Michelle Nevius Libri

How much do you actually know about New York City? Did you know they tried to anchor Zeppelins at the top of the Empire State Building? Or that the high-rent district of Park Avenue was once so dangerous it was called “Death Avenue”? Lively and comprehensive, Inside the Apple brings to life New York's fascinating past.This narrative history of New York City is the first to offer practical walking tour know-how. Fast-paced but thorough, its bite-size chapters each focus on an event, person, or place of historical significance. Rich in anecdotes and illustrations, it whisks readers from colonial New Amsterdam through Manhattan's past, right up to post-9/11 New York. The book also works as a historical walking-tour guide, with 14 self-guided tours, maps, and step-by-step directions. Easy to carry with you as you explore the city, Inside the Apple allows you to visit the site of every story it tells. This energetic, wide-ranging, and often humorous book covers New York's most important historical moments, but is always anchored in the city of today.

Exploring the lives of 20 iconic New Yorkers, this book offers a unique historical journey from the 17th century to modern times. It traces the influence of figures like Peter Stuyvesant and Alexander Hamilton, alongside influential architects and financiers, through the city's evolution. Starting with Brooklyn's oldest building, it weaves personal narratives with historical insights, revealing connections between diverse characters—from politicians to cultural icons—while uncovering forgotten chapters in New York's rich history.