âA timely read. . . . [Nadelsonâs] reporting, all from a personal lens, is up-to-date. . . . Like chocolate chips in a cookie, the book is studded with delicious photos old and new.â âFlorence Fabricant, New York TimesâA wonderfully lively, knowledgeable journey through the past and present of places that help make New York City what it is, and which we must cherish and (hopefully) preserve.â âSalman Rushdie New York might have Broadway, Times Square, and the Empire State Building, but the real heart and soul of the city can be found in the iconic places that have defined cool since âcoolâ became a word. Places like Di Paloâs in Little Italy, where you might stop in to pick up a little cheese only to find yourself in a long conversationâpart friendly chat, part profound tutorialâwith fourth-generation owner Lou Di Palo, sampling cheeses all the while. Or Raoulâs in SoHo, to enjoy a classic steak-frites in the company of downtown artists, celebrities, and dyed-in-the-wool locals. Or Mintonâs Playhouse in Harlem, to be in the room where some young guys named Thelonious, Dizzy, and Charlie invented bebop. Or maybe Russ & Daughters, to pick up the cityâs best lox and bagels, which theyâve been selling since 1914. A lifelong New Yorker, writer Reggie Nadelson celebrates her city and all the places that make it special. Part guidebook, part cultural history, part walk down memory lane, alive with the spirit and the grit of small, often family-owned businesses that have survived the Great Depression, World War II, 9/11, and the coronavirus lockdown, Marvelous Manhattan is a seductive and timely book for anyone who lives in New York, loves the city, lived there once, or wishes they had. Because thatâs the thing about Manhattan: all you need to do is walk into the right placeâsay, Fanelliâs on Prince Streetâsit down at the bar, order a drink, open this book, and suddenly youâre a New Yorker.