A New York Public Library Outstanding Reference Book The rich and eminently browsable visual guide to the history of New York, in an all-new second edition The Historical Atlas of New York City , second edition, takes us, neighborhood by neighborhood, through four hundred years of Gotham's rich past, describing such crucial events as the city's initial settlement of 270 people in thirty log houses; John Jacob Astor's meteoric rise from humble fur trader to the richest, most powerful man in the city; and the fascinating ethnic mixture that is modern Queens. The full-color maps, charts, photographs, drawings, and mini-essays of this encyclopedic volume also trace the historical development and cultural relevance of such iconic New York thoroughfares as Fifth Avenue, Wall Street, Park Avenue, and Broadway. This thoroughly updated edition brings the Atlas up to the present, including three all-new two-page spreads on Rudolph Giuliani's New York, the revival of Forty-second Street, and the rebuilding of Ground Zero. A fascinating chronicle of the life of a metropolis, the handsome second edition of The Historical Atlas of New York City provides a vivid and unique perspective on the nation's cultural capital. “A beautifully produced reference work . . . here, in maps, drawings, photographs, and illuminating text, are the five little boroughs and how they grew.” ― E. L. Doctorow “A treasure of a book. The historical notes are sharp, full, and often surprising. The graphics are fresh, colorful, and give one a new sense of New York, the world city in its everlasting drama.” ―Alfred Kazin Eric Homberger is the author of Mrs. Astor's New York and Scenes from the Life of a City . An American by birth, he is a professor of American studies at the University of East Anglia. Alice Hudson is curator of the Map Division of the New York Public Library. New York/ Historical/Atlas Eric Homberger/ Revised and Updated