Moses Gates is an urban planner, licensed New York City tour guide, and visiting Assistant Professor of Demography at Pratt Institute. About half of humanity now lives in cities and by 2050, it is predicted that 70 percent of the world's population will be in urban areas, according to United Nations predictions. In this sprightly book, the energetic Gates and various traveling companions start in their home base in New York City and then visit the "hidden" places in a variety of metropolises around the world. The author sees these trips as adventures and, for him, each city is a theatre where the stage and the activities are different.
In New York City, Gates has a ball exploring hidden aspects of the city such as abandoned buildings and climbing around the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges. Like the graffiti artists, he likes to break rules and regulations created by bureaucrats.
Whether wandering in Roman ruins, trespassing into Stonehenge, or surveying Paris from atop the Notre Dame Cathedral, we sense the excitement Gates feels as an urban adventure seeker looking for treasure underground or out of sight.
This paperback is a delight for city lovers like ourselves who just can't get enough information about urban centers around the world. We learn that Gramercy Park is the last private park in Manhattan, that the remains of nearly 6 million Parisians can be seen in the catacombs of Paris, that Naples is not a city that gives up its secrets to outsiders, and that Rio de Janeiro is a great place to chill out and have some fun.
