Marvelous Manhattan

A timely read. . . . [Nadelsons] reporting, all from a personal lens, is up-to-date. . . . Like chocolate chips in a cookie, the book is studded with delicious photos old and new. Florence Fabricant, New York TimesA wonderfully lively, knowledgeable journey through the past and present of places that help make New York City what it is, and which we must cherish and (hopefully) preserve. Salman Rushdie New York might have Broadway, Times Square, and the Empire State Building, but the real heart and soul of the city can be found in the iconic places that have defined cool since cool became a word. Places like Di Palos in Little Italy, where you might stop in to pick up a little cheese only to find yourself in a long conversationpart friendly chat, part profound tutorialwith fourth-generation owner Lou Di Palo, sampling cheeses all the while. Or Raouls in SoHo, to enjoy a classic steak-frites in the company of downtown artists, celebrities, and dyed-in-the-wool locals. Or Mintons Playhouse in Harlem, to be in the room where some young guys named Thelonious, Dizzy, and Charlie invented bebop. Or maybe Russ & Daughters, to pick up the citys best lox and bagels, which theyve been selling since 1914. A lifelong New Yorker, writer Reggie Nadelson celebrates her city and all the places that make it special. Part guidebook, part cultural history, part walk down memory lane, alive with the spirit and the grit of small, often family-owned businesses that have survived the Great Depression, World War II, 9/11, and the coronavirus lockdown, Marvelous Manhattan is a seductive and timely book for anyone who lives in New York, loves the city, lived there once, or wishes they had. Because thats the thing about Manhattan: all you need to do is walk into the right placesay, Fanellis on Prince Streetsit down at the bar, order a drink, open this book, and suddenly youre a New Yorker.