The Others Islands of New York, in today's New York Times

Sam Roberts has a good piece on Governors Island in today's Times

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/travel/mark-di-suvero-sculptures-on-governors-island.html?scp=1&sq=sharon%20seitz&st=cse

Best of all is the graf that mentions the new edition of the book:

No wonder Sharon Seitz and Stuart Miller write in the latest edition of “The Other Islands of New York City” that while “a hassle-free (indeed, totally free) ferry ride to the beach to sip drinks beneath palm trees or take in a concert in a totally car-free environment sounds exotic” to many New Yorkers, “one of the city’s most dramatic real estate transformations has made this fantasy a marvelous reality.”

The Other Islands of New York City returns, newly revised

THE OTHER ISLANDS OF NEW YORK CITY

BY SHARON SEITZ AND STUART MILLER

THIRD EDITION, JUNE 6^TH, 2011

THE COUNTRYMAN PRESS, A W.W. NORTON IMPRINT

FOR INTERVIEWS AND PRESS COPIES CONTACT

 STUART MILLER AT SMILLER@JOURNALIST.COM OR 718-369-1534

 

            When “The Other Islands of New York City,” by Sharon Seitz and Stuart Miller, first came out in 1996, many of these islands existed outside the imagination of most New Yorkers. But the city, the state, not-for-profits, and private developers began reconnecting New Yorkers to their 578 miles of waterfront, creating exciting new waterfront parks, walking and bike paths, and water taxi service. Then people began looking beyond the water’s edge to the city’s intriguing island empire. In 2002, Seitz and Miller created a documentary for public television about the islands; in anticipation of the program, they’d updated the book in 2001.

 

            Now, the third edition of “The Other Islands” comes out June 6^th and the logical question is, of course, “Why now?” Well, when a neighbor of Seitz and Miller recently saw a rebroadcast of the documentary he said to Miller, “That must have been made a long time ago—you looked so much younger.”

After absorbing that harsh reality, the authors realized how much time had transpired since the second edition and how many of these islands have experienced transformations large or small. Roosevelt Island has undergone a building boom (for better and worse) while Floyd Bennett Field, on the former site of Barren Island, has received so much media attention that its public campsites—once empty more often than not—now require reservations weeks or months in advance.

The most dramatic change has been at Governors Island, closed to the public a decade ago but now rapidly becoming a favorite summertime getaway within the city. But it is not alone in changing. Randall’s Island, with the new Icahn Stadium and dozens of manicured ball fields, has also experienced a rebirth, while Coney Island, one of the many former islands featured in the book, has seen a revitalization of its amusement area amidst concerns about the price of redevelopment. “We’ve been working hard to increase access to both Governors Island and Randall’s Island, and more and more New Yorkers and tourists are discovering all that they have to offer,” says Mayor Michael Bloomberg, adding that, “Coney Island is back – and we’re going to ensure that the amusement district continues to get bigger and better.”

New York City's islands may not be the South Seas, but they offer something singular-- proximity to the world’s greatest city and just enough isolation to support unique identities. By recognizing how each island has evolved in relation to the city around it, we can better understand New York and even a bit about ourselves.

 

            The book itself remains unique while the story of the authors is a saga unto itself. Both native Brooklynites, Seitz and Miller met at Columbia University’s Journalism School, where Seitz won an award for her thesis on Broad Channel; they got the idea for the book after a trip to Ellis Island with Miller’s family, whose ancestors had entered America through the immigration center there.

 

            Then Seitz and Miller, who had been dating for three years, broke up. Still, Miller sold the book idea to Countryman Press and persuaded Seitz to write it with him (even as they lived in separate states and dated other people). At their book party in September, 1996, the two decided they were meant to be together and reunited. In 1998 they were married on City Island. They have worked together on other book projects since then (Seitz edited Miller’s writing of “Tenement Story,” the book of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and they co-authored the third edition of “Blue Guide: New York”). Seitz also wrote “Big Apple Safari for Families” about exploring nature within the city; she is currently a science teacher at P.S. 230 in Kensington. Miller wrote two sports books, “Where Have All Our Giants Gone?” and “The 100 Greatest Days in New York Sports.” He writes for the New York Times and other publications and teaches as an adjunct at Brooklyn College. The couple and their two sons, Caleb and Lucas, live in Brooklyn.