Reviews
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Schoenhof’s Foreign Books
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Yiddish, Websites, Bookstores/Libraries, Kids
Founded in 1856, Schoenhof’s claims to have the “largest collection of foreign books in North America.” As a student at Harvard, I used to shop at their main store in Harvard Square for my language and literature course materials. I…
Kinokuniya Bookstore
Japanese, Bookstores/Libraries, Shopping, Kids
This enormous three-level Japanese bookstore is centrally located in the middle of Manhattan. Kinokuniya’s wares are not confined to books. The store also sells magazines. It sells comics (lots). It sells stationery. It sells gift items. A café…
Cha-An Tea House
Japanese, Food and Drink
For a relaxing cup of tea, you might consider this attractive East Village tea house. It is owned by T.I.C. Group, which also owns an insane number of other Japanese restaurants in the immediate area. For…
Japan Society
Japanese, Museums/Cultural, Classes/Conversation, Kids
For New Yorkers interested in Japanese language and culture, the Japan Society is a remarkable resource. Events here embrace many spheres of human activity: politics, finance, food (I even noticed a talk on the power of miso!), music, and more. …
Tenri Cultural Institute
Japanese, Museums/Cultural, Classes/Conversation, Kids
Tenri’s mission is to “promote the study of Japanese language and the appreciation of international art forms.” Located in Greenwich Village, it offers classes, exhibits, and performing-arts events.
Central Park
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Yiddish, Parks, Kids
Central Park draws international visitors year round, but if you really want to hear other languages, walk around here during the three non-freezing seasons: spring, summer, and fall. Summer especially is crazy with tourists. You can hear dozens of languages.…
Katagiri
Japanese, Food and Drink
This store claims to be the oldest Japanese grocery in the United States! The space itself, on 59th Street between Second and Third avenues, is not all that big, but an employee told me people call in orders from around…
Midoriya
Japanese, Food and Drink
Midoriya is a Japanese mini-mart in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They sell all kinds of Japanese foodstuffs, kitchen items, and other miscellaneous useful things. It is clean, bright, and cheerful—one of the tidiest little stores I have ever seen in New…
Älskling
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Shopping, Kids
Älskling, which means “darling” in Swedish, sells baby clothes online in dozens of languages. When I first encountered this product in an Upper West Side shop some years ago, I was fortunate enough to be given a tour by…