I am a displaced New Yorker. I grew up and always lived in Brooklyn, worked in lower Manhattan most of my life, sold real estate in Queens and spent my Sundays exploring the various cultures and cultural hot spots New York has to offer. I've even taken my vacation in New York City. After 43 years of living there, I moved out of the city, but my heart is always there.

So, it is only natural that I look for various little things to remind me of my home. I have a little lucite cube of lower Manhattan with the World Trade Center clearly visible. I have books, maps, posters of Central Park and Times Square all around my house. And I visit when I get the chance.

I also grew up in the "age of newspapers". Before computers and before television news anchors there were newspapers. Names like Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill were as well known to me as to any New Yorker. As I rode to work in the morning I read The Daily News, in the evenings it was the New York Post. Sunday morning it was The New York Times.

So, sitting on-line one morning recently reading The New York Times Book Reviews, I saw a review of a new book by Pete Hamill called Downtown My Manhattan and just knew I had to read this book.

Pete Hamill is about 20 years older than I am and he has been a main stay in the newspaper world as long as I could read newspapers. He has worked for The Daily News, the New York Post, The New York Times, Newsday, and The New Yorker. Anyone who reads New York newspapers recognizes his name. He has worked as a reporter and earned the position of Editor. His beat has always been New York and he knows it like no one else can because of his unique perspective.

This book is the history of that part of The City commonly called lower Manhattan, which is everything south of 59th Street, or south of Central Park. No one here calls Manhattan by its borough name, it is simply The City and lower Manhattan is Downtown.

This book is part biography, part history, part geography. It is a study of cultures, cross streets, music, art and food. It is a blend of everything New York expertly woven together to make a beautiful patchwork of what is the essence of New York City.

Mr. Hamill covers the underlying history of lower Manhattan, from the Dutch founding through the progressive movement of the population north to Central Park. He covers the politics and the changes brought about by wave after wave of immigrants finding their place in this City. He covers the laying out of the neighborhoods, the building of the landmarks, the effects of culture and religion on the peoples who came here.

But it is done in a style that can only be executed by a skilled newspaper reporter. The facts, the scandals, the news and the views all blended together to give the reader the most information in the least amount of space. No wasted words that would lead to boredom. No unnecessary details. This is headline news from a few hundred years that is blended together to make some fascinating reading. This is a collection of little bits of history as only found in the tabloids and hunting through the history books, dating back over the centuries that Mr. Hamill ties together to make a story that would grab any reader's attention.

He discusses the who's who with the sordid facts. He gives us little tidbits of "gee, I didn't know that" that uncover the roots of our fair city. He includes sidebars of information that give a well rounded look at what drove the original settlers as well as the waves of those who came after.

The Knickerbockers, Bowling Green, Tammany Hall, the three and a half ton bull, Five Points, Trinity Church, The Jewish Theatre, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Louchow's, the Rialto, the nightclubs, the theatres, the smell of the streets; it is all here to learn, remember and enjoy. Mr. Hamill leaves no stone unturned; these are the truths and the lies, the tender moments and the violent turns, the men and the money that made New York what it is today.

Mr. Hamill includes an insiders look into the newspaper industry in New York, how it impacted the City as a whole and helped to make history as well as preserve it for future generations. There are also bits of Mr. Hamill's life here as he relives some of the most important events to occur during his lifetime in this City, to give that personal appeal that Pete is so well known for.

There is so much more. For a book of 281 pages, it is packed with more information about New York City and its history than any book you could get from the library. From the founding of The City to today, it is a well written, in depth overview of what New York is about. All of this is done in the Pete Hamill style of writing that made him the household name we New Yorkers recognize and enjoy: short, sweet and to the point with just the right amount of newspaper intrigue that we crave to keep us interested. This is New York as it could only be told by someone who has lived and worked here all his life. It shows the love and respect that most New Yorkers have for their City.

My only observation is that this book could have used a small photo section. For me, many of the locations discussed in the book are burned permanently in my mind. And those who live here or have lived here all their life will know exactly the buildings and locations spoken about. But like most folks, I appreciate pictures with my news. This book could have benefited from a small section of photos highlighting of some of the locations discussed. For those not familiar with the locations or buildings mentioned (there is a map in the front of the book) you may want to find a tourist book or a picture book of Manhattan to truly appreciate the verbal descriptions of some of the locations and architectural details discussed by Mr. Hamill in this book.

However, there is an excellent "Suggested Reading" section at the back of the book for those who want more. I found this to be an excellent addition to the book.

If you are a native New Yorker, a displaced New Yorker, new to the area or just curious about this city, this book is an essential part of your library. I would like to recommend this book for anyone who has a love of New York City, especially Downtown. boudica

I am a displaced New Yorker. I grew up and always lived in Brooklyn, worked in lower Manhattan most of my life, sold real estate in Queens and spent my Sundays exploring the various cultures and cultural hot spots New York has to offer. I've even taken my vacation in New York City. After 43 years of living there, I moved out of the city, but my heart is always there.

So, it is only natural that I look for various little things to remind me of my home. I have a little lucite cube of lower Manhattan with the World Trade Center clearly visible. I have books, maps, posters of Central Park and Times Square all around my house. And I visit when I get the chance.

I also grew up in the "age of newspapers". Before computers and before television news anchors there were newspapers. Names like Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill were as well known to me as to any New Yorker. As I rode to work in the morning I read The Daily News, in the evenings it was the New York Post. Sunday morning it was The New York Times.

So, sitting on-line one morning recently reading The New York Times Book Reviews, I saw a review of a new book by Pete Hamill called Downtown My Manhattan and just knew I had to read this book.

Pete Hamill is about 20 years older than I am and he has been a main stay in the newspaper world as long as I could read newspapers. He has worked for The Daily News, the New York Post, The New York Times, Newsday, and The New Yorker. Anyone who reads New York newspapers recognizes his name. He has worked as a reporter and earned the position of Editor. His beat has always been New York and he knows it like no one else can because of his unique perspective.

This book is the history of that part of The City commonly called lower Manhattan, which is everything south of 59th Street, or south of Central Park. No one here calls Manhattan by its borough name, it is simply The City and lower Manhattan is Downtown.

This book is part biography, part history, part geography. It is a study of cultures, cross streets, music, art and food. It is a blend of everything New York expertly woven together to make a beautiful patchwork of what is the essence of New York City.

Mr. Hamill covers the underlying history of lower Manhattan, from the Dutch founding through the progressive movement of the population north to Central Park. He covers the politics and the changes brought about by wave after wave of immigrants finding their place in this City. He covers the laying out of the neighborhoods, the building of the landmarks, the effects of culture and religion on the peoples who came here.

But it is done in a style that can only be executed by a skilled newspaper reporter. The facts, the scandals, the news and the views all blended together to give the reader the most information in the least amount of space. No wasted words that would lead to boredom. No unnecessary details. This is headline news from a few hundred years that is blended together to make some fascinating reading. This is a collection of little bits of history as only found in the tabloids and hunting through the history books, dating back over the centuries that Mr. Hamill ties together to make a story that would grab any reader's attention.

He discusses the who's who with the sordid facts. He gives us little tidbits of "gee, I didn't know that" that uncover the roots of our fair city. He includes sidebars of information that give a well rounded look at what drove the original settlers as well as the waves of those who came after.

The Knickerbockers, Bowling Green, Tammany Hall, the three and a half ton bull, Five Points, Trinity Church, The Jewish Theatre, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Louchow's, the Rialto, the nightclubs, the theatres, the smell of the streets; it is all here to learn, remember and enjoy. Mr. Hamill leaves no stone unturned; these are the truths and the lies, the tender moments and the violent turns, the men and the money that made New York what it is today.

Mr. Hamill includes an insiders look into the newspaper industry in New York, how it impacted the City as a whole and helped to make history as well as preserve it for future generations. There are also bits of Mr. Hamill's life here as he relives some of the most important events to occur during his lifetime in this City, to give that personal appeal that Pete is so well known for.

There is so much more. For a book of 281 pages, it is packed with more information about New York City and its history than any book you could get from the library. From the founding of The City to today, it is a well written, in depth overview of what New York is about. All of this is done in the Pete Hamill style of writing that made him the household name we New Yorkers recognize and enjoy: short, sweet and to the point with just the right amount of newspaper intrigue that we crave to keep us interested. This is New York as it could only be told by someone who has lived and worked here all his life. It shows the love and respect that most New Yorkers have for their City.

My only observation is that this book could have used a small photo section. For me, many of the locations discussed in the book are burned permanently in my mind. And those who live here or have lived here all their life will know exactly the buildings and locations spoken about. But like most folks, I appreciate pictures with my news. This book could have benefited from a small section of photos highlighting of some of the locations discussed. For those not familiar with the locations or buildings mentioned (there is a map in the front of the book) you may want to find a tourist book or a picture book of Manhattan to truly appreciate the verbal descriptions of some of the locations and architectural details discussed by Mr. Hamill in this book.

However, there is an excellent "Suggested Reading" section at the back of the book for those who want more. I found this to be an excellent addition to the book.

If you are a native New Yorker, a displaced New Yorker, new to the area or just curious about this city, this book is an essential part of your library. I would like to recommend this book for anyone who has a love of New York City, especially Downtown. boudica

To appreciate Manhattan to its fullest author Pete Hamill states you have to walk the streets. Since Hamill has "paid rent" in various locations on the island he is qualified to tell us what changes various parts of "downtown" have undergone over the past several decades. Downtown to Hamill runs from Battery Park at the southern tip of the island to approximately 60th Street. Hamill provides us with the history of the various parts of Manhattan and the changes that have taken place in areas such as Union Square, Herald Square, Washington Square, in "the Village", and Times Square, formerely Longacre Square. A huge victory for the city has been reclaiming Times Square from the druggies, feral children, porno parlors, and other seedy characters that inhabited the area mainly from the 1960's through the 1980's. Since my experiences in New York City have been limited (1958, 1973, 1978, and 2004) I don't have the necessary background to visualize all the places that Hamnill tells us about. I did, however, find the book fascinating to read and picked up some historical tidbits I wasn't aware of. From my own limited observations the difference in the Times Square area in 2004 was a tremendous improvement from what it was like in the 1970's. Whether you are a veteran New Yorker or just interested in learning about this fascinating island, you will find Pete Hamill's "Downtown" to be an interesting and informative read.

To appreciate Manhattan to its fullest author Pete Hamill states you have to walk the streets. Since Hamill has "paid rent" in various locations on the island he is qualified to tell us what changes various parts of "downtown" have undergone over the past several decades. Downtown to Hamill runs from Battery Park at the southern tip of the island to approximately 60th Street. Hamill provides us with the history of the various parts of Manhattan and the changes that have taken place in areas such as Union Square, Herald Square, Washington Square, in "the Village", and Times Square, formerely Longacre Square. A huge victory for the city has been reclaiming Times Square from the druggies, feral children, porno parlors, and other seedy characters that inhabited the area mainly from the 1960's through the 1980's. Since my experiences in New York City have been limited (1958, 1973, 1978, and 2004) I don't have the necessary background to visualize all the places that Hamill tells us about. I did, however, find the book fascinating to read and picked up some historical tidbits I wasn't aware of. From my own limited observations the difference in the Times Square area in 2004 was a tremendous improvement from what it was like in the 1970's. Whether you are a veteran New Yorker or just interested in learning about this fascinating island, you will find Pete Hamill's "Downtown" to be an interesting and informative read.

This is an extremely well-written, insightful and poignant piece of writing about one of the greatest cities in the world. Anyone who has ever lived, or wanted to live in New York should read this book... however ... the title is extremely confusing! I was recently on vacation in Seattle and picked up this book in a bookstore I happened to stroll into, thinking it would help me find my way around downtown Seattle! I was halfway through chapter 3 before I figured out what was going on!

This is an extremely well-written, insightful and poignant piece of writing about one of the greatest cities in the world. Anyone who has ever lived, or wanted to live in New York should read this book... however ... the title is extremely confusing! I was recently on vacation in Seattle and picked up this book in a bookstore I happened to stroll into, thinking it would help me find my way around downtown Seattle! I was halfway through chapter 3 before I figured out what was going on!

. . . the greatest men and women. If it be a few ragged huts it is still the greatest city in the whole word." Whitman's words from his Song of the Broad-Axe never left me as I read Pete Hamill's wonderful book of his city, actually my city, Downtown.

Downtown is part history, part-memoir. It is not a history of New York City as much as it is a history of Pete Hamill's New York City. It is at once a very personal piece of writing but in its own way Pete's story is one immediately familiar to any New Yorker. The streets we grew up on may be different but each of our individual and distinct stories must share more than a small amount of DNA with every other New Yorker for the last 300 years.

I've never met Pete (calling him Hamill just doesn't sound right) but I've known him all my life. Pete is the child of immigrants. His family was part of the great wave of immigration that took the wretched refuse of those teeming shores and carried them not-that-gently to New York since the days of the earliest Dutch settlers. From the famine and oppression of Ireland (Hamill) to the pogroms of Russia (my family) they came. They came from everywhere. Like thousands of other immigrants or children of immigrants, Hamill's family struggled but made a life for itself. My father found his way to one of New York's lower east side settlement houses and learned a trade (music) that served him and his family well his entire life. Like Hamill, I remember the trips as a kid from Brooklyn and, in my case, Queens, New York to that city of proud towers known as Manhattan.

"Downtown" is something of a walking guided tour. Hamill describes the building of lower Manhattan and its early history. He plots the expansion of the city north up beyond the original walled street that became Wall Street. He traces the expansion of what he calls downtown up through to 14th Street and Union Square and then on up to 42nd Street and Times Square. Along the way we read of his first trip to the city, the story of his parents' early life and hard times, and Hamill's own life and development. Along the way a few things become obvious. Hamill loves his city even when he is remarkably candid about its shortcomings. In China, the term for one's hometown is `native place'. It is a word soaked with more meaning than home and as I read through Downtown it was clear to me that New York, downtown particularly, was Hamill's native place.

For me, it was fascinating to read Hamill's descriptions of life and the development of lower Manhattan through the years. Like Hamill, I spent a good portion of my life working `downtown'. I spent more than a few years in the shipping industry, when that industry shared downtown with the Wall St. crowd. I was a messenger and ran documents to and from every building Hamill describes with accuracy and fondness. From the Old Customs House to 17 Battery Place, 1 Broadway, 25 Broadway 90 West Street and all points in between. I walked to work from my first apartment on 12th street and 2nd avenue downtown every day. And, after taking dates home to Staten Island, I'd place myself at the front of the ferry so the breeze could keep me awake in the wee hours of the morning, and stand in awe as we glided quietly past the Statute of Liberty and watched the city's skyline loom bigger and bigger. Pete's childhood vision of `the City' as Oz is singularly appropriate.

Although Pete spends a lot of time describing the geography of downtown and the architecture of the buildings that became a part of his New York experience, Downtown is not simply an architectural digest. At its heart is the story of the people that built those houses and lived in them. It is said that "men make the city, and not walls or ships without men in them" and Pete is keenly aware of that. His feeling for the men and women that made his city is palpable.

You do not need to be a New Yorker to love this book. Hamill knows, as did Whitman, that the place where a great city stands is not the "place of the tallest and costliest buildings or shops" but, rather, stands in the hearts of people like Hamill's parents that arrive from distant shores to build those buildings and live their lives. They continue to arrive today and Pete rejoices in it. Pete Hamill's Downtown is a wonderful piece of writing.

. . . the greatest men and women. If it be a few ragged huts it is still the greatest city in the whole word." Whitman's words from his Song of the Broad-Axe never left me as I read Pete Hamill's wonderful book of his city, actually my city, Downtown.

Downtown is part history, part-memoir. It is not a history of New York City as much as it is a history of Pete Hamill's New York City. It is at once a very personal piece of writing but in its own way Pete's story is one immediately familiar to any New Yorker. The streets we grew up on may be different but each of our individual and distinct stories must share more than a small amount of DNA with every other New Yorker for the last 300 years.

I've never met Pete (calling him Hamill just doesn't sound right) but I've known him all my life. Pete is the child of immigrants. His family was part of the great wave of immigration that took the wretched refuse of those teeming shores and carried them not-that-gently to New York since the days of the earliest Dutch settlers. From the famine and oppression of Ireland (Hamill) to the pogroms of Russia (my family) they came. They came from everywhere. Like thousands of other immigrants or children of immigrants, Hamill's family struggled but made a life for itself. My father found his way to one of New York's lower east side settlement houses and learned a trade (music) that served him and his family well his entire life. Like Hamill, I remember the trips as a kid from Brooklyn and, in my case, Queens, New York to that city of proud towers known as Manhattan.

"Downtown" is something of a walking guided tour. Hamill describes the building of lower Manhattan and its early history. He plots the expansion of the city north up beyond the original walled street that became Wall Street. He traces the expansion of what he calls downtown up through to 14th Street and Union Square and then on up to 42nd Street and Times Square. Along the way we read of his first trip to the city, the story of his parents' early life and hard times, and Hamill's own life and development. Along the way a few things become obvious. Hamill loves his city even when he is remarkably candid about its shortcomings. In China, the term for one's hometown is `native place'. It is a word soaked with more meaning than home and as I read through Downtown it was clear to me that New York, downtown particularly, was Hamill's native place.

For me, it was fascinating to read Hamill's descriptions of life and the development of lower Manhattan through the years. Like Hamill, I spent a good portion of my life working `downtown'. I spent more than a few years in the shipping industry, when that industry shared downtown with the Wall St. crowd. I was a messenger and ran documents to and from every building Hamill describes with accuracy and fondness. From the Old Customs House to 17 Battery Place, 1 Broadway, 25 Broadway 90 West Street and all points in between. I walked to work from my first apartment on 12th street and 2nd avenue downtown every day. And, after taking dates home to Staten Island, I'd place myself at the front of the ferry so the breeze could keep me awake in the wee hours of the morning, and stand in awe as we glided quietly past the Statute of Liberty and watched the city's skyline loom bigger and bigger. Pete's childhood vision of `the City' as Oz is singularly appropriate.

Although Pete spends a lot of time describing the geography of downtown and the architecture of the buildings that became a part of his New York experience, Downtown is not simply an architectural digest. At its heart is the story of the people that built those houses and lived in them. It is said that "men make the city, and not walls or ships without men in them" and Pete is keenly aware of that. His feeling for the men and women that made his city is palpable.

You do not need to be a New Yorker to love this book. Hamill knows, as did Whitman, that the place where a great city stands is not the "place of the tallest and costliest buildings or shops" but, rather, stands in the hearts of people like Hamill's parents that arrive from distant shores to build those buildings and live their lives. They continue to arrive today and Pete rejoices in it. Pete Hamill's Downtown is a wonderful piece of writing.

If you ever lived in NY City, as I have; you know Pete Hamill from his newspaper column.

Pete is a great writer and Downtown : My Manhattan is a captivating book.

Guaranteed to please every reader.

If you ever lived in NY City, as I have; you know Pete Hamill from his newspaper column.

Pete is a great writer and Downtown : My Manhattan is a captivating book.

Guaranteed to please every reader.