Reviews
Hundreds of resources to help you teach yourself
Idlewild Books
French, Italian, Spanish, Bookstores/Libraries, Kids
This Chelsea bookstore, which opened in 2008, radiates bibliophilia. You can buy books in French, Spanish, or Italian here, and also take classes at the store in any of those three languages. The owner, David Del Vecchio, previously worked at the…
Nom Wah Tea Parlor
Mandarin, Food and Drink
This place is on the coolest of old Chinatown streets, but it seems to me to be the victim of its own popularity. The last time I was there, the wait staff were the only Chinese people in the place,…
Your First 100 Words in Arabic: Beginner’s Quick & Easy Guide to Demystifying Arabic Script
Arabic, Books, Flashcards, Vocabulary
This book by Mahmoud Gaafar is one of a series of similarly titled books for various languages. The concept for the series comes from Jane Wightwick (who also wrote the Easy Arabic Grammar reviewed in this directory).
La Maison Française of New York University
French, Museums/Cultural, Conferences/Lectures
Founded in 1959 and housed in a 19th-century red-brick carriage house, La Maison Française offers lectures, symposia, films, exhibits, and other French cultural events. It is described on its website as “the most active center of French-American cultural and intellectual…
Spanish Language Meetup Groups
Spanish, Classes/Conversation, Social
Yeah, you could go to a Meetup group for Spanish. Alternatively, in various parts of the country, you could simply walk outside your building or down the block. Spanish is so common in New York that I guess I personally…
The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine
Mandarin, Books, Sports/Fitness
The Web That Has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine by Ted Kaptchuk will not teach you Chinese, but it has Chinese words in it! I read it as part of my foray into Chinese culture. I am…