New York City Neighborhoods: The 18th Century

by Nan A. Rothschild

New York City Neighborhoods is the first illustrated guide to colonial Manhattan. It is an archaeological study of the growth of the city during this period and of its emergence as the center of class structured commercial capitalism in the new nation. It features more than seventy beautifully illustrated maps--including a series showing the location of key institutions, such as churches, markets and taverns, and the history of the settlement of New York in the 18th century. It will be of interest not only to students of cities, historical archaeologists, and urban geographers, historians, socologists, and planners, but also to New Yorkers who are interested in the history and development of their city.

Includes a series of maps showing the location of key institutions, such as churches, markets and taverns, and the history of settlement of New York City in the 18th century**Employs a method of analysis which is based on a sequence of historic maps in order to reveal spatial components of the city**More than seventy beautifully illustrated maps

264 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2008

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great addition to any Historical Archaeology course. Nan Rothschild has provided a great study of community formation and an understanding of early spatial segregation along class and ethnic lines in NYC by looking at Stadt Huys, the Hanover Block and the Telco block. Her analysis relies on materials typically handled by historians but enhanced by the excavation material retrieved from privies and landfilling material from the very tip of Manhattan. There are many enlightening details about ordinary people's lives revealed by her faunal analyses, her maps, and her extensive data on the growth of Downtown Manhattan. And while very much data-centric, it makes for an enjoyable read.

[Lauren Conrad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and informative. My one big issue with this book is that she spent a bit too much time taking about how she gathered the information before getting into the information itself. But maybe that's just a personal thing.