What Is New York?

A cheeky illustrated cultural atlas celebrates the strength and spirit of New York and shows how there's no need to make a comeback when you're already the greatest city on Earth.

Think New Yorkers are speeding out to Connecticut in droves? Think a tough 2020 broke the city? Think again. New York is more than a city—it is a concrete and red-brick canvas for denizens of artists, an endless fountain of inspiration and community for entrepreneurs and activists, and a boisterous melting pot that celebrates diversity of all kinds. And being a New Yorker is not just a geographic indicator, it's an indicator of character, a way of life.

From the storied punk dives of the Lower East Side to the street-cart studded blocks of the Heights, New York City offers grit, resilience, culture, and inclusivity in spades—and its citizens know this. This spectacular book looks beyond the tourist traps of New York to celebrate the essence of the city’s five boroughs. Through interviews, essays, and original art, readers will encounter the real New York—a city that is on a first name basis with bodega owners, spends afternoons on the stoop, and has equally impassioned opinions on halal carts, subway lines, and the perfect breakfast sandwich. Featured inside is everything from Q&As with legendary bodega owners to the best quotes of Governor Andrew Cuomo, designer of New York Tough and a national treasure during the fight to contain Covid-19, to photographs, quizzes, games, recipes, and much more, as well as a tribute to the beloved spaces lost during tough times.

This is a perfect read for anyone who dreams of bumping into Spike Lee on the streets of Fort Greene or misses late nights at the Comedy Cellar, a colorful keepsake tribute to the city that never sleeps and to those who know that—despite tragedy, turmoil, and great change—New York will always come out ahead.