Strand Bookstore

I love, I love, I LOVE Strand!!!! It’s my favorite bookstore in the world!

You can’t go anywhere in NY without seeing someone with one of their canvas STRAND bags.

Just go already!

...and decided to make a day of it. So, having heard of this place through 43places I put it on my itinerary. As with most bookstores the visit had a bittersweet flavor. So many books I knew I couldn’t have and didn’t have time to read. Just as well that there is nothing really comparable close to me. I would get in trouble. I picked up a couple classics for solace and went on my way.

I saw the Stiglitz talk in October while my parents were visiting with my mum. I also bought some second hand books to use for a paper I was writing, and a copy of overheard in new york, whose website I visit frequently. I’m thinking about buying one of their bags, but I’m mulling it over.

I love The Strand so very much that I have to avoid it. The mere sight of it makes my wallet lighter.

I explored every nook and cranny in the Strand when I first visited its “18 miles of books”. What I discovered is that it is full of, well, mediocre books. Perhaps I’m spoiled on books I hear about through friends, or which receive heavy promotion and good categorization at Barnes & Noble, but my experience at the Strand is that you’ll spend hours and hours there: looking for a decent book.

That said, if you’re a book lover who:
a) knows exactly what book you want
b) has read all of the popular books already
c) enjoy more obscure texts
then you’ll probably love it.

i probably could have wasted several hours here if i hadn’t had an antsy friend along with me, so i limited it to about 45 min (i think). i need to go back and seriously scour the racks, though!

It is definitely true that you can spend hours and hours here. I actually didn’t have enough time to look at everything. It’s a cool place, and I am a great book lover, but it’s a little bit overrated. But maybe that’s just because I didn’t have enough time. It was definitely worth a visit! I did end up buying a couple of books for extremely cheap.

... and irresitible.

MY FAVOURITE PLACE ON EARTH.
No lie.