Idlewild Books

West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District


Named after JFK airport’s original moniker, this indie travel bookstore gets feet seriously itchy. Books are divided by region and cover guidebooks as well as fiction, travelogues, history, cookbooks and other stimulating fare for delving into different corners of the world. The store also runs popular language classes in French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and German – see the website for details.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District attractions

1. Stonewall National Monument

0.14 MILES

In 2016 President Barack Obama declared Christopher Park, a small fenced-in triangle with benches and some greenery in the heart of the West Village, a…

2. Sheridan Square

0.16 MILES

The shape of a triangle, Sheridan Sq isn't much more than a few park benches and some trees surrounded by an old-fashioned wrought-iron gate. But its…

3. Abingdon Square

0.22 MILES

This historical dot on the landscape (just a quarter-acre) is a lovely little patch of green, home to grassy knolls, beds of perennial flowers and winding…

4. White Columns

0.26 MILES

Geographically, White Columns is part of the Meatpacking District, but aesthetically speaking, it's in Chelsea. The sedate, multiroom space hosts a wide…

5. Salmagundi Club

0.38 MILES

Far removed from the flashy Chelsea gallery scene, the Salmagundi Club features several gallery spaces focusing on representational American art set in a…

6. Rubin Museum of Art

0.38 MILES

The Rubin is the first museum in the Western world to dedicate itself to the art of the Himalayas and surrounding regions. Its impressive collection spans…

7. Washington Square Park

0.39 MILES

This former potter’s field and square for public executions is now the unofficial town square of Greenwich Village, hosting lounging NYU students, tuba…

8. Tibet House

0.41 MILES

With the Dalai Lama as the patron of its board, this nonprofit cultural space is dedicated to presenting Tibet’s ancient traditions through art exhibits,…