New York always holds a special place in my heart. Despite not being able to write ballads to it since I am the worst at rhyme and song, I can definitely write blog post upon blog post about the city. Since I live within commuting distance, I used to spend days there and recently, I found myself there again, this time with a friend from college. It was the most impromptu of trips, planned in a storm of text messages and soon, we whisked ourselves off.
There’s something calming having friends who love books. I have a knack for finding them somehow and I was elated that were going to the Strand. I love going to independent bookstores, which comes to no surprise to readers as I mention it quite a lot. Last year, I found myself at the Central Park stand for the Strand, where I bought The Lover’s Dictionary. I’ve been meaning to go to the Strand on Broadway for a while now, but never got the chance until today.
It’s the ultimate book lover’s paradise, with three whole floors jam-packed with books, old and new. The best part of the Strand is that many of the prices are below list price and the sale books often contain really great finds. I ended up spending a lot at the Strand #sorrynotsorry and I picked up a couple of books for friends as well.
Afterwards, we rested for a bit at Union Square park, where we admired the passing scenery and mostly just breathing in the air. We spent hours like that, occasionally munching on our bread that we got in Chinatown bakeries. Ah, life.
Do you have favorite places to go? Places that you feel comfortable in?
