NYC Vampire Movies Worth Resurrecting This Spooky Season

Vampires could pick any city in the world to live in, but they keep choosing to reside in New York, at least according to the unusually high number of vampire movies set in the city. But it makes sense that NYC would be an attractive homebase to the undead. Between the active nightlife, the anonymity,…

The Best Introductory Books to NYC History

Whether you are new to the city or have been living here for the majority of your life, it's important for all New Yorkers to have a grasp on the basics of the city's history. I know that every history teacher you've had from elementary school through high school has probably said that the past…

These Books Will Show You What Life Was Like in Colonial NYC

Are you curious about New York's early days? These four books, fiction and non-fiction, will show you what life was like in colonial NYC. The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America by Russell Shorto New York City's colonial history didn't start…

The NYC Juneteenth Reading List

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Although the holiday originated in Galveston, Texas, it's important to remember that slavery wasn't only a Southern sin. The history of Northern states has also been tainted by slavery, especially New York State, which had the largest slaveholding population of all the Northern states and was among…

5 Quotes from The Street by Ann Petry That Capture the Worst Side of Life in NYC

If I had known that The Street by Ann Petry was so bleak, would I have ever read it, let alone have chosen it as February's pick for the NYC Nerds Book Club? Probably not. But now that I've read it, I don't regret choosing it. Instead, I'm wondering how I never heard about this…

Fascinating and Frustrating: Should You Read “Only in New York” by Sam Roberts?

Only in New York by Sam Roberts was chosen as January's pick for the NYC Nerds Book Club. But was it a good read? Find out below! Only in New York is the anthology of the eponymous podcast hosted by Sam Roberts of the New York Times. Although each topic is only a few pages…

NYC Nightmare Fuel: 3 Spooky Books Set in NYC

Disclaimer: My fear tolerance is like my spice tolerance: a cautious medium level -- somewhere between finding Scooby Doo villains to be amateurs while still second-guessing every sound in the house not caused by me after watching Paranormal Activity. That being said, the following books aren't for the faint of heart, but they won't leave…

Three Books to Help You Make Sense of the Twin Towers, 9/11, and the Freedom Tower

It's been 20 years since the day that changed New York City, the country, and even the world, but I still feel no closer to comprehending what happened on 9/11 than I could as a confused six-year-old wondering why our parents were picking us up from school so early in the day. As I was…

5 Dramatic NYC Beach Reads You’ll Want to Read This Summer

You may want a relaxing beach day, but that doesn't mean your beach read has to be a snooze fest. Here are five NYC beach reads that will serve you big city drama while you are lounging beachside. The Pierre Hotel Affair by Daniel Simone Goody-two shoes, beware! This is a book that will have…