Marvelous Manhattan

Book excerpt: Why new York is like nowhere else in the world, The Restaurants, from Jing Fong in Chinatown to the world-renowned Le Bernardin on 51st Street, The Watering Holes, where you can drink with ghosts at the Ear Inn, or savor history at Julius', The Shops, including Three Lives & Company, which embodies the ideal of a neighborhood bookstore, The Clubs, like the Village Vanguard, where you can hear the quintessential Manhattan soundtrack, The Food-yes, the food-from the lox at Russ & Daughters to goodies that will make you feel like the proverbial kid in the Lexington Candy Shop, And the Hidden Gems, because don't you want to be a regular at the Hungarian Pastry Shop, or a member of the FlameKeeper's Hat Club? Book jacket.