295 Hamilton St, Albany, NY
A couple years back I wrote that Dove & Hudson, one of my favorite bookshops, was the only used bookshop in the city of Albany. I couldn’t have been more wrong, and it’s a shame I overlooked Urban Aftermath because this shop packs a mighty wallop and is one of the most interesting and unique bookshops in all of upstate New York.
To say it’s only a bookshop does the store a disservice. Hassan, the owner/operator, has cultivated a shop of fabulous antiquities, focusing on books but exploring the world of vinyl records, vintage toys, art and signage, antiquated-yet-useful office supplies, and more in his cozy little shop on Hamilton Street. To browse for books is one endeavor, but to explore his world of beautifully preserved nostalgia is another. To paraphrase what he said during my visit, these items might seem unimportant to their former owners, but they’re small bookmarks in our collective personal histories, and to someone, somewhere, they’ll be something special again.
But the books alone are worth the visit. Many a used bookshop have a selection of pristine classics and a wider array of paperbacks that have seen better days, some tattered, some still holding on. Urban Aftermath has a selection of used books that hardly seem so. The hardcover editions of classics by Steinbeck, Hemingway, Poe, Dickens, Doyle, Waugh, Asimov, Austen, and others are in pristine shape, and I myself bought a Steinbeck hardcover Viking Press edition of Winter of Our Discontent from the 60s in spectacular shape for $5. The prices are more than fair. I’d be hard pressed to leave this shop emptyhanded during future visits.
The main room has most of the impressive hardcovers, records, art, and home décor eccentricities, and there are back rooms with additional stock, a wall of $5 classics, more paperbacks from noir authors, modern bestsellers, French poets, the works. The shop isn’t huge but the selection certainly is. All in all I left with a few books and a few records, and I’m eager to see what I’ll discover the next time I’m in. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere — An eclectic shop that focuses on used books in excellent condition, but features all sorts of media, new and old. A very fun space to explore.
Quality — The books are in good shape, especially the older bound volumes with intricate designs and cover art.
Quantity — There are a lot of books in here for such a small space, and the owner also has warehouse space with thousands of other volumes available online.
Diversity — This shop leaned hard into classic fiction but I saw philosophy, poetry, history, memoirs, and more mixed in.
Affordability — The books are very affordable. Of course if you go in for the antique volumes in pristine shape you might pay more, but if you’re looking for a clean classic (I bought a hardcover Steinbeck in amazing shape for $5 for) you won’t break the bank here.
Amenities — They used to have a small event space but with the pandemic it’s now an overstock room, but otherwise you’re here to search and sift.
Location — It’s not far from Dove & Hudson in the Center Square neighborhood of Albany, so you get two great shops in one short walk.
Customer Service — It was great catching up with Hassan, who runs a fun shop and really cares about making the neighborhood and the city a vibrant, creative place.
Overall — This tucked away shop at the end of Hamilton Street is a real neighborhood gem. I highly encourage readers to stop in to browse and grab some excellent deals. There’s so much to explore in this space and I already can’t wait to go back.
