John Tauranac

This book was published in 1995 so it does not compare the damage to the Empire State Building by the bomber crash into it in July 1945 to the horrendous events of September 11. Till the World Trade Center twin towers were built the Empire State Building was hte tallest building in the country. The book tells well the extraordinary way it was built, in 18 months, and it was opened May 1, 1931. It was empty mostly in the 1930s but is now fully tenanted, per this book. The details of the bomber crashing into it are told fully--and are tragic but fade into insignificance when compared to the events of September ll. This book is full of interesting information--I just wish it had been written after Sept 11 and that that date had been considered to show how things would have occurred if an airliner had crashed into the Empire State Builing.… (mer)

I use this book/map every time I'm in New York. It covers all of Manhattan, not just the "tourist" parts, and combines all sorts of information without becoming cluttered: not just the basics of streets and major buildings, but street numbers, transit, less prominent buildings, historic sites, and more.

It's in book format--no pesky unfolding and refolding. It fits easily into a jacket pocket, and you can consult it without looking like a tourist. Not too much, anyhow.

I've bought other NYC maps before, and there are plenty of them, but since finding Tauranac, I have never looked any further.… (mer)