We all know that there was a time when accessibility didn’t mean a Google Search and information wasn’t so readily available. As a society, we generally went to the more experienced (older people) to gain insight and information. When we couldn’t find someone, we went to books.
Books were an especially valuable resource when it came to traveling and seeing the world. Today, we can launch Google Earth and be anywhere in seconds. Yes, it’s extremely neat but we lost something. Where to find the great eateries, the places in nook and crannies, and anything else that only comes from the ground.
Yes, we have Expedia, Trip Advisor and all of the other travel guides but what we don’t have and what has been lost is the tangible book we would carry when traveling.
The Complete Traveller Antiquarian Bookstore seems to be the last of the Mahicans and now they’re gone. The Greenberg’s have been running the bookstore since 1984 and have lasted through the internet age, Barnes and Noble, Borders and any other source of ‘new information’.
We heard the sad news of the closing and were surprised that it wasn’t a lease issue but a family decision. That kind of makes it okay although we are sad New York City loses another unique place.
We checked out the store and boy, what a flashback! All of the books were old and authentic. Covered in plastic, in older book cases. We were taken back in time. It was awesome and will last for a long time in our minds.
The bookstore as we know it, just like the record store will just be a story for our children. We move ahead as a society but the tangible, interesting places provided a unique experience with unique people that we will one day lose altogether.
Cherish the lost art.
@newyorkeventsco