Albertine

Really great selection of North African francophone literature, including some books I can’t even order from Amazon.

So pretty! Classy, peaceful, and quiet. Not sure if this is the norm, we had to go through security to enter. The entrance is really pretty, with big chairs and a gorgeous little room that looks like it belongs in Versailles. (This was closed off to the public.) The first floor has fiction and non-​fiction, and looks more like a regular bookstore, except that it’s very quiet and everyone was deeply engrossed in the books. There was a good amount of seating on comfy benches in between the bookshelves. Upstairs is totally different. The mural on the ceiling is gorgeous, and the lighting is not as harsh. The bookshelves are beautiful and there is a little reading room in the back. This floor had a lot of art books and other subjects like travel and cooking. The children’s section is a really cute!
I couldn’t read much because most of the books are in French, but it’s a beautiful and relaxing environment.

so pretty.
so so so so pretty.
while true to the french liking of prettiness, they also host incredible talks/​readings. i plan on going to tomorrow’s event called «Still the Second Sex?» with Judith Thurman, Margo Jefferson, and others.

I love New York because it is so quiet… This thought randomly came to my mind when I was reading a little book at Albertine. This store is truly a pretty, quiet, and peaceful secret place for book lovers.
There is another thing I really love and appreciate at Albertine — there are free culture events in the evenings. Once I joined a talk from my role model New Yorker Richard Brody, heard his insights on one of my favorite film directors, and had a little friendly argument with him afterwards at the following wine reception… And then, suddenly, he pulled out a little box from his pocket and showed me a sneak peak of his shinning insignia chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters .It was one of my best pleasant surprises in New York.

Beautiful little hidden gem in the upper east side. Head upstairs to see the ceiling that people love to Instagram, but stay for the comfy couches and to hear some French.
Worth a stop if you’re by the MET since it’s just a couple blocks down.

Absolutely stunning, quiet space to explore. Beautiful hidden gem that I would prefer to keep a secret!

GORGEOUS space filled with affordable books in French. Staff is really friendly, they have great events, and lots of comfy chairs. I wished I lived closer so that I could go by there more often!

Je me suis rendu ce matin chez Albertine bookstore afin de récupérer un livre que j’avais commandé. J’étais accompagné par mon Service Dog comme d’habitude. Je fut reçu par Madame Miriam Bridenne qui fut extrêmement désagréable et méprisante envers moi et envers la loi fédérale des USA concernant les chiens d’accompagnement pour personnes souffrant de certains handicaps.
J’ai tenté de lui expliquer ce qu’est un Service Dog en lui remettant la carte officielle de la loi fédérale qu’elle jeta immédiatement. Quel manqué d’intelligence de sa part. Cette réaction fait preuve de son ignorance incontestable.
Un conseil… Boycottez ce lieu. Nous sommes mieux servi par Amazon.
I went this morning to Albertine bookstore to retrieve a book I had ordered.
I was accompanied by my Service Dog as usual.
I was received by Mrs. Miriam Bridenne who was extremely rude and dismissive to me and to the US federal law concerning the accompanying dogs to people with certain disabilities.
I tried to explain to her what a Service Dog is, handing him the official brochure of the federal law but she threw it straight away.
What a lack of understanding on his part. This reaction demonstrated its undoubted ignorance.
A tip … Boycott this place. We are best served by Amazon… and it is cheaper.

Large choice of French and American books in French and English. The upper level has a nice seating space. And it is worth taking a look at the building anyway!

You know how there’s such a thing as French chic? I know I can never achieve that level of casual, effortless elegance, so I’ll just have to come here and pretend.
Albertine is a bookstore which sells books in French and English as part of a program from the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. It’s a very cozy bookstore with sections clearly labeled, though it’s heavy on French and American literature. The only French words/​phrases I know are from popular songs or movies, but it was still nice to flip through the French books. On a whole, I’ve always favored British book covers over American ones, but the French book covers were also beautiful. I also strangely found the pages smoother, thinner, and crisper.
The second floor contains a corner reading room with a wooden table and chairs, more bookcases, several armchairs, and a section for children’s books. A deep blue and gold hand-​painted mural of constellations is painted on the ceiling. The upstairs is very quiet and I imagine it’d be nice to read quietly under these stars.
Likelihood of another visit:
There are book discussion events here! I wonder if they’re conducted in French…

Albertine is a reading room and bookshop in New York devoted solely to books in French and English. It is housed in the official landmark Payne Whitney mansion which houses the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Albertine is a reference to a character in Marcel Proust’s «In Search of Lost Time».
Albertine hosts events:
I will update this review once I’ve attended. In the meantime, you can view images of it here:

I was randomly walking past, saw a sign and decided to stop in. This place has a round entrance way with a statue, and small bookstore in the back carrying a variety of French books.
Really, this place is dedicated to French literature and events focused on the same.
I delight in finding small mostly unknown spaces with it’s own features and purpose. Too bad there wasn’t much to see. This might have been the Payne Whitney Mansion at one time too.