Books are and have always been one of my biggest loves in life! :) Recently, after sharing quite a few of my book recommendations with friends and having my friends take those recs and start reading (and enjoying!) the books I’ve shared, I’ve been inspired to bring more book recommendations to citygirlcitystories.com and a new year is the perfect time to start!
It’s incredibly exciting for me to share my first book recommendation for 2024: the beautiful New York City travel and photography book Dearest New York: A Love Letter to the Big Apple by Deirdre Gartner, who you probably already know as the very popular @girlintheyellowtaxinyc on Instagram and founder of the NYC blog https://girlintheyellowtaxinyc.com!
In addition to my book recommendation, I also have a Q&A with the author herself, isn’t that amazing? :) Keep reading for more about Deirdre’s new book, her top recommendations for NYC and some of her favourite things about city life in the Big Apple!
[Allow me a moment here to say that I’ve been a reader and follower of the Girl in the Yellow Taxi NYC blog and Instagram for a few years now and I’m very inspired by the way Deirdre captures her city so wonderfully. :) Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of Deirdre’s work, and of course I already had her new book on my to read list, but to get this opportunity to receive a copy of the book for review and to interview the author (over email), is truly such a blogging highlight. Thank you very much to Smith Publicity for this!]
📚 Book Review 🚕
Dearest New York: A Love Letter to the Big Apple
By Deirdre Gartner
Published: 2023
Genres: Travel, Guidebook, Photography
Dearest New York by native New Yorker Deirdre Gartner perfectly captures her world famous city: NYC. The book is filled with a huge selection of beautiful images of NYC, but also includes a local’s guide to a variety of neighbourhoods of NYC, from the Upper East Side to Chelsea to Lower Manhattan.
Along with admiring the photos, you get pretty illustrations and fun facts of the city, recommendations for the best cafes and bookstores, tips on how to spend the perfect day in Central Park, where to eat, shop, walk and so much more! I have not had the chance to visit NYC myself, but when I do one day, you bet this book is the one I’m going to be referring to. :)
The book is a small sized hardcover copy, but I was surprised by how much content and tips were packed into it! It’s very detailed too, covering each neighbourhood and sharing the various streets and spots within the different neighbourhoods. There are tips on how to navigate the Flower District for example, and this is incredibly useful, especially for first time visitors! I think you’ll agree with me that one of the best ways to get city or travel recommendations is directly from the people living within them, which is what the author did with this book.
I’m saving a spot on my bookshelf for this book, and I’m recommending this for anyone who loves NYC, wishes to visit NYC one day and for anyone who enjoys city photography. :)
For my Singapore friends, the book is currently available online from Amazon.sg, Kinokuniya bookstore (out of stock, but you could make a request!) and Blackwell’s (online shopping from UK, with free delivery to Singapore).
🚕 Q&A with Deirdre Gartner @girlintheyellowtaxinyc 🚕
☀️ Kylene (K): Hello Deirdre! I’m Kylene, writing to you all the way from sunny Singapore! :) I’ve been following your Instagram and reading your blog “Girl in the Yellow Taxi NYC” for a few years now and have always felt inspired by the way you capture your city and love everything you share on your blog. Congratulations on the publication of your new book Dearest New York! As someone who’s never been to New York, I’m really enjoying reading your tips and slowly browsing through the beautiful photographs!
Deirdre Gartner (DG): Hi Kylene, I’m so excited you like my book and are a fellow “Big Apple” lover. Singapore is one of my favorite cities and I definitely see some similarities between our hometowns. I hope that you can visit NYC one day, I would be happy to show you all the treasures NYC has to offer.
📷 K: Before the publication of your new book Dearest New York, you’ve already been capturing and sharing about New York City on your highly popular “Girl in the Yellow Taxi NYC” Instagram and blog. (I’m such a huge fan, by the way!) How long have you been creating content on NYC and what inspired you to start?
DG: I love New York and am so proud to call this city home. Growing up my weekends were spent exploring all the different neighborhoods, Uptown, Downtown and everywhere in-between. From long walks through Central Park to dim sum tours through Chinatown. My sense of curiosity and appreciation of New York only got stronger as I got older. I started taking photos and documenting my daily wanderings, the new coffee shop that just opened, a street mural that just popped up, a beautiful old façade or a random conversation I had with one of the many million interesting New Yorkers.
Knowing how much I loved NY, I was always being asked by family, friends, friends of friends where to go, what to do, where to eat, and what to see in the city. I decided to start a blog and Instagram account and named it Girl in the Yellow Taxi NYC as an homage to the many hours I spent seeing NY through the window of a careworn yellow cab. It has been a little over six years that I started and I love the idea that my photos and stories can spark favorite memories of life celebrations, favorite eateries and shops or a fervent desire to visit NYC.
🍎 K: I’ve never been to NYC, but would love to one day! What are your top must do recommendations for the first time visitor?
DG: There is so much to see and do where to begin, hmmm? I could write a thousand page book on all the things I love and think you must do on your first time but the most important thing is not to try and do everything in a day. Every neighborhood has its own unique charm so I would say pick a neighborhood, wear your most comfortable shoes, and start exploring.
Midtown Manhattan is where you will find famous architectural landmarks like Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, the Chrysler Building and of course, Times Square. The West Village neighborhood is a study in old world charm with its patchwork of 19th-century architecture, tree lined and often cobblestone streets, public squares, cozy cafes, and specialty shops, it is easy to feel as if you are on a movie set about a bygone era of New York City.
No visit to New York would be complete without wandering around the ever enchanting Central Park. Each one of the parks 843 acres is a treasure trove of art, entertainment, culinary delights, people watching and nature. The Upper East Side is where you will find some of the most impressive museums in the world, The Met, Guggenheim, Frick and many smaller museums that are just as impressive but less crowded.
But the true magic of New York isn’t found in any guidebook or recommendation, it’s when you wander and stumble across something unique that speaks to you, something unplanned and unexpected. That is the true beauty of NYC, those little moments are all around you as you wander the city.
🎃 K: We live in year round summer here in Singapore! Since NYC has four distinct seasons, which is your favourite season and what makes it your favourite?
DG: It is so hard to choose because each season has their own specific beauty, but there is something magical that begins to happen in late September. There is an intangible, imperceptible shift in the air as Autumn in New York arrives unabashedly in all her splendiferous collection of breathtaking beauty. The farmers markets are filled with pumpkins in every shape and size, apples, sunflowers and the smell of freshly made donuts.
In early October Halloween décor takes over the city. Goblins, ghosts and massive spiders appear in hidden doorways, townhouses, stoops, restaurants and parks. There are endless activities to partake in during this spectacularly spooky season, ghost walks, pumpkin painting, and candlelight tours to name a few. The Halloween festivities culminate on Halloween night at the annual Village Halloween Parade where more than 50,000 zombies, ghouls, witches, monsters, and giant puppets take to the street for a night of revelry. It really is the most wonderful time of year!
🏙 K: There are so many movies and TV shows set in NYC! Please share some of your personal favourite ones?
DG: I’m a sucker for a good romance so I would put, When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Got Mail at the top of my list. I also love Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Sex and the City, Friends and Gossip Girl.
[K: Popping in here to say I love this list because so many of these movies and shows are my favourites too! :)]
🗽 K: Final question! As a native New Yorker born and raised in one of the most famous cities in the world, what is your favourite aspect of the city life in NYC?
DG: I love that New York is a treasure trove of hidden gems, that is a city of dreams and dreamers replete with endless possibilities. I love that it is a city in constant motion and ever evolving. I love that it is a city without judgement opening its arms to the creative and eccentric-a city where all things are possible for everyone.
I love that I get to taste the finest cuisines from Kathmandu to Timbuktu, sample wines of acclaimed sommeliers and rooftop growers alike, be entertained by the world renowned or the enterprising kid on the corner. I can visit the finest perfumeries on the Upper East Side while sampling spices of ancient civilizations on the Lower East Side all in the same day! It is a city with quirks aplenty like all the rest of us, yet perfect in every way!
I loved hearing Deirdre share her personal recommendations and stories about NYC. :) While I’ve never been to the Big Apple (yet!), I can definitely relate to her love for her city, just like I do for mine. Definitely check out Deirdre’s book for much more and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I did!
*Note: I received a complimentary copy of the book for review from Smith Publicity, who kindly arranged this Q&A with the author too. This is not a paid post.
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