Bruce Kessler

Suburban Pilgrim Bruce Kessler

New York is a city which has drawn its character from a rich and varied history of the ethnicity's which built it. When I was growing up in Queens, this feeling was still strong and many of its neighborhoods were still enclaves of individual ethnicity. After years of living away in a suburb, we found we missed the vitality of New York and its neighborhoods. Some of this renewal of interest was spurred by my wife's long work in genealogical research: both of our families had deep roots in the city. In my case, it went back to 1855 and involved four generations in the NYPD. We return many times a year, exploring neighborhoods, examining their history, and finding good places to eat. The food is often based in the former ethnicity of the neighborhood. I have been met with great interest in our forays and asked how others may duplicate them. This book is a compilation of our itinerary's, describing areas to go, what to see, and where to dine for suburban pilgrims.