- Bonus Get-Together! Bookstore Crawl & Good Eats!Needs location
Let’s go on a bookstore crawl, and hit up some restaurants! This get-together is for those of us who want: 1. more than just our once-monthly meetings, 2. to explore parts of the city, 3. to glimpse some of the NYC biblio & dining scenes, 4. to socialize and make new friends, and 5. to stock up our TBRs, especially beach reads for our upcoming summer vacations. A map with the locations numbered is attached to this event.
Some quick notes followed by the itinerary:
1. You don’t have to stick to the whole schedule, it’s to give you a gauge of where we’ll probably be and when. Join us when you want and leave when you want, skip ahead or lag behind, buy more than you can carry or nothing at all.
2. Some of these shops are small and others very large, hence the differences in the estimated time spent at each. Travel time is what’s allotted between locations based on Google Map’s walking estimates. *Also note, nearly all of these locations are near subway & bus stops if that’s your travel preference.*
3. We’ve picked three places to grab food and drinks. Their times in the below itinerary are definitely set in stone. All of them recommend reservations. So if you want to join the group for lunch, dinner, and/or drinks afterward, please RSVP to co-organizers Jason or Maria by May 15th. You can DM us here on Meetup. Please RSVP with 99% certainty that you can meet up—and hey, things come up, and if they do just send us an un-RSVPing DM as soon as you know.
Unless the weather is extreme, we’ll be having this crawl rain or shine, so plan accordingly. This description will be edited with any relevant updates regarding other situations as well, such as if a store closes.
The Itinerary:
- McNally Jackson Seaport. 10:00 – 10:45 am. In the historic South Street Seaport area, it’s 2 floors in a 200-year-old building with books and armchairs galore. *This shop has a café.
- The Mysterious Bookshop. 11:15 – 11:45 am. World-famous niche independent bookstore and press, specializing in new and rare mystery & suspense fiction. Check out their Sherlock Holmes wall! Otto, the owner, is a famous editor in his own right.
- The Grey Dog – Nolita. 12:15 – 1:15 pm. Lunchtime! Serves simple, wholesome American food and great drinks. Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is vibrant.
- Goods for the Study — Nolita. 1:15 – 1:35 pm. For all you writers! A stationery boutique and pen shop, you’ll find tons of writing instruments, office accessories, and paper goods.
- Housing Works — SoHo. 1:45 – 2:15 pm. This non-profit has sales from its donated stock go to fighting AIDS & homelessness. They accept donations if you want to trade-in! *This shop has a café.
- Pillow-Cat Books. 2:30 – 3:00 pm. This niche independent is the city’s first animal-themed bookshop! New, used, vintage, and antique books & goodies await. Might just see a real animal too!
- Barnes & Noble Union Square. 3:30 – 4:45 pm. The famous chain’s most famous location, and #1 spot for author-spottings in the city! *This store has a café.
- Lillie’s Victorian Union Square. 5:00 – 6:15 pm. Dinnertime! A little early, but we’ll beat the crowd. Eat & drink in a sumptuous Victorian setting. Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is laid-back chic.
- The Strand. 6:30 – 8:00 pm. The crown jewel! The city’s most famous bookstore. 18 miles of books, clothes, and more, spread across 3 floors. The last of the many, many Book Row bookshops. You can trade-in books here. *This shop has a café.
- The Ready Rooftop Bar. 8:00 pm – whenever. Celebratory drinks! (RSVP for this as well.) Do you still have energy? Really?! Well, we're still young after all. This rooftop bar has become a popular nightlife spot. Let’s celebrate a day well-spent with great friends!
The Event Chat will be running so you can contact the group at any time. Any questions you have, send them to Jason or Maria! Hope to see you out!