The new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on 5th Avenue is fun to explore. The rooftop terrace is a great place to sit with a coffee from the cafe and people watch or read.
Jun 11Liked by Melissa Joulwan, Mel Joulwan & Dave Humphreys
I've never been to NYC, but hopefully, I can check it off my travel list next year. Until then, I can't wait to read all the recommendations in this thread. :)
Even though I am only a 4.5 hr bus ride away from my home in ( very southern)Maine, I haven’t been to NYC since 2017. Time to go back!
I enjoy going to the Strand bookstore- which is about a 5 minute walk from the Union Square Farmers’ Market. I Saturday morning eating my way through the market and then head to the Strand. It’s a good way to start the weekend in the city. There’s some good people watching there too.
The Strand often has lines in the downtown location you mention, but I think you’ll agree with me that it’s soooo much fun to stand three with a coffee talking to the people editing around you! You can meet all kinds of characters!
The picture above is my favorite- the New York Public Library! The reading room is amazing to view, the architecture and special exhibits (Dickens was up when I visited in 2018), and the map room!
Where to begin…Kitchen Arts & Letters (the BEST cookbook bookstore), McNally Jackson, Books Are Magic, Sweet Pickle Books, The Strand (obviously). I also love to find obscure books within boutiques, rather than in book-specific stores…you never know what you’ll find!
I can’t believe “Three Lives” in Greenwich Village hasn’t been mentioned! (Was it mentioned in the podcast? I haven’t had a chance to listen yet…).
Three Lives is tiny compared to The Strand, but absolutely packed with tempting reads on wooden shelves. The first time I was there, a bookseller was on the phone with a customer who wanted him to pick out a birthday book for her grandson. He asked a few questions about his age, personality, likes and dislikes, and then said he’d take care of the book - pick it out, wrap it, charge it to her, and send it over. That bookseller has my DREAM JOB…)
I’m a 3rd generation New Yorker; the first generation were immigrants. I hope you always feel welcome!! Check the Outer Boroughs, too. Don’t think we’re abrupt please; we’re just caught up in the energy!! So much to see and do here 🍎🗽
I love NY history. My favorite, and highly recommended, way to be swept away in the fascinating past is the listen to The BOWERY BOYS podcast and take their various neighborhood guided Walking Tours. Have fun!
If you’re in NYC and at all bookish, I HIGHLY recommend scheduling a FREE one-hour tour of the NY Public Library!! It was absolutely fascinating and the docents are all beyond knowledgeable. Super easy to sign up online to reserve a spot and visitors of all ages enjoyed the tour I went on. Plus I think I spent more money on souvenirs (including books!) in the NYPL gift shop on the way out 😍
I forgot to include something in my post above - I’m sure I forgot many things. But, the statue of Balto in Central Park was a favorite place for my daughter when she was younger. She read a book about Balto in 1st grade and was fascinated with this amazing dog. You can find the statue (https://www.centralpark.com/things-to-do/attractions/balto/) it’s close to the children’s zoo.
The Balto statue was always our favorite meeting place--anytime we were meeting up with someone, it was always at Balto. It was also where we watched the NYC Marathon from. Love it!
I apologize if it is on the podcast as I haven't listened yet, BUT we are heading to NYC this summer and finally going to hit one of the top places on my hit list that I have heard great things about:
Definitely, definitely eat in the cafe — or at least have a nice sit and something to drink — and leave plenty of time for the bookshop. It's fantastic! Have so much fun! —Mel
I live in Astoria Queens, so my neighborhood bookshop is Astoria bookshop. But I also LOVE LOVE LOVE Book Culture in LIC! So worth the subway trip. (It’s also right next to the Japanese import store so I spend way too much on these trips)
I always enjoy visiting the Strand bookstore in Greenwich Village. It’s like a labyrinth made of bookshelves! I once went to the New York Public Library’s after hours happy hour and keep meaning to go again. When my daughter was younger, we once stopped at the Plaza Hotel because the Eloise books are set there, and there’s an Eloise-themed shop.
Jun 17·edited Jun 17Liked by Mel Joulwan & Dave Humphreys
I have been to NYC three times, twice for business meetings, and once to see a Broadway play. I went to exactly zero bookshops each time :( but did pop into the New York Public Library to say hi to the guardian lions and see a photography exhibit. When I went for the Broadway play, bookstores were high on the to-do list, but the City experienced an unecpected tornado (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Brooklyn_tornado) and downtown ground to a halt. The subway was flooded, windows were smashed out, and roofing pieces littered the sidewalks. We mostly sat in cafes and ate, which was not the worst disaster in the world. Also WE WALKED. EVERYWHERE. So no book stories for me. Lots of food, though.
Tornado! I did not have that on my 'visit NYC' bingo card! So glad you at least got to visit the NYPL. The universe definitely owes you another trip to New York. —Mel
I visit NYC annually to see my daughter in NJ. I recently added the Ripped Bodice to my list of places to visit now I have to add Word Brooklyn as well!
Try Fishs Eddy for interesting dishware to go with the books! Bonnie Slotnik’s cookbooks is another great find. You can wander the East Village and stumble in so many briny bookstores!
The new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on 5th Avenue is fun to explore. The rooftop terrace is a great place to sit with a coffee from the cafe and people watch or read.
https://www.nypl.org/locations/snfl/event-center
I first read this as "Nachos" - I definitely want to check it out regardless of nachos. :)
OMG. Books + nachos = 100% yes.
I’ll have to try this!
I've never been to NYC, but hopefully, I can check it off my travel list next year. Until then, I can't wait to read all the recommendations in this thread. :)
Even though I am only a 4.5 hr bus ride away from my home in ( very southern)Maine, I haven’t been to NYC since 2017. Time to go back!
I enjoy going to the Strand bookstore- which is about a 5 minute walk from the Union Square Farmers’ Market. I Saturday morning eating my way through the market and then head to the Strand. It’s a good way to start the weekend in the city. There’s some good people watching there too.
Thanks for a great episode!
Glad you liked the show! Books + snacks from the farmers' market is a pretty unbeatable combo.
The Strand often has lines in the downtown location you mention, but I think you’ll agree with me that it’s soooo much fun to stand three with a coffee talking to the people editing around you! You can meet all kinds of characters!
“I begin Saturday….” Ugh typos. 🤦
The picture above is my favorite- the New York Public Library! The reading room is amazing to view, the architecture and special exhibits (Dickens was up when I visited in 2018), and the map room!
YES to the Reading Room. What a space!
Where to begin…Kitchen Arts & Letters (the BEST cookbook bookstore), McNally Jackson, Books Are Magic, Sweet Pickle Books, The Strand (obviously). I also love to find obscure books within boutiques, rather than in book-specific stores…you never know what you’ll find!
I forgot about Kitchen Arts & Letters! And I want to go to Books Are Magic very much.—Mel
They host great author talks, I love to catch them on YouTube!
I saw one online with Marie-Helene Bertino that was so joyous and wonderful.
I love Kitchen Arts and Letters. Lots of to explore.
I can’t believe “Three Lives” in Greenwich Village hasn’t been mentioned! (Was it mentioned in the podcast? I haven’t had a chance to listen yet…).
Three Lives is tiny compared to The Strand, but absolutely packed with tempting reads on wooden shelves. The first time I was there, a bookseller was on the phone with a customer who wanted him to pick out a birthday book for her grandson. He asked a few questions about his age, personality, likes and dislikes, and then said he’d take care of the book - pick it out, wrap it, charge it to her, and send it over. That bookseller has my DREAM JOB…)
What an excellent story about Three Lives!
We only had time to mention two bookshops in the podcast. Did you know there are 250+ in NYC?!
When you put it that way, visiting them all sounds like #LifeGoals!
I’m a 3rd generation New Yorker; the first generation were immigrants. I hope you always feel welcome!! Check the Outer Boroughs, too. Don’t think we’re abrupt please; we’re just caught up in the energy!! So much to see and do here 🍎🗽
I love NY history. My favorite, and highly recommended, way to be swept away in the fascinating past is the listen to The BOWERY BOYS podcast and take their various neighborhood guided Walking Tours. Have fun!
If you’re in NYC and at all bookish, I HIGHLY recommend scheduling a FREE one-hour tour of the NY Public Library!! It was absolutely fascinating and the docents are all beyond knowledgeable. Super easy to sign up online to reserve a spot and visitors of all ages enjoyed the tour I went on. Plus I think I spent more money on souvenirs (including books!) in the NYPL gift shop on the way out 😍
Strong agree! We loved that tour so much, and the gift shop is dreamy. I wanted everything. —Mel
I forgot to include something in my post above - I’m sure I forgot many things. But, the statue of Balto in Central Park was a favorite place for my daughter when she was younger. She read a book about Balto in 1st grade and was fascinated with this amazing dog. You can find the statue (https://www.centralpark.com/things-to-do/attractions/balto/) it’s close to the children’s zoo.
That Balto statue is amazing!
The Balto statue was always our favorite meeting place--anytime we were meeting up with someone, it was always at Balto. It was also where we watched the NYC Marathon from. Love it!
I apologize if it is on the podcast as I haven't listened yet, BUT we are heading to NYC this summer and finally going to hit one of the top places on my hit list that I have heard great things about:
https://www.themorgan.org/
I love libraries. Super sad that we didn't make it for the Beatrix Potter exhibit that just closed.
Oh, Jason. You are going to LOVE the Morgan.
We talked about it in our new NYC podcast episode: https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2024-06-07-new_york_city/
And in our episode about Libraries:
https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2020-09-21-library/
Here's a post I wrote after visiting there:
https://strongsenseofplace.com/2019/11/04/the-splendor-of-the-morgan-library-in-new-york-city/
Definitely, definitely eat in the cafe — or at least have a nice sit and something to drink — and leave plenty of time for the bookshop. It's fantastic! Have so much fun! —Mel
I live in Astoria Queens, so my neighborhood bookshop is Astoria bookshop. But I also LOVE LOVE LOVE Book Culture in LIC! So worth the subway trip. (It’s also right next to the Japanese import store so I spend way too much on these trips)
I'm marking some of these stores for a future NYC trip but I don't understand what is LIC??? A bookstore next to an import store sounds perfect.
Long Island City!
https://www.bookculture.com/
I always enjoy visiting the Strand bookstore in Greenwich Village. It’s like a labyrinth made of bookshelves! I once went to the New York Public Library’s after hours happy hour and keep meaning to go again. When my daughter was younger, we once stopped at the Plaza Hotel because the Eloise books are set there, and there’s an Eloise-themed shop.
Oh, Eloise! How sweet. Love it. Mel
I have been to NYC three times, twice for business meetings, and once to see a Broadway play. I went to exactly zero bookshops each time :( but did pop into the New York Public Library to say hi to the guardian lions and see a photography exhibit. When I went for the Broadway play, bookstores were high on the to-do list, but the City experienced an unecpected tornado (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Brooklyn_tornado) and downtown ground to a halt. The subway was flooded, windows were smashed out, and roofing pieces littered the sidewalks. We mostly sat in cafes and ate, which was not the worst disaster in the world. Also WE WALKED. EVERYWHERE. So no book stories for me. Lots of food, though.
Tornado! I did not have that on my 'visit NYC' bingo card! So glad you at least got to visit the NYPL. The universe definitely owes you another trip to New York. —Mel
Nobody has 'Tornado' on their NYC Bingo Card.
I visit NYC annually to see my daughter in NJ. I recently added the Ripped Bodice to my list of places to visit now I have to add Word Brooklyn as well!
Oh, how fun! Tell them Strong Sense of Place sent you :-) —Mel
McNally Jackson on the Seaport! Beautiful spot for a beautiful store.
Try Fishs Eddy for interesting dishware to go with the books! Bonnie Slotnik’s cookbooks is another great find. You can wander the East Village and stumble in so many briny bookstores!