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…
Jackson Heights, Queens, for Many Languages
General, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Neighborhoods
This is a fantastically polyglottal community in northwestern Queens. Take the subway to Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street and you will find yourself in possibly the most diverse community in the world. You can hear massive amounts of Spanish along…
Rizzoli Bookstore
English, French, General, Italian, Spanish, Bookstores/Libraries, Kids
This is a truly gorgeous bookstore with a wonderful selection of books—in English, Italian, Spanish, and French. There are not many stores in New York with a meaningful supply of foreign-language books. This is one, and it seems to…
Queen Sofía Spanish Institute
Spanish, Museums/Cultural, Classes/Conversation, Kids
Founded in 1954, this organization “promotes the understanding of Spanish culture, past and present, and its influence in the Americas through a variety of programs.” These include exhibitions, lectures (including medical ones!), book presentations, symposia, classes, and more. It is housed…
The Hispanic Society of America
Portuguese, Spanish, Museums/Cultural
Located on the southern border of Washington Heights in Manhattan, this organization has a free museum and reference library, dedicated to “the study of the arts and cultures of Spain, Portugal, and Latin America.”
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.…
Elmhurst, Queens, for Spanish
Spanish, Neighborhoods
Elmhurst abuts Jackson Heights, possibly the most diverse neighborhood in the world, and you can see and hear many languages around here. For a 2010 field trip, I visited specifically because I had heard there was a significant Colombian community. And…
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Spanish, Neighborhoods
Spanish is everywhere in Washington Heights. Located in the northern end of Manhattan, the neighborhood has 155th Street as its southern border and Dyckman Street as its northern. The Hispanic Society of America is at Audubon Terrace at 155th…
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…