The World in a City: Traveling the Globe Through the Neighborhoods of the New New York

by Joseph Berger

“The whole world can be found in this city. . . .”
–from the Preface

Fifty years ago, New York City had only a handful of ethnic groups. Today, the whole world can be found within the city’s five boroughs–and celebrated New York Times reporter Joseph Berger sets out to discover it, bringing alive the sights, smells, tastes, and people of the globe while taking readers on an intimate tour of the world’s most cosmopolitan city.

For urban enthusiasts and armchair explorers alike, The World in a City is a look at today’s polyglot and polychrome, cosmopolitan and culturally rich New York and the lessons it holds for the rest of the United States as immigration changes the face of the nation. With three out of five of the city’s residents either foreign-born or second-generation Americans, New York has become more than ever a collection of villages–virtually self-reliant hamlets, each exquisitely textured by its particular ethnicities, history, and politics. For the price of a subway ride, you can visit Ghana, the Philippines, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh.

As Berger shows us in this absorbing and enlightening tour, New York is an endlessly fascinating crossroads. Naturally, tears exist in this colorful social the controversy over Korean-language shop signs in tony Douglaston, Queens; the uneasy proximity of traditional cottages and new McMansions built by recently arrived Russian residents of Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn. Yet in spite of the tensions among neighbors, what Berger has found most miraculous about New York is how the city and its more than eight million denizens can adapt to–and even embrace–change like no other place on earth, from the former pushcart knish vendor on the Lower East Side who now caters to his customers via the Internet, to the recent émigrés from former Soviet republics to Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach and Midwood whose arrival saved New York’s furrier trade from certain extinction.

Like the place it chronicles, The World in a City is an engaging hybrid. Blending elements of sociology, pop culture, and travel writing, this is the rare book that enlightens readers while imbuing them with the hope that even in this increasingly fractious and polarized world, we can indeed co-exist in harmony.

Genres: Travel, New York, Nonfiction, History, Immigration, Cultural

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2007

About the author

Joseph Berger was a reporter, editor and columnist with The New York Times from 1984 to 2015 and continues writing periodically for The Times as well as teaching urban affairs at the City University of New York. In 2011, he won the Peter Kihss Award given for a career’s work by the Silurians Press Club, New York City’s leading association of journalists. He was a religion correspondent from 1985 to 1987, covering the Pope’s trip to 10 American cities in nine days, and national education correspondent from 1987 to 1990, a period when American school curricula were under attack as too European-focused. From 1990 until 1993, he covered New York City’s schools and colleges, when there were bitter controversies over condom distribution and AIDS instruction. He was the recipient of the 1993 Education Writers Association award for exposing abuses in bilingual education. In September 1999, he was appointed deputy education editor where, among other stories, he directed coverage of the firing of one chancellor and the search for another, the dramatic changes in bilingual education and a series on the first-year of a new teacher.

He wrote a biweekly national column for the Times’ education page as well as columns for the regional editions. An immigrant himself, he spent three years as a kind of roving correspondent to New York neighborhoods, writing feature articles about the ethnic and cultural richness of the city that became the core of two books, “The World in a City” and “The Pious Ones.” Most recently, he chronicled the building of a new Tappan Zee Bridge, the first major bridge built in the New York area in half a century, in an occasional Times series.

Prior to joining the Times, Mr. Berger worked as Newsday’s religion writer, where he three times won the Supple Award given by the Religion Newswriters Association, its highest honor. Mr. Berger also worked at The New York Post, covering such assignments as the 1973 Middle East War and Watergate. From 1967 to 1971, he was an English teacher at a Bronx junior high school.

Berger is the author of “Displaced Persons: Growing Up American After the Holocaust,” which was published by Scribner in April 2001 and is a memoir about his family’s experience as refugees in New York in the 1950s and 1960s. The book was chosen as a notable book of the year by The New York Times, which called it ”an extraordinary memoir” and was praised by Elie Wiesel as a “powerful and sweetly melancholic memoir, brilliantly written.” There have been excellent reviews as well in the Boston Globe, Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. Berger’s first book was “The Young Scientists,” a study of the country’s top science high schools and their students, published by Addison Wesley in 1993.

Berger was born in Russia in 1945, spent the postwar years in D.P. camps in Germany and, after immigrating here, grew up in Manhattan and the Bronx. He is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, City College and the Bronx High School of Science. He lives in Westchester County with his wife, Brenda, a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst. Their daughter, Annie, a graduate of Northwestern University, is a senior editor for young adult books at Sourcebooks.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're familiar with New York City, you'll recognize what a truly impressive job Berger's done profiling changes in several neighborhoods over the past generation. If not, his portayals of life outside the more touristy areas should give an appreciation of how diverse life there can be. At first, I was tempted to skip around with the order in which I read the essays; however, it became clear that they've been arranged as they are so that the parts make a well-put-together whole. Highly recommended.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you ever want to understand the change culture and immigration trends that New York and its suburbs have been through this is the book to read to learn and study all that. The author takes you on this amazing historical journey through each major neighborhood in New York so you can understand what it was before and what it as turned into today. The sad thing that is that the author made a point in saying that despite all his incredible researching and interviewing in each neighborhood, it will all change again in a couple of years so this point will probably be outdated in ten years from its print date. Despite that I think it still makes this book worth reading because you can understand all the people who came before and walked those streets to who is there now so you get a better feel for why things have changed and where they came from.

This book I have had for a very long time. I'm sad that I didn't read it right away when it came out because then I would have been able to realize just what was going on then. By now the neighborhoods have changed again and many stores that once stood where they are for 50+ to 100+ years are probably gone by now. Sad when you think about it because its a part of history that is being taken away. New York has stores there that for generations were run by family members. Today new immigrants want to do the same thing but with the influx of new people coming in everyday that is hard to do.

If you live in New York this book is like a treasure map of once great places in each neighborhood. It is filled with places to go and restaurants to eat at that have been around since the first and second wave one Irish and Jewish immigrants. The author talks with people in each area about their experiences growing up there and what it is all like. If you visit Gerritsen Beach you will learn that most generations of families have been there forever. People know each other so well you could leave a key with them and they will take care of your place until you get back.

What I loved learning most from this book was how people of different cultures and countries stay in contact with their families back home. There are so many businesses now that have come about in helping people see their loved ones via Skype. I also never knew the mink industry in Brighton Beach was so huge because of the major Russian population and their love for mink. After reading such a book you begin to see how the melting pot of cultures work together to live in, somewhat, harmony. A barber in East Harlem doesn't like that his once Italian rich enclave is now mostly filled with Dominicans, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans. He loves his barber shop but realizes that he will soon have to stop.

A book like this shows how rich the life in New York really is. You begin to understand what makes up each neighborhood and how the got to be that way. Once you understand the immigration makeup you can go out and appreciate the different flavors of people and the foods they bring to see what makes NYC so great. When I live there one day I plan to use this book as a road place to places I need to visit and walk around in.

[Eden · Rating 2 out of 5]

2022 bk 361. Published in 2007, this book is now fifteen years old - and it leads me to wonder, have the neighborhoods undergone further shift in their immigrant/ethnic makeup? It was interesting to see how the native New Yorker author viewed the shifts in his neighborhood. He did make the effort to speak to older and newer residents, which resulted in my wondering if the people were still alive and still located in those neighborhoods. However - the book impressed far more on me how the neighborhoods of New York are far more alike than different. They all had people, young, old, family, single. They all had or were close to a grocery store for particular ethnicities. They all had something that served as a community center for the ethnicity - a center that would wain as younger folks moved out to the suburbs. The groups who emigrate to the United States hoping to build a stable, generations long community all, and I mean all, come up against the American seeming imperative to move. Even the Hasidic community has shifted base over the years. Some parts of the book I found interesting, some I found, well, just repetitive. - the age and the repetitive nature are why I marked it so low.

[Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad but any means, but the subject and the reality of 21st century New York renders it a bit of a dull and repetitive read. Neighborhoods are changing, the old ways are being pushed out by the new, repeat for 250ish pages.

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each chapter in this book profiles a different neighborhood that has been transformed over the past few decades - in most cases, by the "new immigration" from Latin America, Asia, and even Africa (though Berger also discusses a couple of newly-gentrifying areas and the Orthodox Judaism that now dominates Midwood).

As a new resident of NYC, I got some ideas about places to visit; in fact, this morning I visited the Bukharan Jewish Center, the opulent Bukharan synagogue in Forest Hills that Berger mentions. I also learned why there are so many Bukharan restaurants that often do not appear to be open; according to Berger, Bukharan Jews have a custom of gathering in restaurants during the seven-day mourning period after a relative's death (as well as monthly and annual anniversaries of same), thus creating a market for restaurants that are open only for such special occasions. This book is full of similar tidbits about other ethnic groups and their neighborhoods.

One caveat: because this book was written in 2007, some of the specific bakeries, restaurants, etc. mentioned in the book have already closed.

[Nicole Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book jumped out at me from a travel guide shelf. I wish I had read it about five years ago - or rather I wish it had been published more recently. Reading about all these neighborhoods that are at arms length for me right now made me want to go explore them all. However, the too true observation that New York City is a place that is ever changing place was a little off the mark with the added prediction that the book would be outdated in 20 years. Less than 10 years later I know a couple of the neighborhoods have already changed and shifted, and suspect most of them have.

Luckily the fact of change in the neighborhoods doesn't mean I can't, shouldn't, or won't go explore them more. It just means I'll have a different experience than the one outlined in this book as I walk around neighborhoods and find different gems.

I'm grateful for the reminder and push to explore my own backyard.

[Rachelle Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a New York Cityophile like myself, you will love this book. Berger takes you on a journey through some of New York's swiftly changing, far flung and not so far flung neighborhoods. The journey he takes the reader on is based on interviews with resident, observations of street life, memories of his own life growing up in the city, and larger ones of the collective city history. At the end of each neighborhood chapter he lists suggested places to go visit and eat in the neighborhoods he has just described, sometimes I wonder why they don't always match up to what he has just talked about. At times I think he gets caught up in the politics of neighborhoods, I think this adds more depth to the book, but it also sidetracks it and makes it much more than a jaunt through the neighborhoods of this city of multiple identities.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty engaging look at New York and its ethnic past and future. It really nails down the nostalgia with which people (especially from the outside) regard the city, the identification of things lost, the collective suffering and achievement. Also identifies the new wave of immigration that is changing the city so radically, as well as the economic effects of the real estate boom (although it will be interesting to see what the popped bubble effect will be). I was annoyed at Berger's insistence on drawing everything back to his own family's immigrant roots though, as it just made this weird confusion of objective and personal writing in circumstances that didn't really relate. It seemed like a stretch to me. Plus, did he honestly just call a samosa a "knish-like dish?" Seriously? Why?

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet collection of NYC immigrant and neighborhood stories. Berger takes you to neighborhoods well known, like Chinatown, or lesser-known, like Gerritsen Beach, and shares stories of people who once lived there or currently live there, and also paints a picture of what life is like. Berger is a journalist, so the chapters read more like essays, with the (to-be-expected) insertion of his opinion here and there. I didn't really like the profile on Norwood (his thesis wasn't all there, and he didn't even profile the neighborhood) and could have done without the nostalgic overtone throughout. My takeaway is though the immigrant story is beautiful, it is always changing--and that's why you really find some great stories.

[D.G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

**2.5 Stars**

I thought this book was going to be different. The 'Traveling the Globe' part of the subtitle gave me the impression that this book would tell me about all the different cultures in NY and which neighborhood I should go if I wanted to get a taste of it.

To be truthful there was a bit of that, but the book was inundated with nostalgia. Most chapters were about elderly people complaining about the way things it used to be and how the neighborhood had changed. This was BORING.

I think I would only recommend this book to fellow New Yorkers if they want to know more about their City.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of great stories about New York. For a reporter for what my partner calls the "belly button paper" (New York Times), he's pretty careful to notice the good, the bad, and the ugly in his hometown. My only quibble is he seems a bit less comfortable with black people (esp. black people born in the U.S. versus African and Caribbean immigrants)--that is, talking to and about black people--than with other people of color, and he ought not to be, considering he's a New Yorker born of poor Jewish immigrants and he's a reporter for a major newspaper. But other than that, good stuff.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

An insight into ny that I was craving. Although it was tedious at times, it still reassured me that not all of ny can be rough, and that although it is a diverse city to say the least, it is still a melting pot and second generation immigrants integrate. Can't wait to live there and try all the restaurants and barbers listed.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm excited about this- it's about a lot of outer neighborhoods and their constituents, how the immigrant experience is so different than it used to be, and how the city has changed and/or stayed the same. I've read 2 chapters and already love it!

[Flora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming! Also, a helpful window into neighborhood trends. It's amazing how much has changed even in the four years between this book's publication and the time I started reading it. ("Greece is a rich country now!" someone crowed in Astoria. I just can't get that out of my mind.)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Shame that I discovered it so late, as it's almost 10 years old now. I was surprised to see how quickly neighborhoods were changing at that time.

Also great for providing context and history to the areas I live near.

[J.P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dry, but Berger has clearly done tons of research and puts together some interesting profiles of different immigrants all over the city.

[Kirby]

Part of my new quest to reframe my Brooklyn-centric world view . . .

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great and informative book on some of the neighborhoods in New York City.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many must-visit places in this book! The history of some of NYC's neighborhoods is pretty cool, too.

[Florence Buchholz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique look at New York's neigborhoods today.

[Lefluf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolute must-read if you live in New York - any of the boroughs will do. Terrific book by a swell guy.

[Beth Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a lot about oft-overlooked communities in New York City.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

As others have said, this book was dated the minute it hit the bookstores (do bookstores still exist?). The movement of groups is a constant part of the history of New York City and that makes the book interesting. The Italians may no longer live in Bensonhurst and the Trinidadians may have moved on to more congenial neighborhoods but the ability to make choices and seek improvement goes on.

The book is interesting when the Author, Joseph Bergen, details the history of the neighborhoods and their changes (as of 2007). Whether you will find Uzbeki restaurants where the author suggests they are, who knows?

At the time when The World in a City was published 60% of NYC residents were immigrants or children of immigrants. That made the city tops in the world for ethnic variety. Bergen describes different types of movement—established groups get older in age, their highly educated children want to live in either the far suburbs or chic Manhattan. They are replaced by up and coming immigrants who are able to leave the poorest neighborhoods and move to these better areas. Eventually this can start a re-gentrification as even more successful people find things to like in these neighborhoods such as lower housing costs, closeness to what matters to them and general quality of life. Bergen personally interviews many of these people and that gives life to the statistics.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best news I got in this book is that Yonah Schimmel has survived! Delivery only but still in business. Other tidbits were less happy: only 3,000 garment workers in their union who still actually make clothing? Doesn't say if that's only NYC. Mostly it was a great flaneur-style trip through neighborhoods I know, or only seen in passing, or wondered about, in a nice conversational style: "It (LES) was where Jews such as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Eddie Cantor, Al Jolson, and Sophie Tucker transformed the squalor and absurdities around them into the jokes and songs that etched this pushcart maelstrom on the nation's consciousness." So true. It's people like that who put New York City on the map even though there were pushcarts in lots of places. I loved "Curry Hill" - didn't know it was known by this name - and the guy who cleans shop windows for customers who doesn't have a shop or a home. The treatment of Indian Guyanese was eye-opening. The section on Norwood was weak - visit Montefiore? What would you do, walk around the corridors looking at Filipino nurses? Poor Montefiore has been in the news lately for poor outcomes, hopefully not the fault of the nurses. Oh, and the couple who bought a former brothel who finally figured out to change the locks as so many former customers had keys. Best of all were Berger's own family stories. I'll always remember the boys fishing the shoemaker's last out from under the bed to play with.

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

New York Times journalist Joseph Berger dives into a dozen or so New York neighborhoods to explore their enduring and/or changing cultural and ethnic dynamics. While the research is excellent and the writing is lively, it was destined to become outdated in a matter of time. Since I came to it about ten years too late, what remains is New York as it once was, but not necessarily what it is today. Actual rating: 2.5

[Serge Perrin Merinos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joseph Berger's book offers a captivating exploration of New York City's diverse ethnic tapestry. Published in 2007, the book delves into the city's transformation over the past few decades, highlighting the significant impact of new immigration from Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Berger takes readers on a journey through various neighborhoods, revealing their unique histories, cultures, and politics. He showcases the vibrant and diverse communities that have sprung up, each with its own distinct character and charm. The author's extensive research and interviews provide a rich understanding of the city's past and present, allowing readers to appreciate the incredible diversity and richness of life in New York.
While the book offers valuable insights into the city's neighborhoods, it is also important to note that the rapid pace of change in New York means some of the information is outdated. However, the book surely remains a valuable resource for understanding the city's evolution and the diverse communities that have shaped its identity.

[Sarah King]

Meh. I didn't finish this one. there's no denying Berger's journalistic talent, but the nature of this type of book is such that as soon as it hits the shelves, it's already outdated. Trying to pin down the ebb and flow of the different NYC neighborhoods at any given point is about as doable as trying to identify different droplets of river water as it flows past.

[Mohit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched book about an enchanting city that is New York. I read it 15 years after it has been written and granted places from the book have closed or neighborhoods have changed but the spirit has remained the same. There is a constant flow in this city of ideas, people, cusines etc. which has been shared nicely by the author.

[Madhuja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does an amazing job of depicting the vibrant and gigantic melting pot that is NYC. Enjoyable with some degree of familiarity with the city.

[Katie]

had to return to the library before I finished. Enjoyed what I could read before our trip though!