Whether you love its pace or are mystified by its immensity, New York City has a seemingly limitless capacity to spark both refreshingly blunt observations and eloquent descriptions of its daily life and motion. It has inspired countless artists, musicians, and even politicians, all of whom embody the essence of the city: profound, prophetic, quirky, amusing, tough, and amazingly varied.

Inside you’ll find words of wisdom from a plethora of noteworthy New Yorkers, including:

Joe Namath

Donald Trump

Edie Falco

Woody Allen

Marilyn Monroe

Joan Rivers

Rudy Giuliani

Bette Midler

Spike Lee

And many, many more!

New York boasts a cast of colorful characters like nowhere else, and in The Little Red Book of New York Wisdom they’ll tell you all about their beloved home, as only real New Yorkers could.