Off the Beaten (Subway) Track

Seven Second Delay Interview

2009-10-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

I had a great time last night on "Seven Second Delay with Ken & Andy." For anyone whose dying to listen, I can be heard here, about 19 minutes into the show:
http://www.wfmu.org/flashplayer.php?version=2&show=33201&archive=56022

Live Radio Show - Oct. 7

2009-10-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

Seven Second Delay is a hilarious radio show that broadcasts live once a month from New York City's semi-famous UCB Theater. I'll be a guest on the Oct. 7 from 6 - 7 pm, talking about my book, Off the Beaten (Subway) Track. If that's not enough, actor Wallace Shawn will be one of the other guests. If that's still not enough, it's only $5. Inconceivable!

Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: UCB Theater, 307 W. 26th Street (between 8th and 9th Aves), New York, NY

If you can't be there to see it live, you can listen at WFMU 91.1FM, Jersey City, NJ & 90.1FM, Hudson Valley, NY or online. Who doesn't love options?

OTBST at Adult Education

2009-06-10T23:59:00.001-07:00

If you couldn't make it to the awesome Adult Education event on June 2, here's a video of my lecture on taking a subway roadtrip and things to be found along the A train line:

"Off the Beaten (Subway) Track" at Adult Education (June 2, 2009) from OTBST on Vimeo.

Lecture Tonight on Urban Travel

2009-06-02T07:18:00.001-07:00

Adult Education is a Brooklyn-based monthly event series where various speakers present brief, multimedia lectures on a shared theme. Tonight's theme is Urban Travel, and I will be sharing some of the "treasures" one can find by taking a subway roadtrip with the A train. The podium will be graced with three other esteemed speakers discussing subway map design, subway sketch art, and people who refuse to vacate seats specifically designated for people with disabilities when a person who has a visible disability enters the train. (Part of me has extra love for the last one because the blog URL is so long: /www.peoplewhositinthedisabilityseatswhenimstandingonmycrutches.com.)

Time Out New York selected the lecture to highlight on their Own This City blog, so you know it will be good. Plus, it is only $5. Bargains like this are hard to come by!

I'll have copies of Off the Beaten (Subway) Track for $15. (That's a whopping $1.95 off the cover price!)

Critical Info:
Union Hall
702 Union St (between Fifth and Sixth Ave)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-638-4400

Closest subway: M, R to Union St
For other directions: http://www.unionhallny.com

Queens Tribune

2008-12-22T06:43:00.000-08:00

I am honored that the Queens Tribune recommends Off the Beaten (Subway) Track as a holiday gift book about New York!. In her article on the greatness of books as holiday gifts, Terri Schlichenmeyer wrote:

Anyone for adventure this Christmas break? If you’re looking for something fun to do, grab Off the Beaten (Subway) Track by Suzanne Reisman. This book lists dozens and dozens of unusual sites and scenes you can see in New York City and surroundings, including directions, street addresses, and phone numbers. Tip: This book isn’t just for native New Yorkers. Visitors or anyone coming to town will love it, too.

In fact, OTBST is the only book about NYC in the article. How cool is that? I am so glad that people are enjoying it and recommending it to others.

Off the Beaten (Subway) Track on Blog Talk Radio

2008-11-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Kim from Traveling Mom for hosting me on her radio show! We had a lot of fun talking abut some of the places in the book, like the tour of the Steinway & Sons Piano Factory, and how to travel safely by subway and bus with young children. (Biggest tip: try and avoid rush hour.)

I'm excited to announce that I will be contributing to Traveling Mom, writing stories about adults traveling with their moms and families. Any thoughts, ideas, and suggestions are welcome!

TravelMuse.com reviews OTBST

2008-10-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

Kim Foley MacKinnon wrote a very nice review of Off the Beaten (Subway) Track at TravelMuse. In brief, she said:

Reisman has certainly done her homework... if you want to guarantee an interesting story about a crazy New York site, this is the go-to book... Each review reads like an article, sometimes running several pages. The very detailed descriptions make you feel as if you’ve been there.[Worth buying?] For sheer entertainment value and to seek out the unusual, yes.

I'm very glad that she enjoyed the book!

5 Stars from the Midwest Book Review

2008-10-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

Goodness, when it rains, it truly pours! In the October 2008 issue of The Midwest Book Review, Off the Beaten (Subway) Track received the following praise:

There are so many books on New York's attractions that one might wonder at the need for yet another, but this book is a key and the first to focus on a hundred off-the-beaten-path destinations, from small museums and nearly forgotten historic places to odd shops and small oddities. A geographic arrangement aids in the journey, with chapters offering addresses, hours, directions, web sites, and long paragraphs of enticing description. Recommended for any travel library strong in New York City attractions.

The MBR also gave OTBST a five star rating on Amazon.

OTBST Named One of 10 Indispensable Guides to NYC!

2008-10-07T23:16:00.001-07:00

It's been a little while since I blogged any news about the book, but I am ecstatic to note that Julie Schietert at MatadorGoods named Off the Beaten (Subway) Track as one of ten indispensable guidebooks about New York City. I am honored to be included on the list, and hope that others will find some new and fun places to visit as a result.

Another Retail Option for OTBST

2008-08-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

For people who prefer to buy from independent book stores, Off the Beaten (Subway) TracK is now available at The Strand Bookstore. It is also sold at BookCourt in Brooklyn. Yay!

The NY Times City Room Blog

2008-08-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

What is the New York Times City Room blog looking at today on the internets? Why, it's the three subway road trip itineraries that I put together for WNYC!

Wow.

"Off the Beaten (Subway) Track" on WNYC!

2008-08-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

Hear my thoughts on taking a "subway road trip" here. (I come in about 1 minute and 45 second into the piece), then read three suggested "subway road trip" itineraries here. I'm so excited that I'm shaking!

Thanks to Benjamen Walker for including me in his excellent story on "staycations!"

OTBST Guest Blogs at NYU!

2008-08-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that I was invited to guest post today at the NYU Arts and Science Blog! I used the opportunity to suggest a few small museums near NYU's Washington Square campus, and proposed a short "subway road trip" that is easy to embark upon from the NYU area.

Thanks to Evan Nisenson at the Office for University Development and Alumni Relations at the Faculty of Arts and Science for his enthusiasm for the book, and his help!

OTBST on the Radio (Oh, Oh, Oh)

2008-08-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a friend, a producer from WNYC (the NPR affiliate in New York) contacted me about doing a taped segment for Weekend Edition Saturday! I met him today on the L train, and we talked about the many cool things that there are to do in New York in August. As soon as it airs, I'll link to the podcast. I'm pretty much jumping up and down and squealing as I type this, but I promise I was (slightly) more articulate when we rode the train with a camp group from Williamsburg. It was fun! I hope I get more opportunities like this.

"Off the Beaten (Subway) Track" is Getting Around

2008-08-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

Take a gander at the interview I had with Patricia Jenkins at uptake.com, a fantastic travel blog for family trips.

Also, Barnes & Noble finally has Off the Beaten (Subway) Track in its New York stores.
Very exciting.

For anyone who lives in New York City, I'm hosting a book party on Sat., Aug. 9. Email me for details if you'd like to attend.

Get Your Book Here!

2008-08-01T17:46:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure what the snafu is, but it seems that Barnes & Noble is having some stock issues with Off the Beaten (Subway) Track. However, if you want a copy pronto, Amazon and Borders can satisfy your needs. Folks who live in New York can even get it off Border's shelves! (Thanks to my friend Sara, who snapped this shot when she purchased her copy at the Columbus Circle Borders!)

Book Signing Success!

2008-07-21T11:45:00.001-07:00

I had a fantastic time at my first book signing!

(Thanks to Celeste at Average Jane for the picture!)

Stay tuned for future events...

Book Signing at BlogHer Conference

2008-07-15T18:24:00.001-07:00

I'll be signing my book, Off the Beaten (Subway) Track, at the BlogHer Conference at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on Friday, July 18. The official signing is from 12:15 - 12:45. (Note the time change, although if you didn't write down another time, ignore this note.) Books are available on site.

I hope I will see you there!

Off the Beaten (Subway) Track

2008-07-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

Due from Cumberland House Publishing in July 2008! Check it out at the official Off the Beaten (Subway) Track webpage.

Once the book is out, this blog will chronicle my adventures getting the word out. Whether people buy Off the Beaten (Subway) Track online or at a fine store near them, or they check it out from the library, or they borrow their best friend's copy, I hope they'll be as amused and inspired to explore as I was while researching it.

New York, NY

2008-05-26T15:43:00.000-07:00

I wrote Off the Beaten (Subway) Track because I love the wacky, unusual, and amazing things that go one all over the City that get less attention than a gross tourist trap like Times Square. It's my hope that the book will encourage people to hop on the subway for an adventure, just like millions of curiosity-seekers do every year when they set out on the open highway for a road trip. New York is a vibrant city in every way, although gentrification threatens many of the quirkier aspects of the life here. The book contains things to see and do in all five boroughs (yes, even Staten Island has interesting aspects!).

I'm hoping that people will be willing to share their favorite off the beaten track things in New York City as well. The Off the Beaten (Subway) Track blog will have a post for each borough. Please leave your comments and thoughts about your community so that others can get out, explore, and hopefully preserve the unique parts of New York City that make it such a great place.

Bronx

2007-10-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

Some of the great community development groups that I partnered with in my nonprofit work were located in the Bronx. It's a diverse, culturally rich, and fascinating borough that has been reborn in the last decade. Among the many treasures within the northern-most part of the city, I love the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, Original Products botanica, Arthur Avenue, the Maritime Industry Museum, and Loeser's Kosher Deli.

What are your favorite places in the Bronx?

Brooklyn

2007-10-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

If it had not been annexed to New York City in 1898, today Brooklyn would be the third largest city in the United States. Many argue that it lost more than it gained by joining forces with the other boroughs, but Brooklyn's die hards know in their hearts that it is the greatest part of New York. My some of favorite places in Brooklyn are the City Reliquary, Chip Shop, the Enrico Caruso Museum of America, Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies, and the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.

What are the best places in Brooklyn in your mind?

Manhattan

2007-10-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

Manhattan is the superlative. The skyscrapers, glamor, and wealth of narrow island purchased in the 1600 by Peter Minuet is what most people picture when they think about "New York City." Sure, it has more people per square mile than anywhere else in the country, but you can also lose yourself in the wilderness of Inwood Park. I particularly adore the Lower East Side Troll Museum, Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop, the Masonic Hall, Tender Buttons, the St. Francis Cabrini Shrine, and El Malecon.

How do you pass the time in Manhattan?

Queens

2007-10-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

The most diverse county in the world, Queens offers every type of ethnic cuisine a person could possibly want. It is a middle class retreat from the dense urban environment that dominates many part of New York City. Queens rocks. I love the Steinway & Sons piano factory tour, the food in Astoria, the Panorama of the City of New York, El Indio Amazonico botanicas, and The Living Museum at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center.

What in Queens tickles you pink?

Staten Island

2007-10-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

The most suburban and Republican borough, Staten Island is mocked by other New Yorkers for its white bread reputation. However, the Staten Island Ferry hides loads of interesting attractions and an increasingly diverse population. It's the borough that surprised me the most. The Staten Island Museum, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine, and the Nobel Maritime Collection made me realize how much I misunderstood the borough.

What about Staten Island floats your ferry?