Very enjoyable reading with tons of interesting facts and stories I never knew before. Beautiful artwork as well. You know it's interesting when you're left wanting to read more. Thankfully the author has a whole "recommended reading" section at the end to keep me satisfied for a long while to come.

Now to find a way to get back down to NYC for another trip soon... ( )

I saw this huge hardcover graphic novel in the window of a local comic shop and after the owner pulled it down for me I had to have it.

Did you love Richard Scarry books as a child? Walking? Urban exploration? Old and new architecture? Then and now photography? Then you will also want this illustrated book.

Julia Wertz has illustrated the buildings and street corners of New York, the subway stations, the pizza parlors, tenements, and along the way tells you stories about her urban exploration and the history of New York. ( )

nonfiction/graphic armchair travel - a little quirky history plus love letter to NYC from someone who used to live there and presumably would like to live there again.

lovely art; a great casual read -- take your time and enjoy the scenery and snippets of history--without actually having to walk around gawking like a f**ing tourist.

Also recommended: [bc:Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City's Most Colorful Neighborhoods|9722408|Tokyo on Foot Travels in the City's Most Colorful Neighborhoods|Florent Chavouet|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388988112l/9722408._SX50_.jpg|14611186] [bc:Diary of a Tokyo Teen: A Japanese-American Girl Draws Her Way Across the Land of Trendy Fashion, High-Tech Toilets and Maid Cafes|29359046|Diary of a Tokyo Teen A Japanese-American Girl Draws Her Way Across the Land of Trendy Fashion, High-Tech Toilets and Maid Cafes|Christine Mari Inzer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518996091l/29359046._SX50_.jpg|49602942]

incomplete list of further reading recommended by the author:
[bc:Hello NY|34838095|Hello NY|Julia Rothman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491901986l/34838095._SX50_.jpg|25778932] [bc:Rats: Observations on the History Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants|9824|Rats Observations on the History Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants|Robert Sullivan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1438168919l/9824._SY75_.jpg|2147695] [bc:The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910|32203706|The Gilded Age in New York, 1870-1910|Esther Crain|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1475188071l/32203706._SX50_.jpg|52849176] [bc:Let the Great World Spin|5941033|Let the Great World Spin|Colum McCann|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474988022l/5941033._SY75_.jpg|6113503] [bc:Five Hundred Buildings of New York|9975543|Five Hundred Buildings of New York|Bill Harris|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1404581901l/9975543._SX50_.jpg|14869926] [bc:New York Drawings|13538043|New York Drawings|Adrian Tomine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1382065033l/13538043._SY75_.jpg|19100361] [bc:Brooklyn's Historic Greenpoint|25773873|Brooklyn's Historic Greenpoint|Brian Merlis|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|45622650] [bc:Just Kids|341879|Just Kids|Patti Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1259762407l/341879._SY75_.jpg|332242] [bc:Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City|4270324|Inside the Apple A Streetwise History of New York City|Michelle Nevius|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388301788l/4270324._SY75_.jpg|4317844] [bc:Will Eisner's New York: Life in the Big City|33473|Will Eisner's New York Life in the Big City (The New York Tetralogy, #1-4)|Will Eisner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1423668413l/33473._SX50_.jpg|256046] [bc:My New York Diary|223791|My New York Diary|Julie Doucet|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1428966284l/223791._SX50_.jpg|1080321] [bc:All the Buildings in New York|15797385|All the Buildings in New York (That I've Drawn So Far)|James Gulliver Hancock|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344370991l/15797385._SX50_.jpg|21520278] [bc:I Never Knew That About New York|17307684|I Never Knew That About New York|Christopher Winn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394312089l/17307684._SX50_.jpg|23967816] [bc:The New York Trilogy|431|The New York Trilogy|Paul Auster|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924429l/431._SX50_.jpg|2343071] [bc:The Works: Anatomy of a City|116170|The Works Anatomy of a City|Kate Ascher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309209282l/116170._SX50_.jpg|261210] [bc:Every Person in New York|24395600|Every Person in New York|Jason Polan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439250758l/24395600._SX50_.jpg|43980055] [bc:A History of New York in 101 Objects|18812562|A History of New York in 101 Objects|Sam Roberts|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511288580l/18812562._SX50_.jpg|26748134] [bc:The Battle with the Slum|90176|The Battle with the Slum|Jacob A. Riis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328866856l/90176._SY75_.jpg|333716] [bc:The Women Who Made New York|28957136|The Women Who Made New York|Julie Scelfo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1461083420l/28957136._SX50_.jpg|49182854] [bc:Ten Days in a Mad-House|1642216|Ten Days in a Mad-House|Nellie Bly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394107458l/1642216._SY75_.jpg|1636567] [bc:Forgotten New York: Views of a Lost Metropolis|29842|Forgotten New York Views of a Lost Metropolis|Kevin Walsh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388373290l/29842._SY75_.jpg|30262][bc:The Bowery Boys: Adventures in Old New York: An Unconventional Exploration of Manhattan's Historic Neighborhoods, Secret Spots and Colorful Characters|26196406|The Bowery Boys Adventures in Old New York An Unconventional Exploration of Manhattan's Historic Neighborhoods, Secret Spots and Colorful Characters|Greg Young|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1448570909l/26196406._SX50_.jpg|46171144] [bc:Scandalous Lady: The Life and Times of Madame Restell: New York's Most Notorious Abortionist|538634|Scandalous Lady The Life and Times of Madame Restell New York's Most Notorious Abortionist|Allan Keller|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|526032] [bc:Here Is New York|10814|Here Is New York|E.B. White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388383249l/10814._SX50_.jpg|13435] ( )

Brilliant renderings of NYC then and now. Frequently hilarious. Endlessly fascinating. It served as a reminder of how much I love that city and why it will always be an intriguing place of discovery. Recommended to anyone who continually falls in love with cities. I can't wait to check out some new (to me) spots.

Pro-tip: Don't read the digital version. The hardcover is gigantic, impossible to tote around, and invites readers to stain its pristine pages, but you absolutely can't appreciate the scope otherwise. ( )

This is a large coffee table book full of trivia about New York City's underbelly: histories of trash heaps, unknown NYC inventions, infamous figures, public transit origin stories, and more. It would make a great gift for a New York resident who is fond of architecture, infrastructure, and urban planning. ( )