Reviews
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Spanish Harlem, Manhattan
Spanish, Neighborhoods
This neighborhood covers a large swathe of Manhattan, from East 96th Street between Fifth Avenue and the East River up to 142nd Street. Among its diverse population are people with Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Dominican roots. El Museo del Barrio,…
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Hebrew, Polish, Spanish, Neighborhoods
Spanish, Hebrew, and Polish—for starters—can be found in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There are plenty of other languages floating around, but these three (excluding hipster language) are the ones I personally have seen the most of. I strongly recommend a…
Loisaida, Manhattan
Spanish, Neighborhoods
Loisaida Avenue is an alternative name for Avenue C between 14th Street and Houston. The name “Loisaida” is supposedly Spanglish for Lower East Side, but I haven’t been able to confirm that to my satisfaction. The area is heavily…
El Museo del Barrio
Spanish, Museums/Cultural, Kids
The mission of El Museo del Barrio is to “present and preserve the art and culture of Puerto Ricans and all Latin Americans in the United States.” In addition to its exhibitions, the museum offers festivals, special events, and bilingual…
Modern Language Association
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Yiddish, Websites, Organizations
This eminent 130-year-old organization “provides opportunities for its members to share their scholarly findings and teaching experiences with colleagues and to discuss trends in the academy.” The Modern Language Association publishes prolifically, academics congregate annually at their annual convention,…
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…
New York Public Library (Mid-Manhattan)
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Yiddish, Bookstores/Libraries, Kids
The Mid-Manhattan Library, at 40th Street and Fifth Avenue, is the main language-learning repository of the New York Public Library. I used it a lot in 2009 and 2010, mostly for Pimsleur audio lessons, but also borrowed books and other resources as…
CafePress
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Yiddish, Shopping, Kids
According to its website, CafePress has “the world’s largest selection of artist-designed t-shirts, clothing, accessories, housewares and gifts.” I have included this company here because they happen to sell numerous foreign-language items, such as mugs, hoodies, posters, clocks, and…