The Almanac of New York City

The Almanac of New York City takes a remarkable measure of New York. A collection of lists, tables, and graphs divided into categories ranging from politics and art to crime, transportation, and sports, The Almanac is an ideal companion for anyone who delights in the surprising and idiosyncratic details of the country's largest city. Striking a balance between past and present, the volume also provides an innovative reference for scholars seeking a deeper understanding of New York's complex history and transformation. The Almanac of New York City records the name of the city's first comptroller (Selah Strong), and Staten Island's current district attorney (Daniel M. Donovan Jr.), the city's best-attended cultural institution (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with five million visitors annually) and its lowest recorded temperature (fifteen degrees below zero in February 1934). More obscure data identifies the borough with the most residents who relocate to Palm Beach, Florida (Queens), and the borough that hosts the most Panamanian immigrants (Brooklyn). Curious readers will be interested to know where New York currently ranks in the cost of apartment rentals, the rate of obesity in each borough, the details of executions dating back to 1639, per capita income by borough, the longest-running Broadway shows, the winners of the Wanamaker Mile, and the location of celebrated gravesites. Longtime curators of New York's fascinating history, Kenneth T. Jackson and Fred Kameny compose a portrait of the city and its 8 million residents that you won't find anywhere else.