“In this insightful book, Marc Aronson invites a new generation of readers to explore the island where New York City was born. Imaginatively conceived, vividly written, and creatively illustrated, Four Streets and a Square is a rewarding read.”
Robert W. Snyder, Manhattan Borough Historian Professor emeritus, Rutgers University-Newark
“Anyone who loves New York will love Four Streets and a Square. It is gorgeously illustrated and chock full of fascinating facts about every period of the city’s history.”
“Marc infuses every fascinating page with a palpable love for the city itself – its chaos, its culture, its history, and its inherent drama. This book should be required reading for anyone who has ever stepped foot on the isle of Manhattan, and everyone else who aspires to.”
David Rockwell, architect and designer of spaces throughout Manhattan
“Marc Aronson has written a delightful history of New York City. Four Streets and a Square is a tribute to the city he loves, but one honest enough not to shy away from its conflicts and challenges over the years. Insightful, provocative, and fascinating, this is a read full of fresh discoveries no matter how much you may already think you know about New York.”
— Kevin Baker, author of The Fall of a Great American City, New York and the Urban Crisis of Affluence.
“What happened when a jam-packed, noisy, messy, dynamic city opened its arms to immigrants, peoples of various races, religions, ethnicities, and sexual orientations? What incidents turned one small island into a smorgasbord of music, art, theater, and finance to create a culture uniquely American? Well, New York City happened. This historical account is deftly portrayed in Marc Aronson’s fascinating Four Streets and a Square.”
— Susan Kuklin, author of In Search of Safety: Voices of Refugees
“Once again historian Marc Aronson does his research and delivers.”
— Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, author of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner, No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller