Late May, I took a spontaneous trip to visit my aunt and uncle in Barto, Pennsylvania. Took a six-hour train ride from Pittsburgh, listening to Taylor Swift (folklore & evermore) and pretending to be the main character of my life. I remember looking out the window at the sun streaming through the state’s blooming green and twisting rivers and falling in love with the trip. That being said, I did accidentally miss the stop on account of my romanticization but luckily I’d prepared for this and knew the next station wasn’t too far. All’s well that ends well, I suppose– although I am determined to be less oblivious when I ride the train again…

Anyhow, Barto is about two hours from NYC, and we took a two-day detour. There are SO many things I could write about during that time period (Taylor Swift exhibit, excellent food, fantastic concert at The Cloisters), but I definitely want to highlight The Strand! Unfortunately, I didn’t go to the main location, but I thought it was perfect because this alternative was within walking distance of the apartment and thus, manageable for me. It was a bite-size taste of New York City, if you will.

The store itself was well-kept and packed with books! There was an amazing neon sign hanging above the stairs to the lower level. I walked inside and felt like I was immediately at home. The only downside was that there wasn’t a bathroom. Other than that, I had a lovely time browsing and losing myself in books, NYC merch, Strand beanies and hoodies, etc. I bought a gift for my aunt and uncle, a book for my brother, a postcard, a pin for my backpack, and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. Best part? I didn’t actually reach the triple digits with my total, although that would have been totally valid since I don’t know when I’ll be back (when in New York…)

The original Strand is an icon: 18 miles of books tightly wound within its walls. EVERY BOOK LOVER’S DREAM. Plus, it was featured in Dash & Lily, my favorite holiday series on Netflix! I can’t wait to go see it someday, and this second location only increases my anticipation. I would highly recommend this one for anybody who wants a little less chaos as a first-time tourist! They also had a pretty good selection of novels so I was happy with that.

Here are some of my favorite photos!!

Sincerely,

Sophia