With the memory of Thanksgiving fading slowly (and a waistline we wish would follow suit) we can now turn our attention to the madness known as New York City holiday shopping. And what better gift to give a loved one than a book about the city that shapes our lives every day? Here’s a list of great books about New York City for every person on your list and local independent bookstores where you can buy them. Pro tip: Ask the books to be gift-wrapped!
Best NYC Books for Kids
“This Is New York” by Miroslav Sasek (Universe Publishing)
This classic picture book takes the reader on a tour of New York with stylish illustrations. $17.95 at Books of Wonder in Flatiron.
“New York City” by Paula Hannigan (Accord Publishing)
A gorgeous die-cut three dimensional board book perfect for the littlest person on your list. $11.69 at Strand in Greenwich Village.
“A Walk In New York” by Salvatore Rubbino (Candlewick Press)
This picture book follows a young boy as he wanders through New York City with his dad experiencing the sites and scenes of the city. From Greenwich Village to Grand Central, the story weaves a perfect distillation of the surprise and delight of NYC. $16.99 at Bank Street Book Store in Morningside Heights.
Best NYC Drawing Books
“Dot to Dot NYC” by Narae Kim (powerHouse Books)
In South Korean artist Narae Kim’s “Dot to Dot NYC,” drawers connect the dots to reveal some of New York City’s major landmarks including Coney Island’s Wonder Wheel, the Apollo Theater and the Staten Island Ferry. $14.95 at powerHouse Books in Dumbo.
“Color My Manhattan” by Elina Diaz (Key Lime Press)
For all those swept up in the adult coloring book craze, look no further than this compact edition. $16.95 at McNally Jackson in Soho.
Best NYC Books for the Literary Reader
“Wonderful Town: New York Stories” from The New Yorker
This book of short stories collected from The New Yorker is perfect for the literary reader on your list. Stories by John Cheever, John Updike, Dorothy Parker, and Vladimir Nabokov are featured here among many others selected by David Remnick. $20 at Shakespeare & Co. on the Upper East Side.
“The Christmas Kid: And Other Brooklyn Stories” by Pete Hamill (Back Bay Books/Little Brown)
If you want a more Brooklyn-centric focus, try these stories by Pete Hamill, centered in the borough where Hamill grew up. $15 at Book Court in Cobble Hill.
“Eyes on the Street: The Life of Jane Jacobs” by Robert Kanigel (Knopf)
For those who prefer non-fiction, try this definitive biography of Jane Jacobs, the activist who stalled Robert Moses’s plan to build a highway through the center of Greenwich Village, and who is responsible for much of New York city’s current urban planning. $31.50 at Strand in Greenwich Village.
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (Random House Trade)
A kaleidescopic, free-wheeling novel based in New York in the 70s and centered around Philippe Petit’s epic tightrope walk between the two World Trade Center towers. Winner of the National Book Award. $17 at Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene.
Best NYC Photography Books
“The Eyes of the City” by Richard Sandler (powerHouse)
This photography book showcases decades of photographs by Richard Sandler, who had a discerning eye for the street life of New York City. $49.95 at powerHouse in Dumbo.
“Humans of New York” by Brandon Stanton (St. Martin’s Press)
Based on the author’s hugely successful blog, this perennial holiday bestseller offers a gorgeous cross-section of New Yorkers, their photographs, and their stories. $29.99 at the MoMA Bookstore in Midtown and Soho.
Best NYC Coffee Table Books
“New York Drawings” by Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly Publications)
These illustrations and drawings by The New Yorker cover artist and award-winning cartoonist are a love letter to his adopted city. $14.95 at Word in Greenpoint.
“Nonstop Metropolis” by Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro (University of California Press)
Perfect for cartographers, this highly creative and artistically designed atlas takes you on a tour across the city though 26 stunning maps and thoughtful essays. $49.95 at Astoria Bookshop in Astoria.
“The Women Who Made New York” by Julie Scelfo (Seal Press)
Feminists still reeling from the election might be sated by this beautifully designed book that details the stories of iconic female New Yorkers and the lesser known ones too. We can thank these remarkable women for making New York City the hub of culture, politics, activism and innovation it is today. $24 at Community Bookstore in Park Slope.
Best NYC Books for History Buffs
“A History of Brooklyn Bridge Park” by Nancy Webster & David Shirley (Columbia University Press)
If you’ve got one of those armchair urban planners on your list, look no further than this recent history recounting one of the City’s finest examples of urban redevelopment and landscape architecture. It is a reminder of how far Brooklyn’s waterfront has come in the last 30 years. $34.95 at powerHouse in Dumbo.
“Alexander Hamilton’s Guide to Life” by Jeff Wilser (Three Rivers Press)
Any Hamilton fans in the house? JK, that’s a silly question. This little book of biography, humor, and advice from our trendiest founding father will fly off the shelves this holiday season. $17 at McNally Jackson in Soho.
Best NYC Food Books
“Brooklyn Bar Bites” by Barbara Scott-Goodman (Rizzoli International Publications)
This little cookbook celebrates Brooklyn’s bar culture—from the mixologists who craft classic and original cocktails to the talented chefs creating farm-to-table bar food. $29.95 at the Word in Greenpoint.
“The Red Rooster Cookbook” by Marcus Samuelsson (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
The Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem is a New York institution, and with this cookbook by the owner you can recreate its delicious soul food recipes in your own kitchen. $37.50 at Book Culture on the Upper West Side.
“Food and The City” by Ina Yalof (G.P. Putnam and Sons)
A prolific local author, Ina Yalof focuses her eyes and mouth on New York City’s food scene in her latest book. She recounts first person narratives from many different characters who shape our city’s food culture with From the street vendors on the corner to celebrity chefs, Yalof captures their stories with an ear for detail and local lore. $28 at Rizzoli in Flatiron.
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