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30 Saratoga Ave., Waterford, NY
I found this bookshop in a small strip of stores anchored by a Stewart’s Shop heading into Waterford, a cozy little store (self-described as “a witchy bookstore/headshop” on Instagram) that sells more than novels and notebooks. Let’s say that Gandalf the Grey would enjoy browsing here, and the shop has a unique angle that stands apart from all other bookshops in the area, focusing on a “heady” mix of the fantastic, romantic, feminine, and mystical.
Read more8 South Broadway, Nyack, NY
There are no two used bookstores alike. Some are in big, rambling barns. Some are a bit gloomy and dusty. Some are neat as a pin and narrow as a galley kitchen. And some are a delightful mound of books that seem to be tumbling from every shelf in a magical state of disarray. Pickwick Bookshop is the latter, and I mean that in the best way imaginable.
Read more320 W 37th Street, New York, NY
I stopped into 1804 Books on a rainy spring weekday and found much more than a bookshop. The store is part of The People’s Forum, or as they call it, “a movement incubator for working class and marginalized communities to build unity across historic lines of division at home and abroad.” The bookshop portion of the Forum occupied the space closest to the front of the shop with large windows overlooking a rather quiet portion of 37th Street. It’s not a large area of the forum, but there are enough shelves and table display to keep you browsing and introduce you to plenty of books about socialist, working class, union, feminist, and anti-colonialist causes.
Read more120 Main Street, Nyack, NY
On a warm spring afternoon, on my birthday in fact, I discovered Big Red Books tucked into a string of cafes, bars, and restaurants in the heart of Nyack, NY, a charming and walkable town overlooking the Hudson River at what most people in the area still call the Tappan Zee Bridge. I had just wandered through a delightful landslide of a used bookstore (more on that in another review) and was very happy to see Nyack also had a bright, organized, and well-appointed new bookshop. We only had a few minutes to wander before the shop closed, but Big Red did not let us down.
Read more218 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn NY
I’ve heard folks simply refer to this one as Spoonbill Bookshop, but either way this cozy L-shaped literary emporium is chock full of new and used books, and is finely curated to give the shop a distinctly Brooklyn feel. A bit worn, a bit artsy, a bit eclectic, and on the forward edge of creativity. While you can certainly find bestselling fiction, memoirs, and the usual universal fare of a busy modern bookshop, the store feels highly attuned to the interests of the neighborhood, with lots of books on art, design, architecture, poetry, and modern voices discussing the current social issues of the day.
Read more266 W 39th Street, New York, NY
As one may have guessed from the name of the bookshop, this one focuses on all things dramatic, from plays and scripts to books examining the world of film, television, theater, acting, directing, writing music and writing for the stage, and much more. Not only is this the perfect bookshop to accompany NYC’s nearby theater district, but it’s the perfect place to hang out on a rainy afternoon, which is how I discovered the shop.
Read more6 Church Street, New Paltz, NY
As noted in a previous review, New Paltz has a unique “bookstore block,” in that both of the town’s indie bookshops are located directly across the street from each other right downtown. Directly across from Barner Books is Inquiring Minds, housed in a brick building and a bright red ground-floor exterior with $1 bookshelves built right into the wall. There were also display tables outside with large coffee table books on discount. Once inside, I realized the shop’s offerings were almost as expansive as the other location I reviewed up in Saugerties, NY.
Read moreThe Hudson Valley has become an increasingly revitalized haven for NYC exp-pats, with towns like Hudson, Beacon, and Kingston blooming into re-gentrified versions of themselves in recent decades. But some towns, like Woodstock or New Paltz, always retained their ‘60s counter-culture vibrance and found ways to hold on to that quirky way of living even during leaner years. Driving into New Paltz these days could land you in a little traffic jam and a maze-like hunt for public parking on nicer weekend, but the trip is worth it. The cafes, art galleries, music and food, all a mix of new and old artistry coming together in the compact little town not far from the SUNY College campus. And of course, there are bookstores. By chance the two notable ones in town are right across the street from each other, and the first I visited was Barner Books.
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1313 Madison Ave., New York, NY
This shop has been on my list for a long time, and I saved it for a special occasion. You see, I frequently travel to the upper east side area of NYC from upstate NY for cancer tests and treatments at Sloan Kettering, and sometimes after I leave an MRI or CT/PET scan, I’m exhausted, shaken, and feeling really low. So after a particularly hard morning of scans, I decide it was time to treat myself. I wandered over toward the Carnegie Hill neighborhood as the aftereffects of my valium wore off, and I sat myself down inside this shop for a bit, taking in its simple beauty. It’s only one room, but with its excellent selection and a subtle classiness that matches the neighborhood, it’s the perfect shop to have “right around the corner.”
Read more97 Main Street, Cold Spring, NY
I had the pleasure of visiting this wonderful bookshop at the height of summer, the streets of Cold Springs bustling, the roads leading into town full of hikers, almost a parade of people, and the shop was just as busy. It made for an exciting browsing experience, and it had the feeling as if this was THE place to be on such a gorgeous day. Now, months later as I reflect back, I think of how the shop must feel the same even if the summer crowds have gone. The leaves are falling, the heaters are turned on, and I imagine the shop feels just as vital: a warm, cozy place to find that next great read.
Read more449 Main Street, Rosendale, NY
As they themselves describe it at their website, Postmark Books is a “bright and airy space on Rondout Creek” that is “full of good cheer,” and I can attest that they are 100% correct about that. I stopped by in mid-winter and found the space full of sunlight, beautifully decorated, and about as clean and organized as a bookshop can be. And the selection? Yeah, they got that right too.
Read more1 Bleecker Street, NY
When I lived in New York City, one of my favorite neighborhoods for bar hopping and hanging out was the Bleecker Street/Bowery area, and during a recent pandemic-era visit (when I also discovered my favorite dive Bleecker Street Bar had closed, alas), I stumbled across this sliver of a bookshop. Though it might be small, it packs a punch and it’s worth checking out if you’re in the area.
Read more4 Fulton Street, New York, NY
The main branch of the McNally Jackson bookstore in Soho is, in some ways and to many people, the ideal bookstore. But this newer location brings bookselling to another level, one I’d describe as “this is what my dream house looks like, brick walls and leather chairs and room upon room upon room full of books…with a coffee shop.” Because that’s exactly what this gorgeous location is, save for me living there. Maybe one day! But until then, this bright and bountiful bookshop is a must-see literary spot for any NYC local or visitor.
Read more1424 Route 9, Lake George, NY
The Lake George branch of this regional chain is located in the busy outlet mall just south of the village on Route 9. Tucked in amongst stores offering discounted designer jeans and sunglasses, this bookshop feels neither indie (it isn’t, really) not quaint (it’s pretty expansive inside) but it does offer a huge discount on what initially seems like remaindered extras, but the offerings were better than the castoffs I expected.
(Image borrowed from Shelf-awareness.com.)
Read more34 Carmine Street, New York, NY
Separated by more than 18 months and a worldwide pandemic, I finally returned to New York City this June to scour for more bookshops. It was both awkward and a relief, roaming the streets and subways packed with people after having to avoid them for so long, but to do so vaccinated allowed me to enjoy that golden hour magic in early evening Manhattan, the neon just beginning to glow, the sounds of music from boomboxes in small west village parks, the rose-gold hue of the sky as the sun sets into New Jersey horizons across the Hudson. And it allowed me to discover the eclectic and wallet-friendly Unoppressive Non-Imperialist Bargain Bookstore, a throwback to a more defiant artistic culture one doesn’t always find in a city full of shallow Instagrammers and fleece vest-wearing finance bros. In fact, finding this shop felt like a perfect return to the unique experience that is book browsing in one of the greatest literary cities in the world.
Read more223 Main Street, Hudson Falls, NY
Just up the street from the large traffic circle in the enter of Hudson Falls is a quaint little book shop that is anything but quaint and little once you walk inside the doors. Once inside, that deep aroma of old books, hardcover binding, and aged ink on the page will fill you with that excited eagerness that comes when you know you’re about to explore a bookshop with depth, history, and loads of hidden gems.
(Cover image borrowed from their Facebook page.)
Read more608 Main Street, Hobart, NY
WM H Adams was the last bookshop I explored during my trip to Hobart in the pandemic summer of 2020, but it was not at all the least of the shops I found there. The first impressing is like walking into a little slice of an ivy league library plucked out of Yale or Harvard and plunked down in a small town shop in the Catskills. The sets and collections were gorgeously bound and set the tone for a real throwback experience.
Read more81 Alden Street, Cherry Valley, NY
I first heard about the Cherry Valley Bookstore from some other bookshop hunting friends, and we found the tiny yellow house in the middle of the village with fresh snow adorning the little roof and the fireplace inside pumping warm air throughout the main room. The shop gave off a welcoming feeling after our chilly walk from the car, and even better, the stacks of books inside were full of surprises.
Read more678 E Main Street, Hobart, NY
Liberty Rock Books is located in the heart of Hobart, a town in the western Catskills that features a number of bookshops. As does this building, which had signage for a few shops out front, not all of which seemed evident inside. But I’m sure the store has evolved over the years. There’s certain space enough inside for a couple, and what I did find inside kept me browsing for quite a while: a meticulously organized collection with loads of art, music, fiction, history and more.
Read more295 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.
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