Charles Hemstreet's 1899 guide to lower Manhattan, Nooks and Corners of Old New York, is a tour of the oldest part of the city that is still enjoyable because its interest lies in the past. Landmarks it mentions have gone, but the stories survive. Bowling Green, the small park at the southern end of Broadway, was once much larger and was the centre of sports for colonists. It was the scene of many historic events, and its iron railing was put up before the Revolution. Such walking guides show how a city's stories are layered.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.