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For centuries, New York City has endured as a place where the American dream is most realized, a never-ending hub of activity and culture that sets the tone for the entire nation. This book takes readers on a trip through some of the most famous landmarks of The City That Never Sleeps with all the earnest sincerity of a local who truly loves their home. From the Bronx Zoo and Grand Central Station to Wall Street and Rockefeller Center, many of the Big Apple's most iconic locations are described with details about their history, modern presence, and cultural significance. Paired with comical, zany illustrations, the energy and nonstop pace of New York City is captured on the page and shared with the reader one subway stop at a time.
The author's love letter to New York is sincere, as told by the two different voices in this book's presentation. The text itself is respectful, honoring New York City's long history and taking a travel brochure voice to sell the reader on the overarching concept of the place. The illustrations are still positive but perhaps show a more realistic view of what life in the city is like. Each page is packed with hundreds of colorful characters crammed together into the scene and engaging in various comical and questionable behaviors. While it would be easy to mistake this as a negative depiction of New Yorkers, the sense is more that this is just how NYC looks at street level to the millions of people who live there. While it may not be postcard material, it still conveys a sense of the city's identity and holds a reverence for all the different kinds of people it takes to make New York City the bustling metropolis that it is.