Dearest New York: A Love Letter to the Big Apple

Instagram influencer Gartner pays charming tribute to Manhattan. Her book, with its beautiful mix of pictures and whimsical drawings, is lovely to flip through. It gives readers a visual tour of several neighborhoods: the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Central Park, Midtown, Chelsea, Greenwich Village/ West Village, East Village/Lower East Side, Soho/Nolita/Tribeca, and Lower Manhattan. A glaring omission is Harlem. Despite the title, except for brief mentions of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Staten Island Ferry, the book focuses on only one borough. There are sections devoted to “Gems of New York,” including the New York Flower District and Art in Transit. The book also touches on main tourist attractions such as Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum, and Times Square. Quainter locations (coffee shops, art galleries) are highlighted as well.