Holiday Gift Guide 2023: The best books about or written in New York City.

If you read books about New York City, the city is full of endless stories. While tourist guides give a good overview of this city, other books cover its history, neighborhoods, people, cultures, architecture, sports teams, and other topics in more detail. Some are works of fiction with Gotham as the stage.

This holiday season, give someone who loves or wants to visit New York City a book about it. Here is some variety of books set in or about New York City.

"Beautiful here "

In the midst of a global pandemic, a group of volunteers from the New York City-based nonprofit organization Send Chinatown Love began helping small Asian businesses in the city. Their samizdat is dedicated to cooking and features over 60 recipes from over 40 restaurants and food companies located in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Together, they represent the regional cuisines and culinary traditions of more than 18 cultures. The "Where to Buy Ingredients" section will help home cooks find the products they need.

"The Manhattan Nobody Knows "

William Helmreich has written walking guides to Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, as well as a general guide to New York City. Inspired by a childhood game he played with his father, Helmreich set out to walk every block of New York City, covering an impressive 6,000 miles and visiting every neighborhood in the city. Each guide in this series introduces different neighborhoods and offers interesting stories and places.

"The Bowery Boys: Adventures in Old New York "

Greg Young and Tom Myers host "The Bowery Boys" podcast about the diverse and sometimes surprising history of New York City. In this book, the authors talk about the different eras of the city, its gas-lit streets and cobblestone streets. The book also includes guides to various parts of New York City, including Hell's Kitchen, Columbus Circle, Astor Place, Tribeca, and Little Italy.

"New York: Treasures from the Museum of the City of New York "

The year 2023 marks the centennial of this museum, located in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood. This book, released three years before the museum's anniversary year, takes you on an incredible timeline of New York City, from its Lenape population to the bustling metropolis of today. The tour is illustrated with approximately 250 objects from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York, including paintings, drawings, photographs, manuscripts, decorative arts, and artifacts.

"MET: 5,000 Years of Amazing Objects "

Kids can enjoy this renowned Fifth Avenue museum with artwork spanning more than 5,000 years and different parts of the world. This children's book features significant works from the Met's vast collection, including Egyptian amulets, medieval tapestries, Renaissance armor, and modern baseball cards. Young readers will be able to accompany the author on this special journey, while also learning about the people from different eras who have left these sites.

"Grand Central: How a Train Station Transformed America "

Author Sam Roberts has produced a rich and fascinating history of this great public utility station. Since its opening in the winter of 1913, Roberts has been touting not only the importance of this transportation hub, but also the role it plays as an institution of New York City.

"On the Road Through Central Park: The Official Guide "

This book, authored and narrated by Sarah Cedar Miller, provides a detailed introduction to New York City's famous park. This updated version of this guide features new photographs and revised text and introduces readers to all corners of Central Park, such as the Rumble, Belvedere Castle, and the Obelisk.

"The Women Who Made New York. "

Author Julia Selfo and artist Hallie Hild dedicated their book to the women whose accomplishments and contributions helped make the city what it is today. For example, Emily Warren Rebling took over as chief engineer for the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge when her engineer husband became ill and could no longer continue working. Other famous names include Zora Neale Hurston, Audre Lorde, Fran Lebowitz and Grace Jones.

"Harlem Shuffle "

This novella, written by Colson Whitehead, two-time Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner, is set in a wonderfully restored New York City of the early 1960s. This work of fiction combines a family saga pretending to be a crime novel, an amusing morality play, and a social novel about race and power.

"This is how we live now: scenes from the pandemic "

Bill Hayes, winner of the New York Prize for Literature, dedicates his book to New York City during its March 2020 lockdown due to a worldwide epidemic. Hayes, a writer and photographer, took to the streets of Manhattan to document, in words and pictures, how the city changed at night. "How We Live Now" records the first 100 days of the pandemic in real time, including demonstrations by the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd.

"This must be the place. "

Jesse Rifkin discusses how real estate, development, community, and the ups and downs of New York City have shaped the city's music scenes (from folk to house to punk rock). Based on more than 100 exclusive interviews with musicians, DJs, and members of the scene, this writer and guide reveals how these communities came together and dissolved.

"1998 Yankees: The Story of the Greatest Baseball Team of All Time "

Author Jack Curry was there when the 1998 Yankees team won their 24th consecutive World Series championship against the San Diego Padres and witnessed their celebration in the visitors' locker room. After 25 years, Curry revisits that season and focuses on the question of whether that Yankees lineup was the best team of all time. In the book, he conducted new interviews with over 25 players, coaches, and executives who tell their thoughts on this historic team and share stories of this team's journey to 125 victories.

"Encyclopedia of New York "

The editors of New York Magazine have put together this A to Z guide to just about every fact and interest about New York City. From its founding in 1624 to the present day, the guide contains records not only of the city's history, but also of the progress of its technology, social changes, and cultural achievements that are still seen, heard, and felt today. For example, did you know that the game Scrabble was invented in Queens, in the Jackson Heights neighborhood? If not, now you know.

"Historic Black Brooklyn: 400 Years of Struggle and Hope "

Brian Merlis and Clarence Taylor tell the story of the social history of African Americans in this section of the city through their heritage, contributions to urban life, and civic, cultural, educational, and religious institutions. These co-authors have researched and compiled information on historical events such as the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad, as well as the development of the first free population communes that laid the foundation for the rise of Brooklyn's elite black population.