New York Tourism Guide
Recommendations by NYC Insider

Having never read or owned a New York Tourism Guide or New York City Visitor Guide before, this was a really fun experience for me. I went to Strand Bookstore, "Home of 18 miles of New, Used, Rare and Out of Print Books," (a must-see quintessential NYC institution) and looked at almost every New York City Tourism Guide.

There are hundreds of NYC Tourism Guides, and, of course, there is now the NYC Insider New York Travel Guide. Tourism guides range from general to highly specialized; architecture, history, movies, walking tours, culture, a specific neighborhood, vegetarian, antiquing, shopping, beauty, pet-friendly...and dozens more. I've started with the general tourism guides and will continue to read more and update this page.

Recommended Adult New York Tourism Guide

Recommended Kids New York Tourism Guide

A little background, first, so you can relate (or not) to my opinions. I generally like "lighter" tourist guides. I like to be told the "must-sees," what to do, where to go, where to eat and how to get there. Preferably all together in an easy-to-follow format. Some fun facts and history are great, but I prefer to learn about an attraction while I'm experiencing it. After the "must see" things, I prefer to integrate into the local culture as best I can - basically be an Insider.

I was surprised to find some of the guide book brands I usually love for other countries and cities had less than impressive New York Tourism Guides. If you don't live here, it's hard to walk into a store and be able read a selection this impressive, so I hope I've helped you narrow the list down. For your convenience, each book has a discount link directly to Amazon.

Top Picks for New York Tourism Guide

	Fodor's New York City's 25 Best Very portable New York Tourism Guide. It highlights the best things to see in an easy to read and follow format. It's not too extensive, but definitely enough for someone spending 3-5 days in town. They had some good day trips in there for different city areas with easy to follow directions of what do, see and eat. I tended to agree with most of their restaurant and shopping recommendations. Retail $11.95 PS - while their book is very good, their online Forum for NYC is terrible. I've seen many incorrect postings, and while they monitor for certain things, accurate information is not one of them. They discourage experts from posting or providing valuable information to visitors.
	Fodor's New York City 2010 This New York Tourism Guide is laid out extremely well with single pages of attractions, experiences, food, photo spots and shopping on the first page of each section. Then it goes into detail within the section. There was the right amount of background, history and facts about New York. I was definitely in synch with this book-their dining choices, sights, etc. Hmmm...maybe I'll get one for myself? Retail $19.99 See note about their online NYC Forum above.
	Pauline Frommer's New York City: Spend Less See More I really liked this book! Ms. Frommer and I think alike. Her New York Tourism Guide had some wonderful and creative suggestions for alternative and cheaper hotel accommodations, like how to stay in a private room at the apartment of a chef who will make you breakfast every morning. The book was simple, easy to read and definitely from an Insider's perspective. All of her recommendations are spot on, including unique things to do and which tours she thought were worthwhile (or not). Retail $16.99 The Frommer's online NYC Forum is excellent, and Pauline Frommer personally answers questions quite often.
	Lonely Planet New York City (City Guide) Very well organized. Excellent maps of each neighborhood with eating, shopping and dining organized well. Pick the area of NYC you want to explore, and go. The maps are designed well and I agreed with most of the restaurant choices. This book would top the Fodor's 2010 Guide above, except the Fodor's is more accurate, a big deal in New York City given how quickly things change. Retail 19.99 (Current edition September 2008, next edition 2011)
	The Kids Guide - New York City This books seems like it's written by Kids, for Kids. Truly a child's guide to NYC. Adorable! I would get this as a gift for anyone visiting NYC with kids. Very cute, lots of kid-friendly tips and facts, follows along like a workbook with questions and quizzes about NYC for kids. Very interactive with scavenger hunts by area. Well-ordered and gives great guidance on planning days with very specific details on what to do in each area and attraction with kids. You could pair this either with another kids guide written for adults (below), or if on a budget, go with this one and get one of the adult books above. Retail $8.95 PS - Says "Insiders Guide" on the cover. Absolutely no relation to NYC Insider Guide.
	Fodor's Family New York City with Kids It's a tie between these two Family New York Tourism Guides (this one and the one below). Both great. Pros: great smaller guide with a lot of detail in each neighborhood. Good sections on museums, shopping and dining, with the highlights of each woven within the neighborhood sections. Very portable. Retail $10.95 Cons: Within each neighborhood, attractions are alphabetical.
	Frommer's New York City with Kids - 2009 It's a tie between these two Family New York Tourism Guides (this one and the one above). Both great. Pros: Good section on family-friendly accomodations. Good maps and itineraries, with lots of great suggestions. Cons: No photos. Touring section doesn't start until page 144. Prior, it's all hotels, getting around, the airports, using the subway, etc. If you use this guide while touring, you will be carrying around 144 pages you don't need (with info you probably found on the internet anyway). Retail $16.99

NYC Insider Reviews of Other Guides

	Time Out New York This one surprised me, because I love their weekly magazine and their web site and use them regularly. I thought this New York Tourism Guide was trying to be an 'everything to everybody' guide with a lot of detail and history. Each chapter is a detailed itinerary of a neighborhood. The sections on sightseeing, eating and shopping are all are separate so you'll be doing a lot of flipping back and forth. Even within the shopping section, it was by category, not neighborhood. I guess this would make a decent reference book, but not necessarily provide you with an easy way to navigate the City. Retail $19.95
	Fodor's Exploring New York City This New York City Guide had some good general days- they tell you what to do if you have 1 or 9 days. I liked their other two books far more than this one. However, the rest of the book is just an alphabetical listing of neighborhoods and sights mixed in together. You'll have to navigate everything for yourself, but their suggestions are good. I would not use a book like this if I were visiting another city or country.
	Lonely Planet New York State Too much reading for me, no photos and very long explanations of things.
	Let's Go New York City: On a Budget This New York Tourism Guide was more of a reference book than anything. It is organized by neighborhood with lists of food, attractions, etc. But again, you are on your own finding out the best order to do things and how to get from A to B. The itineraries, and their restaurant choices are not my first picks. There is a lot of detailed information on the other boroughs of New York City: Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, which is mixed in with the Manhattan neighborhoods. Retail $16.99
	The Unofficial Guide to New York City Way too much explanation about things that just don't need that much explanation. The first 142 pages of this New York Tourism Guide are a hotel chart (which you will likely do on the internet anyway), how to use the subway and how to get here from the airport. Maybe this is a good book for a travel agent? The rest reads more like an encyclopedia than a guide. There's probably some good information in here, but Just didn't have the patience to read it. I definitely would not use this as a guide to carry around if I were on vacation and trying to make the most of my time. Retail: $16.99
	New York City - An Owner's Manual Looks like a great book if your moving here. Goes more into supermarkets, places of worship, etc..everyday things rather than tourism. Retail $18.95