Last week, I had the good fortune of accompanying Jane Gardam on her NYC book tour, as we made our way through the various author-friendly corners of Manhattan, including a number of independent bookstores. I think it’s worth noting that New York City is home to not just The Strand but also many other, smaller shops that offer personalized recommendations (called “hand-selling” by bookstore clerks) and cozy environments in which browsing is not only allowed but highly encouraged.
Here’s my list of my favorite independent bookstores, along with one reason why each is worth including (in no particular order):
- The Corner Bookstore (1313 Madison Ave.): The staff here offers spot-on recommendations for everyone from my hard-to-shop-for teenage son to my 62-year-old father (who is basically a farmer in Texas). They also have an excellent selection of quality children’s books for kids of all ages.
- Book Culture (536 W. 112th St.): This shop’s close proximity to Columbia means you’ll find a more scholarly edge to the selection, but it also means you might experience your own meet-cute with a grad student grabbing for Derrida at the same time you are…
- Mercer Street Books (206 Mercer St.): If you’re a writer, the shop offers a no-fee novel writing prize, but if you’re “just” a reader, this shop offers not only new, used, and out-of-print books but also vinyl records.
- St. Mark’s Bookshop (31 Third Ave.): Go for the events, the books, and the atmosphere, but stay for the history. This always-in-peril-of-closing shop is one of the last of its kind, offering an unparalleled selection of critical theory texts (and anyone who’s totally over capitalism will feel right at home here, too).
- Unnameable Books (600 Vanderbilt Ave., Brooklyn): If you want it, they probably have it. The selection of used and new books here rivals that of any you’ll find in Brooklyn (and that’s saying something).
- Book Thug Nation (100 N. Third St., Brooklyn): Besides the name – really, Book Thug Nation? How can one resist? – there are plenty of reasons to come here: free tea, lots and lots of ‘zines (remember those?), and used books whose prices are in line with most budgets. They also buy books, too!
- McNally Jackson (52 Prince St.): The booksellers here have the corner on the perfect balance between intelligent banter and sincere recommendations. They 100% know what they’re talking about: if you ask what to read next, they will give you a spot-on suggestion. Added bonuses: a nifty selection of stationery, a on-site cafe, and a wide selection of print-on-demand books.
- WORD (126 Franklin St., Brooklyn): I’ve run into celebrities here (if the son on Nip/Tuck counts) but I’ve also found adorable children’s books, heard some excellent readings in the basement event space, and found excellent deals on ebooks that the shop sells through its website (a nice way of combining new technology and the support of brick-and-mortar stores).
- Bluestockings (172 Allen St.): To call this a feminist bookstore would be both an understatement and missing the point. It’s a place that welcomes everyone, and is one of the few small bookshops that is wheelchair accessible (no small matter). The events here are always top-notch… and if you need menstrual products, Bluestockings has those, too!
- Spoonbill & Sugartown (218 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn): Besides the resident felines (don’t come here if you are allergic to cats!), this shop boasts new and used design, architecture, and art books… as well as a healthy selection of literature, magazines, and philosophy.
- Alabaster Bookshop (122 Fourth Ave.): This shop verges on the nerdy, with a large selection of Star Trek and Lord of the Rings related merchandise, but that isn’t necessarily a negative thing. There are also regularly $2 books set out on a cart, enabling you to get a summer’s worth of reading for less than $20.
- Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe (126 Crosby St.): All of the books here are donated, and all of the proceeds from their sales go to benefit Housing Works, “a healing community of those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.” I like the store because you never really know what you’re going to find, but you will enjoy free wifi and very yummy treats from the cafe.
- Three Lives & Company (154 W. 10th St.): This is a small shop, but don’t let its size lead you to believe that the quality of its contents is any less desirable than a larger store. The staff’s hand-selling recommendations are made out of love and a deep knowledge of books. I picked up an adorable 75th-anniversary edition of The Hobbit the last time I was here; it’s so pretty I almost don’t want to give it to my son!
- Books of Wonder (18 W. 18th St.): Kids who love to read (and the parents who love to read to their kids) will adore this shop, which is for book-loving kids what Willy Wonka’s factory is for sugar addicts. Story times here are a big draw for the toddler set, too.
- The Community Bookstore (143 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn): You’ll often find free coffee and cookies here, among the ample selection of books that have kept Brooklyn reading since the store opened in 1971. (The first book sold? The Whole Earth Catalog, of course!)
What’s your favorite indie bookstore? Are there any we left off the list? Share with us in the comments!
