The Manhattan Nobody Knows

A one-of-a-kind walking guide to Manhattan, from the man who walked every block in New York City. Bill Helmreich walked every block of New York City—six thousand miles in all—to write the award-winning The New York Nobody Knows. Later, he re-walked most of Manhattan—721 miles—to write this new, one-of-a-kind walking guide to the heart of one of the world's greatest cities.

Drawing on hundreds of conversations he had with residents during his block-by-block journey, The Manhattan Nobody Knows captures the unique magic and excitement of the island and highlights hundreds of facts, places, and points of interest that you won't find in any other guide.

The guide covers every one of Manhattan's thirty-one distinct neighbourhoods, from Marble Hill to the Financial District, providing a colourful portrait of each area's most interesting, unusual, and unfamiliar people, places, and things.

Along the way, you'll be introduced to an elderly Inwood man who lives in a cave; a Greenwich Village townhouse where Weathermen terrorists set up a bomb factory; a Harlem apartment building whose residents included W.E.B. Du Bois and Thurgood Marshall; a tiny community garden attached to the Lincoln Tunnel; a Washington Heights pizza joint that sells some of the biggest slices in town; the story behind the "Birdman" of Washington Square Park; and much, much more.

An unforgettably vivid chronicle of today's Manhattan, the book can also be enjoyed without ever leaving home—but it's almost guaranteed to inspire you to get out and explore this fascinating metropolis.

This guide covers every one of Manhattan's neighbourhoods, providing a colourful portrait of their most interesting, unusual, and unfamiliar people, places, and things. Each neighbourhood section features a brief overview and history; a detailed, user-friendly map keyed to the text; and a lively guided walking tour.

The book draws on the author's 721-mile walk through every Manhattan neighbourhood and includes insights from conversations with hundreds of residents.