Local History Book Stop

Walk into the past this spring, armed with one of these historic walking guides. It's the perfect time of year to take a stroll and soak up the atmosphere of one of the City's five bouroughs.

In Walking Brooklyn: 30 Tours Exploring Historical Legacies, Neighborhood Culture, Side Streets, and Waterways, native New Yorker Adrienne Onofri leads thirty urban treks, from the heart of downtown, over the Brooklyn Bridge, and out to the resurging East New York.

Get to know Manhattan better with Secret New York: Exploring The City's Hidden Neighborhoods by Michelle Haimoff. Best explored on foot, the City's distinctive neighborhoods provide ample opportunities to immerse yourself in the culture and history.

Greenwich Village Guide: Sixteen Historic Walks Includes Soho Tribeca And The East Village by Fred W. McDarrah and Patrick J. McDarrah introduces you to old and new Greenwich Village with its famous streets and rich past. Although this book was written in 1992, much of it is still relevant today.

Author Stephen A. Plumb recaptures some of the excitement and colorful history of New York's memorable people and their historic residences in Notable New York: The West Side & Greenwich Village: A Walking Guide To The Historic Homes of Famous (and Infamous) New Yorkers. From Bing Crosby to Babe Ruth, architectural historian Plumb puts a human face and history on otherwise unknown buildings.

For the armchair traveller or walking enthusiast who wants to step out of the City, Queens is an excellent alternative. The Neighborhoods Of Queens by Claudia Gryvatz Copquin captures the unique character of each area--Astoria, the Rockaways, Flushing, and more.

Look for these books on the April "Spring Fever" display, near the Circulation Desk. For walking and hiking closer to home, visit The Green Spot wall for information, or ask a reference librarian.