map
resources / notes
- base: InterContinental New York Barclay, 111 E 48th St (between park and lex)
- arrival: 11:00a EWR, thu 5/7
- departure: 6:20p LGA, sun 5/10
key constraints
- argosy is closed sundays. must hit thu-sat.
- strand, east village books, 3 lives, westsider books are open daily.
- plan 2.5-3 hrs door-to-LGA for the 6:20p sunday departure.
thursday 5/7 - arrival + midtown east + upper west side
- land at EWR. take NJ transit airport train to penn station, then E/M subway or walk ~10 min to hotel. figure 75 min door-to-door.
- drop bags at the intercontinental barclay. front desk will hold if room isn’t ready.
lunch
- near the hotel
- grand central market is open daily
- the oyster bar is closed saturday and sunday but open on thursdays.
argosy bookstore (116 e 59th st)
- six floors: antiquarian, americana, first editions, antique maps, autographs
- phone: 212-753-4455 | https://www.argosybooks.com/
the met (1000 fifth ave at 82nd)
- 6 train from 59th/lex to 77th, or walk through central park if weather is good
- closes 5p thursday so you only have ~30 min. consider flipping this with moma and doing the met on friday or saturday when it’s open until 9p.
- https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit
alternate 4:30p plan - skip the met today, head straight to the UWS.
6:00p - westsider rare books (2246 broadway between 80th and 81st)
- open until 7p daily
- sister store: westsider records at 233 w 72nd st (browse after books)
- phone: 212-362-0706 | https://westsiderbooks.com/
dinner
UWS options:
- barney greengrass (appetizing classic)
- jacob’s pickles (fuller service)
- gray’s papaya (quick).
friday 5/8 - moma + strand + east village records
moma (11 w 53rd st)
- 10 min walk from hotel, opens 10:30a
- 2-3 hours is plenty for a focused visit
- https://www.moma.org/visit/
lunch
- midtown or head downtown.
take the 4/5/6 from grand central to union square / 14th
the strand (828 broadway at 12th)
- plan 90+ min. rare book room on 3rd floor.
- https://www.strandbooks.com/
academy records & cds (12 w 18th st)
- 6 min walk north of the strand
- original academy location (since 1977), jazz and classical heavy
- https://www.academy-records.com/
academy lps (415 e 12th st, between 1st ave and ave a)
- open daily, hours vary by source (noon-8 or 11-7, call to confirm)
- rock / jazz / indie-friendly. your primary target for the trip.
- on-point for the dinosaur jr / built to spill era stuff
east village books (99 st marks pl)
- opens at 1p daily (not earlier). used and remaindered, solid spillover from the strand. open until 9:30p-10:30p depending on day.
generation records (210 thompson st)
- west village, 10 min walk. rock / punk / metal.
- strong 90s-00s indie rotation (sonic youth, pavement, pixies regulars)
- alternatively: stranded records nyc (218 e 5th st, formerly good records nyc) is closer - soul/jazz-heavier but worth a look.
dinner
- east village: veselka (pierogis, 24hr), superiority burger (veg), hop across to LES for russ & daughters cafe or wildair.
saturday 5/9 - west village + chelsea + optional museum
brunch
- west village or flatiron.
3 lives & company (154 w 10th st at waverly)
- small, opinionated, curated. open until 7p most days.
- https://www.threelives.com/
generation records if you didn’t hit it friday (210 thompson st, 5 min walk).
afternoon museum options (pick one or skip):
- whitney (99 gansevoort st) - 15 min walk south. pure american-art focus, complements moma and the met. https://whitney.org/visit
- chelsea galleries - free, concentrated w 20s between 10th and 11th ave. no tickets, just walk in.
- the met - if skipped thursday, the met is open until 9p saturday. 4/5/6 to 86th st.
- morgan library (225 madison at 36th) - primarily books and manuscripts, fits the theme of this trip. https://www.themorgan.org/visit
record stores:
- rough trade at rockefeller center (30 rock) if heading back uptown
- anything you missed friday
dinner
- via carota (west village, reservations hard), cote (flatiron, korean bbq), or gramercy tavern.
sunday 5/10 - flex morning + LGA
check out, store bags at front desk.
late brunch options:
- russ & daughters cafe (127 orchard st) - classic pick, fits the vibe
- sarabeth’s or the smith near the hotel
one last stop (pick one):
- the strand round two?
- 3 lives if missed it (sundays 12-7)
- morgan library - opens 10:30a sunday, close to hotel, 90 min is plenty
- brooklyn record exchange (599 johnson ave, bushwick) - if you want an indie-rock deep cut. 2nd floor above elsewhere venue. L train to jefferson st. opens noon. this is the most on-target shop for your taste but it’s a real detour. must leave by 2:30p to make LGA in time.
3:30p - back to hotel, grab bags.
4:00p - head to LGA. options:
- taxi/uber: 30-45 min, $50-70, most reliable
- Q70 SBS: 7 train to 74 st-broadway (jackson heights), transfer to free Q70 bus. ~45-60 min total from midtown. ref: https://new.mta.info/agency/new-york-city-transit/lga-link
5:00p - at LGA. terminal B (most airlines) or C (delta).
record store summary (ranked by fit for rock/jazz + 90s/00s alt)
top tier
- academy lps - 415 e 12th st (east village). primary target.
- academy records & cds - 12 w 18th st (flatiron). jazz-heavier original.
- generation records - 210 thompson st (west village). indie-rock focus.
second tier
- stranded records nyc - 218 e 5th st (formerly good records nyc). soul/funk/jazz with a rock section.
- brooklyn record exchange - 599 johnson ave, bushwick. best fit but a detour. mexican summer / sacred bones / captured tracks connections.
- westsider records - 233 w 72nd st. sister to the books store, free add-on.
skip unless specific interest
- A1 record shop - 439 e 6th st. mostly dance/techno/disco/hip-hop now.
- rough trade nyc - 30 rock. mainstream new-release focus since moving from williamsburg.
museum options summary
- moma - modern/contemporary. closest to hotel. 10 min walk.
- the met - everything. UWS-adjacent. closed wednesdays. closes 9p fri/sat.
- whitney - american art only. west village / meatpacking. pairs with 3 lives.
- morgan library - rare books and manuscripts. closest to hotel. thematic fit.
- guggenheim - smaller footprint, spiral building, 90 min visit.
- frick - old masters in a mansion. reopened 2025 after renovation.
- neue galerie - german/austrian art. klimt’s adele. small, 60-90 min.
phone numbers / confirmations
- argosy: 212-753-4455 (closed sundays, M-Sat 11a-6p)
- westsider books: 212-362-0706 (daily 10a-7p per multiple sources)
- strand: 212-473-1452
- 3 lives: 212-741-2069
- east village books: 212-477-8647
- academy lps: 212-780-9166
- academy records (18th): 212-242-3000
- generation records: 212-254-1100
backup plans if weather turns
- met / moma / morgan are the rainy-day anchors
- the strand is massive enough to hide out for 2 hours
- chelsea galleries and the whitney are close enough for a west-side rainy-day cluster
things to double-check close to travel
- argosy hours via call (they’ve been stable but worth confirming)
- westsider books hours (they’ve shifted since their 2019 GoFundMe)
- met special exhibitions requiring timed tickets