New To New York

A reader’s guide the Big Apple. (P.S. Don’t say “Big Apple.” You live here now. Be cool!)

6 min readAug 18, 2017

So you just moved to the city, and while you’re still in the honeymoon phase of gawking at the jutting concrete jungle, eccentric pedestrians, and endlessly sparkling billboards, people are side-eyeing you like a tourist and — hey, did that guy just push past you to get a seat on the subway?! You could use a friend like Strand to guide you through this overwhelming city. This list is filled with tips, historical information, and narrative resources to give you context and comfort in you new home. Welcome to New York, by the way.

NYC: Basic Tips and Etiquette by Nathan W. Pyle

Simple black and white illustrations guide you through the unique habits and etiquette of New Yorkers. If you have ever wondered how to hail a cab or how to negotiate personal space on the sidewalk, subway or bus, this book will guide you through. Since you have found yourself newly transplanted, get a step ahead of everyone else and cozy up with this charming collection of dos and don’ts.

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Consider this as a lesson in art history. Patti Smith shares an up-close and endearing telling of her budding artistry in the city in the sixties and seventies alongside photographer and friend, Robert Mapplethorpe. Her adventures take place in a New York that sometimes seems long forgotten, but she vividly keeps the vibe alive.

The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro

Now we move on to history! Before the Rockefellers, there was Robert Moses. He was the most powerful man in NYC for almost 50 years. His controversial and dividing influence in the first half of the 20th century actually shaped much of the political and physical structure of the city as we know it today. Robert Caro was certainly deserving of the Pulitzer for this remarkable and thoroughly researched composite on power in a powerful city.

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark Kurlansky

Okay, but seriously, NYC used to be a HUGE exporter of oysters. Through the prosperity and later decline of oysters as a booming industry, Kurlansky cleverly parallels a story of food, culture and history in The Big Oyster (get it?) that keep this history engaging. He even includes photos and historic pictures going back as early as the 17th century.

Batman: New Gotham Vol. 1 by Greg Rucka

As we move from history to fiction, we’d like to point out that you live in Gotham now! You have to read at least one Batman comic. We recommend giving this new series a try. Following Batman: No Man’s Land, this installment returns us to a Gotham deemed too dangerous and has been cut off from the outside world for the last year. Batman and local law enforcement have the serious task of keeping order in a lawless city but are challenged when Ra’s al Ghul and co. bring a highly sought after eternal life serum into play.

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler

Find a kindred spirit in Tess, who has newly arrived to the city, just like you, and is working front-of-house at a very well known downtown restaurant. She embraces the high-paced food industry along with the often sporadic social life of a server as she works to find who she is. Full of possibilities and unburdened by thoughts of consequence, Danler highlights what it is like to be young and adrift in a brand new world.

The Lonely City by Olivia Laing

It’s the timeless but oft asked question: How can you be lonely in a city brimming with people? Olivia Laing grabs hold of that small feeling of drifting and showcases how it appears in everyone. Flipping through these pages, you will find solidarity in your most single-out moments and embrace the lonely times with self-awareness and expression. The Lonely City is an adventure well worth taking.

History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

Hold onto your everything, this novel is going to take you to some emotional places. Griffin suddenly loses his first love and ex-boyfriend Theo in a drowning accident. The tragic loss accelerates Griffin’s undiagnosed OCD and forces him to let go of the future he imagined where Theo returned to him. Silvera jumps between the past and present, highlighting a young love that thrived in the city. A first admission of love on the train, date nights at trivia on the East Side, and late-night confessions on the High Line all create an atmosphere that compliments the story and stays true to real NYC.

Bed-Stuy is Burning by Brian Platzer

Brian Platzer has created an amazing debut novel that lives in one of Brooklyn’s most dynamic neighborhoods, Bed-Stuy. A constant tremor of conflict is palpable throughout the streets, and on the day a cop shoots a boy in a nearby park, it escalates to riots. Throughout the course of that one day, events unfold from the point of view of Aaron and Amelia, two young professionals with a newborn son, their devoted babysitter, a unstable basement tenant, the single dad down the street, and a local girl who can’t help but feel enraged. All must ultimately confront what truly matters in the midst of chaos.