Manhattan on Film: Walking Tours of Hollywood's Fabled Front Lot

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Summary: An Uncommon Way To Get To Know New York City
Review: A very entertaining way to get to know New York, or to rediscover it. Instead of the usual tour books that will take the reader to the standard, well known sights, this book offers the possibility to get to know Manhattan's various neighborhoods by walking to different movie locations. The movies are ones we have all seen, which make the scenes come vividly to life when you get to them. Although the book also has tours of midtown, that will take the reader through the more common tourist attractions, the real joy for me came from walking through the narrow streets of neighborhoods like the West Village or the upper West Side.

An unexpected benefit was that, unlike most guidebooks that tend to give you a dry recitation of descriptions and facts about the different tourist destinations, Chuck Katz' dry wit and genuine affection for his material makes reading about the locations a pleasure.

Rating:
Summary: Manhattan on Film
Review: A wonderful way of revisiting New York, even after living there for years. Came for a visit from Australia, and Manhattan on Film gave me a completely new and different perspective on the city that I thought I knew as well as the back of my hand. The book is written in an easy to read and engaging style. For any movie lovers and/or New York lovers, this is a book that you must read

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Summary: Manhattan on Film
Review: Chuck Katz's Walking Tours is an enchanting way to see New York. It's fun, light and humorous. I was charmed and delighted with my tour. A past resident and current occasional visitor to New York, I relived some of my favorite movie scenes and felt a part of them at the same time. If you're a New Yorker, you'll never see the places you visit on the tour without feeling a little nostalgia. If you're a visitor, each time you see a New York movie scene, you'll relive your New York visit. It's really great fun! I highly recommend this clever, witty, well written, and entertaining book.

Rating:
Summary: An Uncommon Way To Get To Know New York City
Review: I have done several of the walking tours in Chuck Katz' Manhattan on Film, and really found them very relaxing and entertaining. I have lived in New York for a long time, but love to find out new things about the city, especially in neighborhoods I thought I was very familiar with. That's just the kind of opportunities this book offers. I was first drawn to the book because I like to take walking tour books with me when I travel -- as I follow the tour, I slow down and really look at things I could otherwise miss. Following the Manhattan on Film tours, I found I noticed things not only about the movie site itself, but also about things nearby the site. Thanks to this book, and the infomative, engaging style in which Chuck Katz writes, my appreciation for the city has grown. I look forward to doing the rest of the walking tours this spring. Of course, it'll be on the agenda when guests come to town!

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Summary: Hollywood in Your Backyard
Review: Manhattan on Film is a collection of thirteen walking tours that take you to New York City locations and sites used in some of Hollywood's most popular films. Each tour is set up by neighborhood and designed to take no more than two hours. Each section starts with a brief neighborhood description, has an easy-to-follow map, has clear transportation instructions to get you to your starting point, and includes concise directions that take you to each location. You can also take a quick peek at the movie index to find out where your favorite film has been shot.

Katz's book hits on all levels. General walking tour enthusiasts will find this guide a refreshing and excellent alternative to the standard, traditional guides. Tourists and visitors (Katz says that Israeli cabinet members are big fans of his book) to the city will get the feeling that they've tapped into a secret side of the city, somehow escaping the same old tourist itineraries. At the same time, ardent film fans will appreciate the trivia factoids and the concise capsules describing famous scenes that easily evoke an, "Oh yeah, I remember that!"

A wonderful find for any film fan, resident New Yorker, or visitor to the city.

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Summary: Great for out of town friends and family
Review: Whenever acquaintances from outside the New York City area come in for a visit, they usually tell me: "Show me New York, but not the tourist traps." I tell them, "With pleasure." This book provides my people with an interesting activity which they heartily enjoy. "Manhattan on Film: Walking Tours of Hollywood's Fabled Front Lot" by Chuck Katz is a great concept and, for the most part, represents a wide range of films. I understand there will be omissions, and many of the sets have long since been demolished, but there is still plenty to choose from. And for us New Yorkers, takes a little bit of the tourism off our shoulders.

Rating:
Summary: Great for out of town friends and family
Review: Whenever acquaintances from outside the New York City area come in for a visit, they usually tell me: "Show me New York, but not the tourist traps." I tell them, "With pleasure." This book provides my people with an interesting activity which they heartily enjoy. "Manhattan on Film: Walking Tours of Hollywood's Fabled Front Lot" by Chuck Katz is a great concept and, for the most part, represents a wide range of films. I understand there will be omissions, and many of the sets have long since been demolished, but there is still plenty to choose from. And for us New Yorkers, takes a little bit of the tourism off our shoulders.