Idlewild Books

I just finished my third Spanish class at Idlewild books with the wonderful maestro Eduardo. Finalmente, estoy aprendiendo español!
I have tried classes at other schools with little success, but the classes at Idlewild have really worked to teach me a basic foundation of the Spanish language. The classes are casual, low-​stress, and combine learning basic introductions, verb tenses /​grammar, and speaking /​listening. While I have a long way to go, it is a great and satisfying start.
Eduardo is a wonderful, patient, kind, and encouraging teacher. He never gives up on you (even when you’re giving up on yourself!), and that kind of support is motivating when you’re trying to learn a new language.
For anyone looking to brush up on Spanish or finally get the basics down, I would highly recommend Idlewild!
Muchas Gracias, Idlewild y Eduardo!

I’m now enrolled in my 2^nd Spanish class with Eduardo. (Advanced beginner.) He is a fantastic, fun instructor whose primary aim is to get people conversant, using vocabulary that people actually use. He will go over the textbook phrases, but then will tell us how something is said in Mexico vs. Spain vs. Chile etc etc. It has been relatively clear and easy to pick up the basics (pero tengo que estudiar mas!) I cannot believe I’ve waited so long to start taking Spanish classes. I feel like a whole new side of NYC has literally opened up for me. I also took the French Cinema Conversation class with Marie, which was great for brushing up on my French. I am now taking the high intermediate French class in Manhattan with Maurice, as the Brooklyn location is not offering a conversation class at this time. Both classes are essentially the same, they really push you to discuss all sorts of topics with the class group. The movies and articles we have been assigned span all genres, from minority youth in France, joblessness, immigration, child protection services, Charlie Hebdo, comedy… whatever interests the class or is in current news headlines. I’ve greatly enjoyed my classes here and only wish I had started taking them earlier.

I have taken 3 Spanish classes with Eduardo at Idlewild and am just finishing the Intermediate level class. Eduardo is an excellent teacher and he makes class fun and interesting! He teaches Spanish in a way that is accessible, easy to understand, and useful for conversational Spanish in the real world. He clearly has an in depth knowledge of the language not only as a native speaker, but from a linguistic standpoint as well. I feel that I have a much clearer understanding of Spanish after just 6 months of classes as Idlewild than I did after 4 years of Spanish in high school. I would highly recommend these classes to anyone interested in learning Spanish. Aprendí mucho y recomendaría estas clases a todos.

I just finished the Beginner Spanish class with Eduardo and it was awesome! Eduardo is a terrific teacher, very patient, funny, and makes learning fun. I learned so much (pero tengo que estudiar!). Voy a asistir a la próxima clase «Advanced Beginner» los sábados (gigante)! Gracias Eduardo!

The beginner Spanish class just ended and it was a great class. Eduardo is super enthusiastic and kept us all engaged. We were taught the basics of grammar rules like in any Spanish class but Eduardo added lots of practical vocabulary and expressions that help to actually talk with Spanish speakers. He also encouraged questions, which was helpful. It was a great environment to learn in. It made me want to keep learning and improving. Voy asistir la proxima clase :)

This was the perfect class to jump start my Spanish speaking abilities. Better than any other places I have taken Spanish in the city. The Advanced Beginners class was well paced, particularly for someone who knows a little bit of Spanish, but not enough to really hold much of a conversation. Eduardo was an energetic and a patient teacher. Aprendí mucho!!! El describó la información grammatica muy clara.

I have taken several Spanish classes at Idlewild and have enjoyed them all. The classes are small, allowing students to get good practice with conversation and support from the teacher. The classes are reasonably priced, relaxed and fun. I recently completed the advanced beginner course with Eduardo. El es un excelente profesor. El describe la informacion gramatica clara. If you’re interested in learning Spanish, I highly recommend taking a class at Idlewild!

I just completed my second series of Spanish classes with Enrique at Cobble Hill and cannot recommend him enough. Classes are small and personal, and he never fails to get the group engaged, interested and vocal. Grammar and vocab lessons are taught, but his main focus in the Intermediate and Cinema classes was discussion. Enrique brings a sincere love of arts, music and literature of the Spanish speaking world to his students. Courses are culturally rich and thought provoking, and never follow a by the book lesson plan of a staid classroom.

Just finished the Advanced Beginner Spanish course at Idlewild with Enrique, and it was fabulous. The small class size allowed for a lot of personalized instruction, and Enrique balanced the teaching of grammar with plenty of conversational practice and helpful information about the cultural context and different dialects of Spanish. My wife and I feel fully prepped for our honeymoon in Costa Rica now – I highly recommend this class!

Just completed an 8-​week Advanced Beginner French class here and really enjoyed it. The teacher, Marie Lipp, is absolutely delightful – bright, funny, and enthusiastic. She makes the class fun, gets everyone talking, and is able to explain the grammar in a way that’s clear, comprehensible and virtually painless. She’s also really good at explaining French idioms, so you can begin to speak as French people really speak, and at cluing you in on French culture, by which I mean the types of things you don’t learn in books – how to behave in public, how to dress, what the French personality is like. It would have been helpful if they had provided more exercises to work on, and then gone over them in class, but there are plenty of places online where you can find exercises to do on your own. The cost is very reasonable and it’s located in a great neighborhood.

This is a cute little foreign language bookstore in Cobble Hill, which also holds Spanish, French and Italian classes. I had been wanting to learn Spanish since I have done some traveling recently to Spanish-​speaking countries.
The course was not very expensive, one of the more reasonable ones I found in the city (approximately $ 210-​ish — i don’t remember exactly — for an 8-​week course). I started out with the Beginner class with Susannah. I loved Susannah — she paced the class based on how quick we were picking up concepts. We had plenty of opportunities in class to speak with each other. I learned so much more than I had before just studying on my own.
I followed it up with the Advanced Beginner class with Enrique. The dude is good. We went from just the simple present tense to learning four tenses in the first class. Each week, we continue to practice those tenses through conversations with the other students, while also learning additional grammar concepts. I did not think I would be able to pick up those tenses at such a quick pace (in only 5 or 6 weeks!) and am speaking more confidently than I felt on the first day of class.
I am the only Manhattanite in my class, but I prefer it to the Manhattan location because it feels more cozy and quaint. The students are all fun and relaxed; truly one of the highlights of my week.
I only give them 4 stars because the larger class sizes (around 10 – 15 students) can make it hard to get personalized attention or speaking time.

The bookstore portion of this store is open for a few hours during certain random days of the week.

Twice I have gone out of my way to buy books at this store and they were closed both times. The first time I checked the hours only to arrive at the store and see a handwritten sign saying they were closed for a long holiday weekend (not noted on their website or Facebook page). I’d love to support them instead of Barnes and Noble but the hours are too limited for me to do so.

I’ll try to make this short but informative. Going to Italy. Want to speak Italian and need classes for me and the boyfriend. Checked this place out. Price advertised falsely. Brought it to their attention by phone. No apology. No acknowledgement. No honoring their advertised price. Phone girl was like, «Meh, that’s wrong.» (crickets…)
Thought maybe that was just poor customer service by phone. Found facebook page. Sent note. Got return note assuring me that there was no error – merely a typo. Still no apology. Did however receive best wishes finding other Italian classes. Had I received an apology early on, I would have just chalked it up and taken the classes.
Local businesses, I love you. But, local doesn’t equal lack of customer service to me. Does it to you?

If you want to learn one the romance languages or just want to teach one to your kid, Idlewild is here for you. This tiny little shop is divided into two sides:
On the left, there is a miniature classroom where they host French, Italian and Spanish classes (check the schedule online or listed on the door). When I walked by, the 12 or so students appeared to be engaged by the teacher, who sounded quite competent. In fact, on nice days they leave the door open, so you can just stand outside creepily and learn for free.*
On the right is a well-​organized, welcoming little bookstore filled to the brim with all manner of books… also in French, Italian and Spanish. There are classics, contemporary novels, and an excellent selection of children’s books on the righthand wall. Adults can read Harry Potter in Spanish, or The Count of Monte Cristo in French. For your kids, you can pick up Le Petit Prince, [insert translation of Where the Wild Things Are that I forgot], or the Dr. Seuss favorite Un Pez, Dos Peces, Pez Rojo, Pez Azul.
Although, I’m not sure Seuss works without the rhymes.
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*Don’t do that.

Love this little new bookstore in Cobble Hill. Found a good selection of Spanish books both for me and my daughters. I am sure they will be getting a bigger selection. They also have books in French and Italian.