Squeezed into the touristy and posh Magnificent Mile lays quite the worldly, intellectual bookstore. Europa is known throughout the city for its comprehensive selections of sparkling foreign-language reads, especially in French, German, Spanish and Italian. (The variety in foreign literature shows: A recent visit yielded overheard conversations in Argentine-accented Spanish, French and Italian, and that was just amongst patrons.) The back wall of the store is shelved with language-learning material, so a good number of folks enter just to beef up on a foreign tongue. The rest of the clientele are foreigners, expats and tourists who may feel amiss in the good ol’ U.S. and need a reassuring hug to the brain. The international vibe here isn’t just confined to frequenters, either. Staff members are well read and all know a second language.

Second to learning aids and foreign lit, Europa’s magazine and periodical section is commendable for its breadth of titles and countries covered. The subterranean level contains children’s books and an amazing selection of Tintin and Asterix comics (en français, of course). Make sure to check out random goodies like the Hebrew vocab cards and Dr. Seuss’s seminal work, "The Cat In the Hat"...in Latin.

Centerstage Reviewer: M. Cecilia Wong