NYC Storefronts: Illustrations of the Big Apples Best-Loved Spots

This whimsical love letter to the Big Apple’s most cherished and intriguing shops is a timeless celebration of New York’s diversity, energy, resilience, and weirdness.

Every New Yorker has a favorite place to shop--whether it’s for pizza or flowers, to grab a beer, or slurp down soup dumplings.

When the coronavirus crisis hit in 2020, illustrator Joel Holland began drawing storefronts near his apartment as a way of memorializing an element of city life that seemed suddenly precarious. He posted them on Instagram and they quickly drew an avid following. Eventually, Holland’s collection grew to include shops recommended by friends or strangers online.

This book showcases 225 of his delightful illustrations and runs the gamut, from delis and bodegas to dive bars, bookstores, bakeries, newsstands, cafés, restaurants and more. Each image is paired with engaging text written by journalist David Dodge and filled with the historical, cultural, and architectural details that have earned these stores a place in people’s hearts. Also included is a foreword by beloved Instagrammer New York Nico, who is known for chronicling the city’s independent businesses.

The perfect gift for New Yorkers of all ages--as well as an insider’s guide to everything from dim sum to late-night jazz--this treasury of iconic shops belongs in the library of anyone who loves NYC.

David Dodgeis a freelance writer and journalist covering travel, LGBT+ issues, politics, culture and more for outlets including the New York Times, Travel + Leisure, the Advocate, Glass Magazine, Huffington Post, Luxury Magazine and more. He is the co-author of Prestel’s 2021 book Sassy Planet.

Joel Holland is an internationally recognized illustrator living in New York City with his wife and two daughters. His work has been exhibited in New York, London, and Tokyo and has been recognized by American Illustration, Communication Arts and Print Magazine. He has worked with a broad client base including Apple, ESPN, McDonald’s, the New York Times, the New Yorker, New York Magazine, The New York Lottery, Chronicle Books, Quirk Books, Penguin Random House, McCann NY, and Starr Restaurant Group. Holland recently provided the hand-lettering for the cover of Richard Osman’s successful book The Thursday Murder Club.

Nicolas Heller (Foreword) is best known for his Instagram account @newyorknico which currently has 693,000 followers and counting. There, he documents some of the city’s most strange and interesting characters on the street. He has been dubbed ’The unofficial talent scout of New York City.’ During the pandemic, he has parlayed this into helping out struggling businesses through crowdfunding. He recently partnered with the MTA to re-record the announcements made throughout the city’s subway system to be voiced by iconic New Yorkers, such as Jerry Seinfeld and Whoopi Goldberg. He is the son of graphic designer and author Steven Heller.