PICK OF THE WEEK.
“The New York Times Guide to Hotels in New York City”
(The New York Times, $14.95)
As any overnight visitor to New York well knows, it’s easy to spend a lot of money there, but author Charles Suisman proves it doesn’t have to be that way. The guide contains descriptions of more than 250 hotels in every price range, from well-known establishments (Washington Square Hotel, the Chelsea Hotel, the Algonquin) to well-kept secrets (SoHo Bed and Breakfast, where Billie Holiday once lived; East Village Bed and Coffee, where a night’s rest can cost you as little as $75). Thus, in addition to listings of the city’s finest hostelries, you’ll also find more reasonable accommodation in the form of inns, guest houses, bed and breakfasts and hostels. Boutique hotels — the name given to those places that trumpet distinctive or unusual amenities, such as the Benjamin or the Time — also are described. And then at $450-plus is the “extraordinary” Trump International Hotel and Tower. Among its many perks is one that, according to the book, no other establishment in New York offers: If you feel so inclined, a chef from Jean-Georges, the four-star restaurant on the premises, will come up to your room and prepare a meal for you. Suisman also describes special features for each hotel, such as fitness rooms, concierge services and business centers, as well as whether it is wheelchair accessible and what kind of parking is available. Evaluations are based on practical concerns (Is it clean and well lit? Does it have comfortable beds? Is it noisy or quiet?) Each neighborhood is introduced by brief descriptions, which also contain information on transportation and nearby landmarks as well as shopping, eating and drinking opportunities. The indexes are grouped by type, rating, price and the alphabet.
Australia guides
“Blue Guide Australia”
(W.W. Norton, $25.95)
As always with the Blue Guides, the emphasis here is on history and culture. The discussions are typically intelligent and thoughtful, the information thorough without being overwhelming. Among the many highlights are sections on Australian art, literature, film and natural history as well as background on the country’s indigenous aboriginal population. The guide also contains walking tours around main towns and cities, detailed maps and a plethora of practical information.
“Australia: True Stories of Life Down Under”
(Travelers’ Tales Guides, $17.95)
Australia is a larger-than-life country on its own continent. Such physical independence breeds a certain type of frontier mentality or, as editor Larry Habegger writes, “living on the edge of the familiar world.” Australia is the Outback, the mysterious Ayers Rock, the Dreamtime of aboriginal culture, sophisticated cities like Sydney and Canberra and the land of the kangaroo, the dingo and the koala bear. This collection tries to capture the country’s many moods and contains the work of some of the finest writers of the modern era, including Paul Theroux, Bruce Chatwin, Jill Ker Conway, Pico Iyer, Tim Cahill and Jan Morris.
Florida guides
“The National Geographic Traveler: Miami and the Keys”
(National Geographic Society, $22.95)
A succinctly written text and marvelous photography are the selling points of this attractive guide. Among the more unusual items highlighted is a section on the air-conditioned, driverless and computer-operated elevated trains that make scenic loops around Miami’s downtown. Called MetroMovers, these modern forms of transportation cost a remarkably low 25 cents and take about an hour to make the trip. A piece on New World cuisine describes the Miami area’s love affair with fresh fruit and contains a glossary of particularly popular items from acerola, which tastes like a tart strawberry, to sugar apple, a heart-shaped fruit with a soft, creamy middle. Miami’s numerous colorful neighborhoods also receive plenty of space, from Little Havana and its Cuban Museum of the Americas to Little Haiti, a tightly knit enclave of about 30,000 Haitian immigrants. Of course, the many attractions of such popular standbys as Key West and Miami Beach are aptly represented, including the latter’s Art Deco District walk with a section describing the characteristics of the Art Deco style. Miami boasts the second largest Jewish community in America after New York. Perhaps the most moving image in the book is that of the Holocaust Memorial: a close-up shot of a bronze hand reaching 42 feet above a reflecting pool.
“2000 Miami South Florida
Restaurants”
(Zagat, $9.95)
Zagat’s new guide to South Florida covers some 740 restaurants in the region, including Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach and the Keys. Restaurants here often reflect the always-changing ethnic diversity of the area. Of course, Latin cuisine is amply represented but so is Jamaican, Haitian and Creole cooking as well as the recent addition of Brazilian influences. Celebrity restaurants, such as Gloria Estefan’s Lario’s on the Beach, are also listed. But what readers of the Zagat guides really want to know is how a restaurant is rated. Hence, the listings include not only the essentials but also the all-important ratings (food, decor and service are each rated on a scale of 0 to 30). Also contains lists of Dade County’s 40 most popular restaurants and “50 best bangs for the buck.”
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Contact Resourceful Traveler in care of Toni Stroud at tstroud@tribune.com.
