Bookshelf

Inside New York

3127-41a

The team behind Inside New York includes (from left)
art director Jessica Sbarsky, managing editor Arlaina Tibensky,
publisher Matthew Matlack and v.p. of sales Daniel J. Greenstein,
seen here promoting the book at the Strand Bookstore.
The editor in chief was Amy Du Bois Barnett.
Looking for the wildest millennium party or the cheapest way to romance your date? Turn to Inside New York, a 365-page guidebook produced by Columbia students under the auspices of Student Enterprise Services and available not only on campus but in bookstores nationwide.

The guide is not your average cookie-cutter compilation of places to go and sights to see. From its origins as a small handbook to introduce students to neighborhoods beyond Morningside Heights, the guide has grown dramatically in size and depth in its 20-year existence. The 1999 edition features new graphics and design and new sections geared toward celebrating the eclectic spirit of New York. The writers of Inside New York strive to provide a young, hip, cutting-edge view of the city, as seen from students' perspective.

This year's edition is noteworthy for many reasons. The name change from the Columbia Guide to New York to the more universal Inside New York reflects a desire to reach a broader audience. The book's creators have successfully marketed it to companies such as Bookworld Services and the Ingram Book Group, the largest wholesale book distributor in the nation. There are 30,000 copies of the paperback in print and 24,000 now in distribution, and it has received recognition in the general media, including a very positive writeup in The New York Times in March. Customized editions of the guidebook have been produced for other schools, including Hofstra, New York Law and the School of Visual Arts.

"It's a big point in our history," said Matthew Matlack, publisher of Inside New York. "We're the No. 1 student guidebook on New York, and can easily compete with the Fodor's guide to New York by next year."

Unlike their big-budget competitors, the staff at Inside New York comprises two College juniors, Matlack and vice president of sales Daniel Greenstein, who hired the remainder of the team during production. As full-time students, juggling course loads and work on the guide book became a challenge in time management. "You've got to stay up late, which was fun for the first couple of hours," said editor in chief Amy Barnett. "But all of a sudden you hate New York and you just don't care if people from out of town get lost. But somehow, we got it all together."

The guide sells for $16.95 and is financed by the University, with all profits reinvested in the publication.

"Because we employ students, we can hire a lot more people and add a lot of fun things on the side," said Greenstein. "We can tell them to go to the more interesting parts of the city." Citing the walking tour sections for each neighborhood and interviews with local celebrities as distinguishing features, Matlack and Greenstein hope the guide will encourage readers to visit more esoteric spots as well as the traditional tourist attractions.

The book targets the visitor to New York and those who live here. "I like to think that Inside New York is truly about young New Yorkers trying to do their thing for real, which is kind of exciting," said Barnett.

Work on the 2000 edition already has begun. The writing is done in the spring and the book is printed in July for distribution in the fall. Editors plan to introduce a new section about events commemorating the millennium.

"It is our intention, for the 2000 edition, to produce the best guidebook on New York City," said Greenstein, who will serve as associate publisher of the upcoming edition.