Categories: Eat & Drink; Literature & Arts

The Bookworm's Guide to New York: Part 1

By aliciak
updated 3 days ago

I am a certified bookworm, if there is such a thing, and even though I was an English major in college, worked at the library for 3 years, and prefer used-book-hunting over clothes shopping any day, I'd like to think I'm one of those cool bookworms, sans thick glasses or nerdy laugh. Or maybe I'm just delusional?

Anyway! New York is steeped in literary history and full of past footsteps of writing giants, and of course it's home to most of the major publishing houses. For Part 1 (of an undisclosed number of parts series), I'll be looking at libraries, bars with libraries, and bars with those literary footsteps.

New York Public Library-Humanities and Social Sciences

5th Avenue And 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018

This is the mother of all libraries, home to those famous lions outside and one of only 48 remaining Gutenberg Bibles inside. With elegant reading rooms and sweeping murals that trace the evolution of the written word, this particular branch isn’t the place you go to check out the latest Grisham or Lahiri.

Because I like to show visitors a good time, I always take them to the library. Hmm, that doesn’t sound right. In all seriousness, this is one of the most stunning freebies in the entire city and all bookworms must frequent it as often as possible.

The Morgan & Library Museum

29 E 36th St, New York, NY 10016

When you’re rich like the Morgans, Pierpont and J.P. that is, you get to have kick-ass libraries full of music manuscripts, Americana, old prints, and of course, books.

I will never forget my bookworm devastation when I moved to New York after college and attempted to visit the Morgan Library, only to learn that it would be renovated (and closed) for the next THREE years. Broke my little heart.

When you’re rich like the Morgans, Pierpont and J.P. that is, you get to have kick-ass libraries full of music manuscripts, Americana, old prints, and of course, books.

The Intoxicated Bookworm

What is it about reading, writing, and drinking going together so well?

Marguerite Duras once said, “No other human being, no woman, no poem or music, book or painting can replace alcohol in its power to give man the illusion of real creation.”

Damn straight, woman! Alcoholic writers are a dime a dozen, especially in New York, so it’s no surprise that it’s easy to combine books and booze in various, creative ways.

Bars with Books

You go to a bar, see shelves of books, and instantly feel more cultured for it. At least I do. And then there is something to do when a lame-o boy starts telling you about his Financial District job. Pick up a book, start reading, and he may get the hint.

The following bars have real books for your perusal, in addition to drinks and classy atmospheres. A few of them double as cigar-bars, one of the few legal ways to smoke inside a venue in New York.

Chumley's Restrnt

86 Bedford St, New York, NY 10014

Okay, I lied. Chumley’s, the old-school Prohibition-era speakeasy is full of book jackets and their authors’ portraits, most of whom wined and dined right there. Willa Cather, William Faulkner, and even John Steinbeck!

A little something about Willa Cather. This Nebraskan author is the main reason I became an avid reader. I HATED reading in high school, a teacher mentioned her name in English class, and subsequently felt stupid for never having heard of her. I marched right on down to the library after class, and never looked back. Literally. In a literary way. A bookworm was born!

Bar Martignetti

406 Broome St, New York, NY 10013

The frat-boy-turned-yuppy constituency is a little strong for my taste, but the wall of books and booths class up the joint. Except that these are clearly the Strand’s buy-by-the-foot selections and barely tempt one to steal, er, borrow.