
Fine, low-key collection makes no grandiose claims. Poet's experience
with East Village elementary students at a time when that neighborhood
had a more varied population than it does now.
New York's 50 Best Places to Find Peace
and Quiet
By Allen Ishac. City & Company. 1997. Excellent, understated
guidebook reissued by small, quality-conscious publisher. Take
the author's advice and savor some of these serene, meditative
spaces--I have, many times.
We Are Talking About Homes (Out of Print)
By Lynne Sharon Schwartz. HarperTrade. 1985. Superbly written combination of memoir about author's family life on Manhattan's Upper West Side between the 1960s and 1980s and analysis of Columbia University's role as a dominant landlord in the neighborhood. New York City as a whole has undergone considerable change, of course, since this book was written. One of my favorite books.
The Best Things in New York Are Free
By Marian Hamilton. Harvard Common Press. 1991. Very good listings of many museums, cultural societies, associations, etc.--information that would be hard to compile on your own--with serviceable writing. Most information is still current.
A Walker in the City
By Alfred Kazin. Harcourt. 1951. A contemporary classic memoir
by a highly skilled writer who passed away a few years ago. Luminous
reminiscence of growing up in 1920s Brownsville, Brooklyn.
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