Heart of the City: Nine Stories of Love and Serendipity on the Streets of New York

by Ariel Sabar, Neil Shah (Reader)

The dirt-poor Texas sailor who offers dinner to a runaway in Central Park. The Midwestern college girl who stops a cop in Times Square for restaurant advice. The Brooklyn man on a midnight subway who helps a weary tourist find her way to Chinatown. The Columbia University graduate student who encounters an unexpected object of beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A public place in the world's greatest city. A chance meeting of strangers. A marriage. Heart of the City tells the remarkable true stories of nine ordinary couples--from the 1940s to the present--whose matchmaker was the City of New York.

Intrigued by the romance of his own parents, who met in Washington Square Park, award-winning author Ariel Sabar set off on a far-ranging search for other couples who married after first meeting in one of New York City's iconic public spaces. Sabar conjures their big-city love stories in novel-like detail, drawing us into the hearts of strangers just as their lives are about to change forever.

In setting the stage for these surprising, funny, and moving tales, Sabar, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Awards, offers a fascinating look at the role of place in how--and whether--people meet and fall in love.

Genres: Nonfiction, Short Stories, Romance, Book Club, New York, Essays, Love

9 pages, Audio CD

First published December 13, 2010

About the author

Ariel Sabar won the National Book Critics Circle Award for his debut book, My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for his Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq (2008). His second book, Heart of the City (2011), was called a "beguiling romp" (New York Times) and an "engaging, moving and lively read" (Toronto Star). His Kindle Single, The Outsider: The Life and Times of Roger Barker (2014), was a best-selling nonfiction short. His latest book—Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife—was published to rave reviews in August 2020.

Sabar is also an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Harper's, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones, and This American Life, among many other places. He has reported from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

Sabar graduated magna cum laude from Brown University. He taught creative writing at The George Washington University and has lectured about his books and magazine stories at Johns Hopkins University, Georgetown University, the Royal Geographical Society of London, and Yale University, where he was a Poynter Fellow in Journalism. He has been interviewed about his books and articles on NPR, PBS NewsHour, and the BBC World Service.

Reviews

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of Heart of the City: Nine Stories of Love and Serendipity on the Streets of New York states what the book contains. What is important to add is that the stories are not fictional and that it is about nine couples that first met each other in NYC. We look at the beginning of their relationships, what happened to bring them together and what set their relationships off. Some are not New Yorkers, some not even Americans. The author asks if where two people first meet plays a role. Or is it just chance and serendipity? Or is it simply that one is at that point in life when one is ready for love, searching for love, looking for love and a steady relationship?

The first chapter is an essay on the importance of well-designed public spaces--their beauty, the pleasure they can bring and the role they can play in bringing people together. Each of the nine couples meet in one of the following places:
*Central Park
*Statue of Liberty
*Metropolitan Museum of Art
*Times Square
*Empire State Building
*Grand Central Terminal
*Washington Square Park
or simply
*on a street in the city
*or the subway

The couples in these biographical stories first met anywhere from the 1940s to the present day. Their circumstances vary widely. The author interviewed them first separately and then together. When what they said to each other is no longer remembered, the author has, using artistic license, made up plausible dialogues. Pseudonyms have been used for those who have so requested and for minor figures. At the end of the book there is a postscript that details what has happened to the couples after they first met. Here also are identified those who requested that pseudonyms be used.

That the author employs artistic license is an important point. It is important because he is a very good writer. The stories themselves are nothing, had they not been written with flair. Humor comes alive through the author’s chosen words. The stories are good because of the author’s talent, his writing skills. The writing is what makes the stories in this book good.

Some stories are better than others. It is quite simply intriguing to see all the different ways couples end up together. Reading one story after another, as I did, is not to be recommended. The different stories become a blur. There is a lot of information provided in each and every story, and so it is difficult to first assimilate all these facts and then keep straight one story's details from the others.

Neil Shah narrates the audiobook very well. He employs different accents. His varied intonations capture each person’s personality. Good speed and simple to follow. The narration I have given four stars. Neil Shah is an audiobook narrator I highly recommend. In the future, I will keep an eye out for other books read by him.

The postscript does not work very well in the audio format. It would have been better to tell what happens to couples in later years, immediately after each respective story.

*********************************

My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq 5 stars

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite adorable stories written in an engaging style. Sabar explores the provocative premise that being stimulated by an environment can cause people to fall in love. Or, at least, act more daring toward each other in that environment, which could lead to love.

Because of the good writing there is internal consistency (mostly). But many of the stories end quite abruptly. The introduction is far too long and rambling, as if written for the author and not for the reader. The Endnotes give some extra details and context for the stories, which really rounded it off in a better way, for me.

Unsure if I still want to try The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone after reading this one... Feels like the same book?

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

The worst part of this book was probably the rendering of Midwestern accents. Anytime someone was from the Midwest they sounded like a cross between characters in Fargo and Sarah Palin. Unfortunately the writing was often a little lackluster. Stories about people meeting in public places in New York should be compelling. They mostly weren't. My favorite part of the book was the section of the epilogue that caught up with two of the people who are now aged (and adorable) academics. One of them used to be head of library science at University of Indiana and he gave the author all these archival materials to write up his and his wife's story. That is adorable. The rest of the book was kind of blah. It is a bad sign that I first picked up this book in March and only read twenty pages. Aaand now this review is entirely too long.

[Natalie Shawver · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best parts about love stories in my opinion is learning how they start - did the couple meet through friends? Online? In line at the grocery? It's the story everyone loves to tell and the one most people never get tired of hearing. Crack open Heart of the City and you'll fall in love with these nine short stories about real couples who met at various landmarks in New York City over the past 100 years. Grand Central Station, the Empire State Building, Central Park... the list goes on and on. Some fell in love the moment they met; others it took years to realize what was in front of them. I especially loved the introduction by the author who did a deep dive into researching the science behind couples meeting - how location actually plays a bigger role than one may think. Fascinating stuff! If you're in the mood for a feel-good (and to learn a lot about NYC at the same time) read, pick this one up. You'll smile thinking of how you met your own partner and may even identify with one of the couples in the book. Perfect for February coming up, too!

[Jen K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories are introduced as a study looking at how public places foster connections between people and the aspects that draw people together. The author then collected and put together stories of people meeting in public spaces around New York leading to marriage. The stories are more retelling from the actual people than story but a really interesting idea.

[Britt · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute book with true stories of strangers finding love in NYC, but like all love stories, some are better than others. There was at least one story that I didn't even know why it was included because I wouldn't really call it a love story. I mean this lackluster guy ran away right before the wedding, but came back years later and the woman was all like "it's okay." Whereas, Joey--a homeless woman who ran away from home and was arrested for vagrancy--falling in love with a sailor was my favorite. The author's parents story of finding each other in NYC was pretty decent too. There isn't a ton of diversity in the stories and they are all straight couples, which isn't a great representation of NY. Overall, it was an easy audiobook to listen on my way to NYC for tourist stuff.

[pea. · Rating 3 out of 5]

the introduction was soo interesting... the epilouge was a nice wrap up.
the heart of the book was dull (maybe because we know the couples end up together - of course we know that with Hallmark movies too, but we will table that, for now)
alas, sociologicaly speaking, place does have an impact on the formation of relationships... even online ( gain... a blog post for a later date). it gives one something to ponder.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly recommend diving into the stories - skip the prologue/afterward. The stories were nice enough but not a wonderful as I'd hoped. Was a bit like reading the 'How we met' type columns in the newspaper.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

[Shmu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great journalism, cute sotires, cool narrative structure. Very heartwarming. (Fellow outer borough residents should beware: very Manhattan centric). Loved it!

[Josephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute! One of the few times I’ve liked short stories—and they’re true!

[Cheyenne Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

<3

[Rona · Rating 3 out of 5]

New York City is the best character in these love stories. Crowded places give opportunities. If you want to believe in serendipity, read this.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet stories and an interesting new way to look at one of the most looked-at, talked-about cities in the world. Next time I visit New York, I'll be keeping my eyes open for all those almost-sparked connections in the public spaces around me.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

You must realize how excited I was when I saw this book. I'm surprised I didn't hear more about it before it came out. But as soon as I saw it I realized it would be the perfect book to review for Valentine's Day! And every story in this book takes place in my favorite place ever!.... NYC!!

Now, I've veered far from those romantic ideals I had as a young girl and the "love stories" you find in a lot of fiction. I feel like, despite being in a very happy marriage, that I'm far too cynical to enjoy them sometimes. BUT, there is something to be said about those love stories that are true. Maybe they're more believable because they really happened? Or maybe it had just been a while and I was in the mood for some good love stories. Whatever it was, I really enjoyed this book.

In the introduction to this book, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, author Ariel Sabar, discusses how place has such a hidden force in how people meet and in what transpires from there. He also discusses a little about what makes New York City one of the greatest in the world. Inspired by his own parents' story of meeting in NYC, Sabar broke his book down into the stories of nine couples ranging from the 1940's to the 2000's who met in various parts of NYC. Some lived there at the time and others met while passing through. Each of the nine stories also takes place in a different part of NYC: Central Park, on the street, on the subway (one of my favorites!), at Grand Central Station, at the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, in Times Square (another of my favorite stories), at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and at Washington Square Park.

Each of the stories warmed even my cold, cynical heart. (Okay, I exaggerate about my coldness, but nevertheless, these stories did what they intended). Immediately after finishing each story I flipped to the back to read the postscript and find out what happened to the couple at the completion of their story of meeting. I loved how through their stories I was able to re-visit each of these famous locations. (Have I mentioned how much I love NYC!!) After reading these stories I immediately felt like writing one of my own. (I never did, but I might get around to it one of these days). Some of these couples didn't have the easiest beginnings either, but those ended up being a testament to true love and couples who were meant to be together. Basically, I loved reading each of these stories and I think you will too!

Taken from my blog at www.takemeawayreading.com

[Georgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of true stories about couples who met and started on lifelong relationships in New York City.
As with any collection, I enjoyed all the stories but some were better than others. I liked all the people in the stories, but again, some more than others I loved the setting of New York, and the variety of locations where the couples met - Central Park, Grand Central Station, on the street near Carnegie Hall, on the subway, in Times Square, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in Washington Square Park, at the Statue of Liberty and in the Empire State Building.
My favourite stories were

-Tina and Chris who met at the Statue of Liberty - Tina is a 40-something divorced woman with a son, and Chris a young German tourist

-Claire and Tom who met at the Empire State Building - both students who met for the first time through a mutual friend

-Mara and Bob who first encountered each other at the Metropolitan Museum of Art - Mara was a dancer and I can't remember what Bob did, I think he was an arts critic.

All the other stories were good, but some were a little let down for various reasons - maybe one or both of the people involved weren't as easy to like. I didn't hate any of them, but some were people who I probably would be polite to if I met them but wouldn't want as friends. Also, sadly, one story about a woman from Minnesota and a New York City cop who met in Times Square was let down by the narrator's overly-Fargo like 'midwestern' accent and the fact that one of the woman's best friends (another woman) sounded like a man!
The major letdown though was the long-winded introduction which went into far too much detail about 'environmental psychology' (the idea that our environment affects how we behave and interact with one another). I understand the importance of it to the book, but really the author could have done with just briefly explaining the concept rather than talking about it for almost an hour of listening time. That said, a lot of research had clearly gone into it. I just wanted to get to the stories! I guess this was more of a pain in the audio version than it would have been in a book version because it's easier to skip an intro in an actual book, or at least skim through so you can tell whether you want to read that part or not.

So in total, I'd give it four and a half stars, because the long winded intro let it down.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was picked by my book club, though I was planning to read it anyway. So far, about half way through, I am thoroughly enjoying it.

FINAL UPDATE

I really enjoyed this book. The author, struck by the role of Washington Square Park in his own parents' unlikely pairing, sought out stories across the decades of couples who met at NY landmarks like Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum. The result is quirky and charming. I thought the premise was adorable, the stories were interesting, and the final product was super readable.

I was quite surprised that my fellow book club members were so much less enthusiastic than I was. They grumbling that the book was contrived and smarmy, and that these couples could have met anywhere.

But I thought the stories Sabar chose did an admirable job of supporting his treatise, laid out in a lengthy introduction, about the role of places in heightening our emotions, and the particular qualities of urban spaces in creating a place where people can let their guard down and be open to connecting with someone special. Certainly several of these couples would never have met if they hadn't both been in Times Square at that moment, or visiting the Statue of Libery, or riding that train out of Grand Central Station.

I'm really glad I read it, but I'm regretting getting the Kindle version (done to save a few dollars), because it's exactly the sort of book that you like to flip through and find favorite passages, and that is much harder to do with an ebook!

ADDITIONAL NOTE: One of the book club members found a youtube video of the author speaking at The Strand bookstore in New York earlier this spring. It's about an hour long, and well worth watching, though he doesn't cover much that isn't in the book.

[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love New York and can't get enough of reading about it, this book will fit into a definite slot. Taking inspiration from his parents' first meeting in Washington Square Park, Sabar has chosen nine locations in the City and has managed to track down couples who have met in each and gone on to have fulfilling lives together. The City plays a huge part in this book, and those sections dealing with its history and the trivia about the locations make for the most compelling reading. There is a 30 page introduction on the evolution of cities and how different public spaces were created. The psychology behind a plaza, for instance. The stories themselves are uneven. Just as our own histories are only fiercely interesting to ourselves, some of the the situations presented here are not as interesting. Others are more magnetic, but they all share a sweetness, showing the respect the author has for his subjects and his respect for their privacy. For residents of New York, there is before (9/11) and after, and several of the stories reflect this dichotomy. As he says in his introduction, he presents his couples individually before the chance meetings that change their lives, and in a nice postscript, brings the reader up to date on how the couples have fared. Each story takes place in a different time, but as they are not presented chronologically, one is struck by the universality of the city and its effect on people.

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

May book club pick.

True stories of (happily) married couples who met at various famous landmarks in New York City, inspired by the author's parents, who met in Washington Square Park. I started out completely charmed by this book, I loved the idea of relationships that never would have happened if it weren't for the specific PLACE, and I loved the first relationship. But then I found myself less fond of the second (or was it third?) couple, and I became frustrated with the stories, I wanted more details. I ended the book feeling not at all convinced that the sense of place was a critical ingredient to the relationships. Yes, a few would not have happened anywhere else (the woman visiting the Statue of Liberty and befriending the German tourist, and the woman who met a NYC cop while visiting the site of the World Trade Center to research ideas for a memorial, for example), but most of them were a case of right time, right place, but only because that place was the place those two people happened to be at that particular right time. Maybe the relationship started on a train, but it could have just as easily been ANY train, or ANY museum, or ANY park ... Most of these relationships could have started in any place.

Things I liked: the couples were from a broad range of eras and backgrounds. The author did a great deal of research, so that we could really get to know each person. It was a charming premise.

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this a 3.75. I enjoy Ariel Sabar's writing. His first book My Father's Paradise is in my top ten list of books I've read the last 10 years. When I saw he had written another book even though the subject matter was much different I had to read it.
Love Stories is about how complete strangers fall in love in public places in New York. Each of the nine stories is about twenty pages and Sabar gives us a postscript of each at the end. I found the stories light and charming, although predictable. We know each of the couples are eventually going to marry because it says so in the introduction. The meat of each story is the backstory of each person and the lead up to how they eventually marry.
My favorites of the three stories were the couples who meet on the subway, at the Statue of Liberty, and at the museum of modern art. I was more captivated by these than the others because their meetings would have never taken place had they not been at these places at these given moments. The people in these three stories are from different cultures completely and yet they were drawn to each other at these magical, public places.
A drawback was the long introduction; I got the gist of what the author was saying in five pages but his research seemed to drag. This described the science involved in love and relationships. Perhaps a more scientific minded person would find this research more interesting than I did. All in all, however, a charming book.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The research done for this book was even less elegantly incorporated than in MWF Seeking BFF. A big chunk of social and environmental psychology research at the beginning comes across almost like a paper I would have written for one of my undergrad courses. It's not bad, and it's relevant to the book's general thesis examining how public spaces and emotional states contribute to human connectedness, but it doesn't scream "Give me a National Book Award!" either. And once the nine stories begin, the research disappears until a brief concluding chapter - it brings to mind the research as the cheap bun intended only to get the BLT innards into your face without getting any on your shirt. The nine couples presented in the stories, however, are varied and fascinating. The stories themselves are well-written, enjoyable, and intriguing. They are definitely worth reading. The book went by so fast, I wish Sabar had included more of them.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ariel Sabar starts out with an intriguing concept, and though his introduction explains it in a slightly dry manner, it's kind of the nature of the topic and the studies he cites are interesting. I always love hearing how people meet, so reading nine love stories was like being a fly on the wall. Except I don't know what the couples look like, and had to wait until the end to find out what happened after Sabar left off. Because of that, I had to refresh my memory on who each couple was. To his credit, he did a lot of research, so each story reads like fiction. The effect of place on relationships would be a good discussion topic. My story, however, doesn't involve place, but people. That'd be a whole 'nother book...

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love NYC and stories related to the city and this book was no exception.

Overall, I loved it. Granted, some stories I liked more than others, but thought the author did a really good job of finding interesting couples who met in NYC over a period of several decades and in a variety of public places and circumstances.

Like the real-life individuals in this book who met by accident, I found this book by accident, and was glad I did.

I even liked the very technical, and bit too-long prologue in the beginning about how our physical environments affect and impact us -- how we act, how we treat others, etc.

I'd recommend this.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a great idea. It's about public places, all in NYC, and the couples who met in them and ended up marrying.
The introduction about what factors help promote a friendly public space and what ones don't was very interesting. You know a great spot in the city when you see it but what makes you feel that?
The actual stories weren't all winners. It seems it's hard to add drama and suspense to "we met, we fell in love, we married".
The follow-up on the couples after they married was fun however.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming book showing how the principle of environmental psychology makes it easier to meet people who are thrown together in a crowded place like New York City and exploring true stories of how couples met each other in various well-known New York City landmarks (the author's parents met in Washington Square Park)--Times Square, Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Grand Central Station, Empire State Building, the subway, the street, Statue of Liberty, Washington Square Park. Would make a good Valentine's Day gift for a lover.

[Kevin McAllister · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read. Each story was sweetly romantic without being overly sappy. If there was was drawback to the stories it was that they all ended so abruptly. There was the meeting, then the courtship. But once the agreement to marry was made the narration just stopped. To make up for these abrupt endings the author include a chapter at the end of the book detailing how each couple made out with the rest of their lives. I would have rather these were weaved into each chapter rather than adding one to cover them all at the end of the book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this book 3.5 stars, if I could. I really enjoyed the introduction that explained all of the urban planning and psychology of the built environment. I also enjoyed hearing the "how they met" stories, set to the backdrop of NYC. However, knowing in advance that they all ended happily ever after sometimes made the book seem like it was lacking in depth. It was a quick read and definitely engaging, but I think the short story nature of it, made it seem like each story was shortchanged.

Would recommend it for a light read, especially if you feel any connection to NYC!

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories within this book are so well written. The author has an wonderful cadence to his writing. Each story is charming, heartwarming and uplifting. What a wonderful premise for a story; places and the people who visit them and find, by pure happenstance, the one person they will spend the rest of their life loving. This is a must read, and all the more so if you have the good fortune to live in New York City near the fabulous places in this book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-fiction, yet again. Seems like most books are non-fiction these days. I am not a big fan of short stories, but I decided to take this collection on because of it's unique approach. Stories of random meetings of people in NY city who fell in love. Overall I really liked it. Interesting, chance meetings, mostly of people who had realistic up and down relationships given the way they met. If you like NY, you will find this at the very least interesting.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nine stories about real couples who met and fell in love in NYC. There were some older stories and contemporary ones and at the end is an epilogue. The first story was the most interesting and the others never really captured the magic of that one. Some of the stories seemed less interesting than what I would overhear in a restaurant about how two people met, but the backdrop was nice and it was well written so I did finish it.