28 independent bookstores that prove NYC loves to read

• almost met its fate in January, but a GoFundMe campaign raised more than enough to keep it around. The store has a wide variety of genres (and records) that are kept by a knowledgable staff.

  (2246 Broadway, Upper West Side, westsiderbooks.com) ” data-id=”130238190″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/6487_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.30238190″/>

• says manager Kotaro Takano, thanks to its diverse offerings. In addition to carrying Japanese literature, animé and comics, the big space allows the bookstore to include a selection of English-language books. It also has a variety of goods falling within the wider category of Japanese culture, from stationery to magazines to toys.

  (1073 Sixth Ave., midtown,  usa.kinokuniya.com)

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• specializes in feminist, queer and activist materials, in fiction, poetry, academic texts and self-published zines. Bluestockings’ cafe sells locally made organic, vegan and fair trade bagels, pastries and coffee and offers a seating area for quiet reading. The shop also has weekly events including book clubs, community-sourced lessons and a knitting circle.

  (172 Allen St., Lower East Side,  bluestockings.com)

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• according to bookseller Janifer P. Wilson. She asks newcomers to the community what they want to see, and will put those titles in their hands within three or four days. She also stocks gently-used books for children (who often think the shop is a library, she said) to read in the store. When she notices a child repeatedly reading the same book, she’ll gift it to them.

  (1942 Amsterdam Ave., Harlem,  sistersuptownbookstore.com)

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• according to the store’s manager Ben Rybeck.

  (15 Lafayette Ave., Boerum Hill,  centerforfiction.org)

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• (52 Prince St., SoHo, and 76 N. 4th St., Unit G, Williamsburg, mcnallyjackson.com)

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• (126 Crosby St., SoHo, housingworks.org)

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• (31-29 31st St., Astoria, astoriabookshop.com)

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• Cafe Con Libros in 2018, she envisioned the space as “explicitly feminist.” Books by authors such as Lindy West, Kate Bornstein and Toni Morrison layer the shelves, and DeSuze stocks a wide range of titles not always prevalent at other bookstores, including books depicting life outside of America and children’s stories that inform young people about politics. She has also hand-picked books for kids and adults that focus on female narratives. The cherry on top? Books are priced at less than the full retail value to ensure they’re accessible (especially to women, who statistically earn less than men).

  (724 Prospect Pl., Crown Heights, cafeconlibrosbk.com) ” data-id=”119306632″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/6494_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.19306632″/>

• The Lit. Bar is the Bronx’s first bookstore since the Baychester Barnes & Noble closed in 2016. Bronx native Noëlle Santos decided to open the shop to create a “safe space for people to actually connect.” When it opens, there will be a floor-to-ceiling sliding ladder across the bookshelves, murals and graffiti by local artists, and, pending approval, the bar part of bookstore’s name. The inventory is reflective of the community and sells books by authors of color and featuring protagonists of color, as well as people from an array of marginalized groups.

  (131 Alexander Ave., Mott Haven, thelitbar.com)

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• BookMark Shoppe “is the only game in town, but it’s a good game,” according to Erin Evers, who works at the 16-year-old shop. The independent bookstore, which carries gifts, a healthy selection of children’s books and all the newest titles, may be in a literary desert, but it’s had many authors grace its wooden floors for book signings. Kids and adults both spend time there, whether searching for the right book or socializing. Events include a book club on the last Thursday of the month, and crochet and knitting classes.

  (8415 Third Ave., Bay Ridge, bookmarkshoppe.com)

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• (1575 York Ave., logosbookstorenyc.com)” data-id=”119307056″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/6497_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.19307056″/>

• At Community Bookstore, a neighborhood staple since 1971, the shelves are full of fiction and nonfiction selections as well as a large children’s section. It also has a back patio with a small pond and resident turtle named “John Turturtle” for those who want to read in the quiet outdoor nook. Tiny the cat, pictured, roams the store and tolerates a pet or two. The shop regularly hosts readings and book groups, too.

  (143 Seventh Ave., Park Slope, communitybookstore.net )

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• This store is dedicated to all things delicious and literary. Archestratus, named for the ancient Greek poet and food lover, carries cookbooks, food memoirs and vintage culinary collections. In addition to functioning as a new and used bookstore, Archestratus also has a cafe in the back and hosts events and pop-up dinners.

  (160 Huron St., Greenpoint, archestrat.us)

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• (1 Bleecker St., near the Bowery, codexbooks.info)” data-id=”116852131″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/6500_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.16852131″/>

• (600 Vanderbilt Ave., Prospect Heights, unnameablebooks.blogspot.com)

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• according to Fusco-Straub. The shop also has events daily (discussions, readings and presentations) and offers discounts like 10 percent off some bestsellers.

  (225 Smith St., Cobble Hill, booksaremagic.net)

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• (154 W. 10th St., West Village, threelives.com)

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• Get lost in literature at Greenlight Bookstore, an independent shop owned by booksellers Rebecca Fitting and Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, who opened the Fort Green shop in 2009 and a second in Prospect Lefferts Gardens in 2017.

  (686 Fulton St., Fort Greene, 632 Flatbush Ave., Prospect Lefferts Gardens, greenlightbookstore.com)

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• The POWERHOUSE Arena is the spot. Launched in 2006 by publisher powerHouse Books, the airy space is a conglomeration of rotating exhibitions, installations, readings, performances and, of course, a bookshop. Step in and see what you might find. Local authors launch books there on almost a nightly basis.

  (28 Adams St., DUMBO, powerhousearena.com)” data-id=”119308126″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/6505_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.19308126″/>

• (170 Seventh Ave. South at Perry Street, West Village, and 249 Warren St., Cobble Hill, idlewildbooks.com)

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• spending hours in one of Book Culture’s stores is not difficult . A $49 per year membership gets shoppers 10 percent off every purchase. There’s also a slew of readings, discussions and events each week.

  (536 West 112th St., 2915 Broadway, 450 Columbus Ave., 26-09 Jackson Ave., Long Island City, bookculture.com)

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Bookstores have been a dying breed in NYC thanks to rising rents, e-readers and online retailers — R.I.P. the beloved St. Mark’s Bookshop and, soon, bookbook.

Still, in recent years, local mom-and-pop shops have made a small comeback as New Yorkers seek out a local, literary experience that can’t be found on Amazon.com.

Check out some of NYC’s bookstores, many of them successful because they’ve found their niche.