All tagged New York City

A Review of McNally Jackson (Rock Center)

A Review of McNally Jackson (Rock Center)

James Duncan
Bookshop Review

1 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY

Is it possible for a bookshop’s prime location to also be the one thing that could make a customer steer clear? If your bookshop is right in the heart of Rockefeller Center, it could be. But, given the right time of day and year, I wouldn’t let that stop you from visiting McNally Jackson’s spectacular Rock Center location. Is it a Saturday two weeks before Christmas? Fahgettaboutit. Is it a casual Wednesday in the fall? Guess what, still busy, but not terribly so. In fact, only the surrounding street and plaza were chaotically packed when I dropped in. The store itself is a beauty on the inside and had the right mix of bustle without feeling like you’re in the Union Square 4, 5, 6 platform at rush hour. So don’t take my warning as STEER CLEAR but rather as BE READY.

A Review of the Drama Book Shop

A Review of the Drama Book Shop

James Duncan
Bookshop Review

266 W 39th Street, New York, NY

As one may have guessed from the name of the bookshop, this one focuses on all things dramatic, from plays and scripts to books examining the world of film, television, theater, acting, directing, writing music and writing for the stage, and much more. Not only is this the perfect bookshop to accompany NYC’s nearby theater district, but it’s the perfect place to hang out on a rainy afternoon, which is how I discovered the shop.

A Review of The Corner Bookstore

A Review of The Corner Bookstore

James Duncan
Bookshop Review

1313 Madison Ave., New York, NY

This shop has been on my list for a long time, and I saved it for a special occasion. You see, I frequently travel to the upper east side area of NYC from upstate NY for cancer tests and treatments at Sloan Kettering, and sometimes after I leave an MRI or CT/PET scan, I’m exhausted, shaken, and feeling really low. So after a particularly hard morning of scans, I decide it was time to treat myself. I wandered over toward the Carnegie Hill neighborhood as the aftereffects of my valium wore off, and I sat myself down inside this shop for a bit, taking in its simple beauty. It’s only one room, but with its excellent selection and a subtle classiness that matches the neighborhood, it’s the perfect shop to have “right around the corner.”