In late May, a group of friends and I travelled to Istanbul for a long weekend. Istanbul is one of my all-time favorite cities and over the next week I will collect my notes from the trip and share with you some of my favorites things about the city.
First stop:
There is a awesome english language book shop called Robinson Crusoe, on the main street, Istiklal, in Beyoglu. Beyoglu is a hillside neighborhood on the European side of Istanbul. This neighborhood was one of the first to be developed in the late 19th century and it is home to numerous embassies (including the US Embassy), the Pera Palace Hotel (think Agatha Christie and the Oriental Express), which is undergoing major reconstruction and restoration, and a lively pedestrain street Istiklal.
Robinson Crusoe is jammed packed with two floors of english language books and over 50 current magazines and periodicals. The first thing I always buy in Robinson Crusoe is Vanity fair magazine. Vanity Fair is impossible to get in Russia and is, hands down, my favorite magazine- even without Tina Brown at the helm.
Since almost every item in the shop is imported from North America and Britain, the prices are about 50% higher than you might find at Barnes & Noble or Amazon. Nonetheless, Robinson Crusoe is a joy to behold after months of living and/or travelling in non-english speaking parts of the world. While some of the bookstores in the larger shopping malls have a selection of english language books, I try to support Robinson Crusoe instead. This book shop has been in operation since I discovered back in 1997. Therefore, it’s my oldest “friend” in the city and the first place I visit each time I return.
Since the book shop is quite small physically, I recommend that you take your purchases across Istiklal Street to one of the ubiquitous Starbucks Cafes. There are fewer things better in life than sitting at a Starbucks with a cup of espresso,a pack of smokes, Coldplay on your iPhone earbuds, and the newest copy of Vanity Fair. .
Information:
Robinson Crusoe Bookstore, Pusula productions, Ltd., Istiklal Caddesi 195A (389), Beyoglu, Istanbul, Turkey, +90-212-245-9820, rob@tnn.net
