The Manhattan Nobody Knows …
January 13, 2022
As John Steinbeck has said, “Once you’ve lived in New York and it has become your home, no place else is good enough.”
As a lifelong New Yorker, born in the heart of New York City, I’ve always loved exploring every inch of the City and its landmarks. I’m not alone … millions of people have found inspiration in New York’s buildings, cultural institutions, neighborhoods and experiences … all the things that cement New York City’s reputation as the greatest city of the world!
A book titled The Manhattan Nobody Knows: An Urban Walking Guide, by author William Helmreich, is a “one-of-a-kind walking guide to Manhattan from the man who walked every block in New York City.” By exploring every street of the “City that Never Sleeps!” … 6000 miles in all, Helmreich gathered much useful information for his book. This guide covers every one of Manhattan’s thirty-one distinct neighborhoods, from Marble Hill to the Financial District. The author not only features an overview and history of each area, but he also includes insights that he’s gathered from conversations with area residents. As a Professor of Sociology, he uses his innate skills to present a thorough portrait of the borough, drawing on hundreds of conversations that he’s had with people that he’s interviewed. As he states in the introduction of this book, he tried to “reveal Manhattan in all its beauty, complexity and mystery: to demonstrate to visitors that it has so much to offer beyond its famous locations!”
So, I urge you to read this book, by itself, or as an introduction into a journey into Manhattan … because it will serve as a great resource for planning your next “Big Apple” adventure. I know that I will refer to this book when I finally travel into Manhattan … post-quarantine. To reassure myself, I look forward to seeing all the old parts of the City that have endured for centuries through other pandemics, 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy! And if you enjoy this author’s style and content, consider reading some of his other books in the series and complete this New York City saga. He has already written The Brooklyn Nobody Knows: An Urban Walking Guide, and the last book in this series of guides, The Queens Nobody Knows: An Urban Walking Guide, which will be published posthumously in October 2020.
