Pete Hamill may very well be one of our most facile writers. He has, however, the knack of picking particularly juicy subjects and knows how to tease out a terrific anecdote. Inspired, no doubt, by the destruction of the World Trade Center, Hamill takes us, chapter by chapter, down some of his favorite blocks in (mostly) Lower Manhattan. He points out what’s there, talks about what used to be there, tells ya a little bit about something either crazy or poigniant he once saw there, then moves on. It’s basically a great walking tour in book form. I can’t imagine what this book could mean to someone who’s never been to New York, but for me (a guy who knows most of these facts already, but haven’t heard them put just that way before) it is like a glass of bubbly black cherry soda. Recommended for those that like this sort of thing. But be warned — after just a few chapters you’ll be ready to gouge your own eyes out if you read Hamill’s phrase “the New York alloy” just one more time. And you’ll read it again and again, along with other cringers like “the Crossroads of Nostalgia.” Like all things New York, it’s gotta be at least a little bit annoying.
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Jordan Hoffman is a New York-based writer and film critic working for The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Thrillist, Times of Israel, NY Daily News and elsewhere.
He is the host of ENGAGE: The Official Star Trek Podcast, a member of the New York Film Critics Circle and challenges you to a game of backgammon.