New York City is a bustling place filled with thousands of delicious eateries, trendy shops, unique boutiques, and beautiful parks. All these places are nothing short of wonderful, but sometimes after spending hours in the crazy crowds you need somewhere to escape and the best place to do this is between the shelves of The Strand Bookstore.
Located at 828 Broadway and 12th Street, this marvelous bookstore’s four floors hold over 18 miles of books, millions of adventures for you to embark on. While the number of books displayed in The Strand is breathtaking, the diversity of these books is even more exceptional. The bookstore has new, used, and rare books available for sale, and many of these are very unique. For just one title, you could find three or more different versions of the novel on the shelf. Some of the books are even signed by the author! As The Strand buys many of their books from everyday people like you and me, these books essentially contain two stories. Each book primarily holds the story written within the pages, the story the author intended us, readers, to enjoy. Yet, each and every book holds its own story of its travels near and far, across the country and across the sea, which somehow brought the book to The Strand.
Whether you love young adult novels or prefer the timeless stories of classic novels, there is a book here for everybody. There are books printed in dozens of languages, travel guides to countries across the world, and poetry anthologies filled with verses of excitement, love, and lust. The bottom floor of the store even has a whole array of nonfiction titles ranging from wildlife encyclopedias all the way to psychology case studies. If you love seeing your favorite novels turned into movies, you will be delighted to learn the Amsterdam bench from the film adaptation of John Green’s "The Fault In Our Stars" has found its new home on the fourth floor of The Strand, so you can take a seat in the same place where Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort brought the beloved characters of Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters to life. Before you leave, make sure to check out the assortment of clothing, stationary, kitchenware and totes for sale so you can show the world your love for reading and your newfound love for The Strand.
As if the books in the store were not mysterious enough, the people you encounter in this bookstore are nothing short of wondrous. Take a walk from the entrance to the classics section, and in those few steps, you will hear conversations in various languages from across the world. You will see people of all different styles and personalities, hair colors you never knew existed, and, of course, fashion trends just waiting to boom. All these different individuals brought together by the magic of reading and the spectacular feeling of belonging you can only find in The Strand.
The Strand is an adventure every New Yorker and every visitor should try his or her best to experience. Whether you read 12 books a month or barely get through a book each year, you will discover a new appreciation for the wonder of books and a new view of the world around you.
