NEW YORK BOOKSTORES
192 Books, 192 10th Avenue, West Chelsea +1 212 255 4022
Located in the gallery district of Chelsea, 192 Books is a stylish boutique bookstore which focuses, perhaps unsurprisingly, given the location, on art, design, cultural and photography books. An active reading and events schedule draws impressive names, while the quietude of the store means browsing can be done in secrecy, solitude, and comfort.
Strand Bookstore, 828 Broadway +1 212 473 1452
Miles and miles of books! Both best-sellers, new releases, second-hand and collectors editions are sold here at this multi-level castle of books. The Strand is the place to spend delicious slots of time getting lost in both your thoughts and those on the shelves. Outside, paperbacks sell for as little as 40 cents. Inside, expect to pay less here than most big name bookstores.
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, 126 Crosby Street, Soho +1 212 334 3324
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe on Crosby Street is the place to head if you want a quiet yet vibe-ful nook to either a) work (free wifi provided) b) read, c) browse, d) eat inexpensive food, or e) all of the above. Located in a beautiful old building with just the right amount of atmospheric mystery, Housing Works mission is “to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS.” Great books, great space, great cause.
Bookmarc, 400 Bleecker Street, West Village +1 212 620 4021
Bookmarc is Marc Jacob’s eponymous bookstore and is located directly opposite Magnolia Bakery. Featuring an eclectic selection of books (topics range from style and fashion, to the history of Jeopardy), they also stock an extensive collection of biographies, novelty items (lipstick pens, heart shaped mirrors, jewelry, wallets), and stationary.
St Marks Bookshop, 31 3rd Avenue, East Village +1 212 260 7853
Featuring one of the best new-title displays in the city, St Marks Books also stocks an excellent collection of architectural, design, art, graphic and illustrative books, plus literary journals, fiction, and magazines. The staff are helpful book lovers, while the store has been around for 30 odd years: it’s well lit, with generous aisles, and organized in an easily navigable fashion.
McNally Jackson, 52 Prince Street, Soho +1 212 274 1160
Neat, spacious, and very clean, McNally Jackson offers an excellent selection of new and cutting-edge books, contemporary editions of classics, fashion, design, culinary and art books, plus a wide assortment of magazines both literary and otherwise. The cafe tucked in the corner is a blessing. They also offer free, carbon-free, same-day delivery of your purchases if you live within a reasonable radius.
Books of Wonder, 18 West 18th Street, Chelsea +1 212 989 3270
Possibly the best children’s store in New York. Books of Wonder is an independent bookstore which resonates with a love of reading, children, and children’s literature. “Organized for the explorer and the sentimental” by age range, you can find the original Wizard of Oz series here, as well as modern picture books and all the stories you loved when you were a child too. The cafe area sells “bangin’ cupcakes” perfect for the little ones.
BookBook, 266 Bleecker Street, West Village +1 212 807 8655
Like Bookmarc, Bookbook is also on Bleecker st right around the corner from Magnolia Bakery. Ah, books and cupcakes. Formerly the ‘Biography Bookstore’, Bookbook’s title selection is smart, savvy, and somewhat New York centric: “urban and urbane.” Books are likely to be cheaper here than even The Strand (shock!), so if you’re in the West Village, pay them a visit.
Spoonbill and Sugartown, 218 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg +1 718 387 7322
A favorite for Brooklyners in search of unique art, architecture, art history or coffee table books, Spoonbill and Sugartown is a used bookstore that also stocks magazines and stationary. The selection is well-curated, though limited – this is no Barnes and Noble. An independent bookstore clearly loved by the community, you never know what you’ll come across next.
Shakespeare & Co Booksellers, 716 Broadway +1 212 529 1330
First of all, Shakespeare & Co have devoted an entire section to “Drinking, Smoking and Screwing,” in which many of the beat generation are housed (Jack Kerouac, Charles Bukowski, Anais Nin.) The store is big enough to house a broad selection, whilst remaining manageable, well-organized with a ‘local’ feel. They have a well-selected fiction section, however their forte is their film and drama section.
Blue Stockings, 172 Allen Street, Lower East Side +1 212 777 6028
A women’s bookstore catering to a predominantly feminist audience. An “activist bookstore and eventspace”, the store holds readings, screenings, and poetry nights. On offer are a range of political, sociological, literary, feminist, cultural and cook books, as well as DVDs, calendar, magazines, periodicals and journals.
The Complete Traveller Antiquarian Bookstore, 199 Madison Avenue, Midtown +1 212 685 9007
If you like to collect books, this is the store for you. It’s not a used bookstore, neither a travel bookstore, but “an antiquarian bookstore that traffics in travel books.” You’ll find first editions, signed and inscribed editions and other collectible titles from around the world, and an extensive selection of books on New York city and state. Their deliberate focus on travel writing from bygone days means you won’t find any Lonely Planet guides here, but prestige editions and historical travel literature.
By Sophie Ward
