very current and up to date recommendations ( )

Fodor's New York City 2011 is a wonderful resource for travelers. From the full color aerial photo of NYC on the front cover to the general summary of how to "plan your perfect trip" on the back cover, the book is packed with information presented in an entertaining narrative by multiple well informed authors.

The book starts with a general introduction chapter urging readers to experience NYC. Up to date interesting articles are presented about areas like Chinatown showing travelers how to go beyond the surface structure of the district and have novel experiences with Chinese culture through the universal language of food. Excellent full and 3/4 page maps are presented in every geographic section of this introduction. The next 12 chapters divide the city into the following areas: Lower Manhattan, Soho and Little Italy, East Village and the Lower East Side, Greenwich Village and Chelsea, Union Square to Murray Hill, Midtown, The Upper East Side, Central Park, The Upper West Side, Harlem, Brooklyn, and one chapter covering Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island.

Each one of these geographic chapters includes very clear full or 3/4 page maps with the names of attractions in a font size that is small but readable while on the move. In the Lower Manhattan section, for example, Metro stations are clearly marked in blue backed by white Ms and all street names are listed. In the text using a 5 star system, this area is rated in terms of Sightseeing, Nightlife, Dining, Lodging, and Shopping. Top attractions are coded with Fodor's Choice red stars next to the descriptions of the venues. Special articles are included such as "Ground Zero" with numerous full color photos before and after 9/11. Also, a small summary is given of locations where travelers can find coffee, a quick bite, and cocktails. The rest of the geographic chapters have a similar setup and are written in a friendly and relaxed but detailed style by writers who know their material first hand.

After the geographic sections, detailed city wide specialty chapters are presented: Museums, The Performing Arts, Night Life, Shopping, Where to Eat, and Where to Stay. Again, many maps, lively articles, descriptions of major attractions, ratings, photos, lesser known attractions, ranges of expense, and Fodor's Choice are included.

This is a great travel source. My wife is a tour manager who has guided tours to NYC and is very impressed with Fodor's New York City 2011. I accompany her often and we will use it next time to offer her group more opportunities to experience the city. I love to read novels and have used the book to see the location and read descriptions of scenes presented in novels. The photos effectively capture the feelings of the city that I read about in novels.

The final chapter is Travel Smart that discusses air travel to NYC, public transportation in the city, essentials for travel, and other movement miscellany. Inserted in this chapter is a tear out " On the Go" map that is really 4 maps in one: Central Park and immediate surroundings, The Empire State Building south to the Staten Island Ferry, Manhattan Subway Lines, and one showing how to find Times Square. All are easy to read and fully marked. Brief descriptions and small pictures of major attractions are included in paragraphs on the back of the map.

I give this book my highest recommendation to travelers and those who want to experience the city from afar by reading articles, looking at photos and maps, understanding ratings, and dreaming about a trip to New York City. ( )

Fodor's New York City 2009 came to me from Shelf Awareness in preparation for Book Expo America. I requested the guide to make plans for navigating the city, and it was a great resource for the trip this past weekend.

There are full-color pages throughout of various landmarks, monuments, and other places. There is a pull out map inside with clearly labeled streets and landmarks, as well as a subway system map in the back flap for Manhattan. The subway map helped during the trip to determine which line of the subway to take to our destinations, including to the hotel from Penn Station and from the hotel to the Greenhouse.

Anna and I did pick out a few things to see while in the city, but unfortunately, I revisited Times Square and not much else. Anna saw Times Square for the first time, though it was incredibly crowded. At one point during the day on Friday, we walked by and found Broadway closed off and lawn chairs spread out. According to my friend and photographer, Mike, the lawn chairs are part of a program to get people in office buildings out into the sun during the day, allowing them to breathe in the fresh air.

Fodor's guide is chock full of information about the subway system, its costs, fare cards, and other transportation needs, including appropriate tip amounts for taxis, bellhops, and others. I would highly recommend this guide for those taking a trip to New York City; it provides a comprehensive resource for those looking to see as much as they can in the city that never sleeps. I know I'll be using this guide again when I take my next trip to the city. ( )

My husband and I are planning a trip to New York this spring so receiving this book now was timely.

At the front of the book is a page titled ‘Be a Fodor’s Correspondent’ with headings that speak to the commitment of these guides. The headings are ‘Tell us when we’re right’, ‘Tell us when we’re wrong’ and ‘Tell us what to include’ and under each are requests from the publisher for an honest opinion about the book. Calling the reader a ‘correspondent’ may be a marketing ploy but it does extend to the reader a certain amount of ownership to the book and which I think is a good way of connecting to the guide users.

The table of contents is divided by area, i.e., there is Lower Manhattan, Soho and Little Italy, Central Park, Midtown, the Upper East Side, etc. These sections follow a table of General items of interest such as New York City with kids, New York City Like a Local, New York City for Free as well as other ideas. After this the contents focuses on well-known areas and where to eat, shop, accommodations and entertainment. There is a list of maps to be found in the guide and then a page about how to use the book, which is somewhat superfluous because I found the book’s structure highly intuitive. However, the list of symbols is a useful tool.

The guide is structured for practicality. It gives information on accommodations and dining depending on your budget. Districts are explored for their culture and history so if that’s the kind of thing that interests you, this is a good guide for that alone. What I also enjoy is the advice that is offered everywhere, for instance:

“Driving is not recommended as parking here is very difficult.” Then directions about taking the subway to the Lower East Side are given.

The book is full of brightly colored photos of everyday situations found in diverse areas of New York which gives one a ‘feel’ for the city. Maps are everywhere and give a good sense of ‘place’ in relation to areas of interest. The pages are quite sturdy, so much so that they give the guide quite a heft (well, that could also be because this book is 550 pages). I have to admit I weighed the book on my kitchen scale – it weighs just short of 1 ½ lbs (about .6 kg). Now that’s not much if you’re driving to New York and you have it tucked into your glove compartment but hauling this book around in your luggage might get heavy. However, even if you tend to travel light, I’d make room for this book.

All in all, I found this book to be an excellent resource. It’s complete as far as I can tell, and one can always check the Fodor website (www.fodors.com) for more information. ( )