The NYC Coloring Book

Forget the Statue of Liberty and Times Square. Here, Joel Holland—whose popular storefront books have captured the character of New York, London, and Paris—offers a vision of the city locals cherish and visitors rarely see in guidebooks. From the Grand Central Oyster Bar’s tiled arches to a bodega cat perched beside a bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwich, these pages celebrate the textures, flavors, and quirks that make New York truly unmistakable. Holland’s intricate line drawings capture both awe-inspiring architectural moments and intimate details: pizza parlors and bookstores, subway interiors and street vendor carts, the Strand’s sidewalk bins and the Elizabeth Street Garden’s hidden greenery. Some spreads focus on a single iconic location, while others compile thematic collections—for example, different forms of public transit, museum façades, or the flavors of Chinatown. Each illustration spans both sides of thick, high-quality paper designed to prevent bleed-through with colored pencils, markers, or gel pens. Holland opens the book with a personal introduction about his relationship with the city, followed by his expert recommendations for coloring tools. The back includes thumbnail images with captions identifying every location. This is Manhattan as it’s meant to be experienced—one colored-in corner at a time.