The Complete Traveller Antiquarian Bookstore

All rare bookstores are precious, this one was good. Very sad to see another rare bookstores demise.

This is a fantastic place to browse. It’s got a 1950/​60s feel to it. It reminds me of what Holly said of Tiffany’s «the quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there»
It’s cozy and never crowded. You can daydream and pluck books that catch your eye because of the title or the beautiful cover with exotic pictures of far off locales (e.g. «Burma Doctor», «Carribean Love Stories», etc.)
I also find a sense of peace in how well organized it is. Hand-​labeled sections on Africa, London (separate from the section on England, separate from the section on Europe), Iberia, the Arctic, South Pacific, etc.
If you are a book collector you will want to buy something. If you are going on a holiday and want to just get ideas for books you want to read and then toss, this place is for you as well. Jot down the names of tomes that interest you and buy cheap, used copies on ebay or rent from the library.
It’s not air-​conditioned which is the reason I took a star off the review.

It’s pricey but they have a great, well organized selection. The owner (?) was very nice and helpful. I shall return!

I hadn’t been here in eons, but yesterday I got off the bus right in front of the store and fortunately had time to spare. This store is a «dream» for those of us who love collectible books focusing on all the cities and regions of the world. The space is obviously not large, but it has two rooms and doesn’t feel at all crowded. Their selection is quite extensive (no surprise) and very well-​organized. The man at the desk is pleasant & low-​key, and the owner has a very kind-​hearted personality. If I had more money, I’d go crazy at this store.
(Update on 2÷2÷15): The store’s last day was January 19, as per an article in the NY Times on January 17. The owner couple are elderly and it was time to retire, although now they’ll be selling their (mainly vintage) books online.

Oh dear. I have another pilgrimage destination in NYC that will suck dollars out of my wallet. First it was Century 21, mecca for retail. Now its the Antiquarian Bookstore.
I planned to visit (I have a *small* bwhahahahha problem with SF History book collecting) then saw they had a website. I found 7 books I knew I was very interested. I emailed them & asked if they could pull them for me. When I arrived, there was my pile of books all ready for me. And the staff dude showed me where I might find even more of interest… which I did.
I narrowed it down to 4 books & was even able to get a bit of a deal by buying several books.
It’s like the secret jewelry store for rare & old books — complete with the need to be buzzed in the door :)

This is quite an interesting concept for a store: a deliberate focus on travel writing. It isn’t guide books they sell here but historic travel literature from those bygone days before package tourism and Lonely Planet. Many of their items are prestige editions, and therefore expensive, but there’s also an excellent selection of affordable books you won’t find anywhere else, and browsing here can be quite fun, particularly if you fancy yourself a traveler like me. The staff are generally friendly, know a great deal about the books in stock and the subject of travel writing in general, and will be happy to talk your ear off all day, since there won’t likely be anyone else in the store. Stop in on a visit to the Pierpont-​Morgan Library Museum next door. Probably a great place to purchase a gift for that globetrotting younger sister you can’t you stand.

Looking around the store was pleasant, even though my book collecting interests aren’t really in travel books. Everything is incredibly well organized, and some of the sections are quite interesting and very well represented — Arctic, Mountaineering, etc.
They had the largest selection of old Baedekers I’ve seen, as you would expect from a specialist travel shop.
A bit pricey, but good nonetheless. A good place to shop for a gift.

This is not a used bookstore. It is not a travel bookstore. It is an antiquarian bookstore that trafficks in travel books. So you’re presented with an impressive collection of first editions, signed and inscribed editions, and other collectible books — focusing on areas around the world.
They have a wonderful selection of New England books, and their New York — city and state — collection is even more extensive. Really tempting stuff. But if you’re looking for a reading copy, you can find less expensive options. The text I was interested in ran $ 30, and I was able to find a solid reading copy online for $ 3.
But if you’re a collector, this is the shop for you. They have a small selection of collectible fiction, and if you need a book restorer, they know someone in Nevada who does good work.

Traveling is one of my imaginary passions. People always ask me what I like and I always tell them, «oh, I love to travel.» Then they ask me where. And I respond, «Everywhere– paris, milan, london, fez, india, ghana, etc, etc.» Yet, I haven’t been overseas in more than ten years. But I go here and pretend that I travel. And disillusion myself to the point where I actually believe that I’ve been to Paris… and that’s when the therapy kicks in.
But seriously, this is an EXTENSIVE traveller’s bookshop. I love their history books. Fascinating. I picked up a hardcover of the history of Paris and I really could not put it down. So I ended up buying it. Cost me over twenty bucks. And thus, I didn’t eat lunch that day. But it was worth it.

A dignified but low-​key shop where you’ll find travel aficionados, world politics devotees, map lovers, and those who enjoy reading about places as diverse as Texas and Tibet. In addition to practical travel guides, you’ll find fantastic travel books filled with wonderful ideas, stories, and histories of far and away locales. They also have a collection antiquarian travel books whose facts may be outdated but whose writers’ perceptions continue to be of interest. Prices are a bit steep, enough to warrant the loss of a star, although you’ll find titles here not available anywhere else.