T+L Reports: City Guidebooks

Like highbrow Cliffs Notes, the new Art/Shop/Eat guides (Norton, $13.95 each) distill cities down to their cultural basics. Each slender book—there are 13 in the series—walks travelers through major museums and galleries, and then leads them to nearby stores and restaurants. The photo-filled primers also include transportation advice, maps, and an appendix highlighting the important artists of each destination.