Idlewild Books is a travel bookstore and langauge school which was located on 12 W. 19th Street but recently moved to 7th Avenue in the West Village. They were in the process of unpacking some of the boxes and arranging the space when we visited, but they were open for business and customers were streaming in. As with their older location, books are arranged by continent and country, with each section offering guidebooks, fiction, and nonfiction. They also sell gift items (a selection of maps and cards), and offer language classes (all levels) on site in French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
The decibel level during our visit registered a very quiet 65.6 decibels even with several customers browsing and chatting. Because language classes will now be held in dedicated classrooms in the back of the space, visiting while class is in session should be fairly quiet.
If you are looking for books about a specific country or region, or just want to get inspiration for your next vacation, Idlewild Books is not to be missed.
HOURS
Monday through Thursday: 12:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
LOCATION
WEBSITE