Face it. Reading is sexy, and an integral part of the culture in New York.
Which is why we thought it would be helpful to give you the rundown on our favorite book nooks in the city (never fear, Brooklynites, your guide is coming soon!). From a lofty art book store filled with natural light, to a semi-subterranean hideout for mystery lovers, to a secret bookstore with the vibe of an artist’s salon meets speakeasy, we’ll tell you about what we believe to be the best of the best in the most literary city in the U.S.
Rizzoli (31 W. 57th Street):
Situated in Midtown Manhattan, just below Central Park, between 5th and 6th Avenues, Rizzoli bookstore, despite selling a little bit of everything to stay competitive, specializes in art books and coffee table tomes. Certainly, the store’s inclination toward artistic and architectural literature is evident in the store’s actual design; the store’s high, almost domed ceiling and elegant marble staircase immerse visitors in a feeling of lavish luxury. The books themselves are kept in beautiful, carved wooden shelves and arranged neatly on sprawling tables. If you are a fan of the library in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, this bookstore will not disappoint. It’s worth a visit just to pretend like you live there for an hour or so.
Van Alen Books (30 W. 22nd St.):
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe (Crosby and Prince Streets):
The
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe is almost always filled with book-lovers,
eager to share their opinions on the latest literature over a can of PBR
or Sixpoint Sweet Action.
Printed Matter (195 10th Avenue):
Even from the outside, Printed Matter is clearly dedicated to promoting visual art.
If you’re looking for a complete change of pace, you might want to
stop in at Printed Matter, in Chelsea. A thoroughly established New York
institution in the art scene since the mid-seventies, Printed Matter
seeks to promote “artists’ publications,” or books conceived by artists.
The store defines the content of the books it sells as “artwork for
the page,” and hosts exhibitions of these books throughout the year. Its
biggest event is the New York Art Book Fair, which it presents annually
to feature the work of upcoming book artists in the city. The
bookstore, whose space functions very much like a gallery in that it is
usually swathed in the material of its most recent exhibition, is a
non-profit organization primarily dedicated to promoting the concept of
book art; their website is filled with resources for aspiring artists,
and the store itself puts on several lectures for visiting classes all
year long.
(When you’re done at Printed Matter, be sure to stroll on over to its literary next-door neighbor, 192 Books, Chelsea’s most beloved neighborhood general interest bookseller.)
Forbidden Planet (13th Street and Broadway):
However, I would like to give a special shout out to the wonderfully grungy St. Mark’s Comics and to Midtown Comics for having two floors of nerd necessities (and for having a life-sized Spiderman hanging out on the stairs).
Bluestockings (Allen Street and Stanton Street):
Bluestockings
is fully stocked with activist literature and books that address such
issues as gender roles, democracy, capitalism, and racism. Photo
courtesy of NY Mag.
Mysterious in a totally different respect, the only way to access Manhattan’s “secret” bookstore is to know someone who knows someone who knows the bookseller; if not, let’s just say that you’ll need to put in some serious research time in order to get to the information you’ll need to make an appointment to visit the small bookshop, which is stuffed into a little apartment. But lack of space doesn’t make this bookstore any less enchanting; visiting Brazenhead has the exclusive feel of a speakeasy, but Michael, the bookseller who runs the operation, is anything but inaccessible. During my visit, while I browsed the walls full of individual books (he doesn’t buy anything in bulk–instead, Michael buys the books like he sells them, one by one), I found myself immersed in an intelligent, lively conversation about everything from life to books to the writers we liked to religion, politics, and human nature. For the few who have had the privilege to visit, Brazenhead often becomes a home away from home. The books are all in wonderful condition, too; I made a great find by Borges on my visit. It might feel like a lot of work trying to find out how to get there, but we like Brazenhead so much that we think it’s definitely worth it.
Which is why we thought it would be helpful to give you the rundown on our favorite book nooks in the city (never fear, Brooklynites, your guide is coming soon!). From a lofty art book store filled with natural light, to a semi-subterranean hideout for mystery lovers, to a secret bookstore with the vibe of an artist’s salon meets speakeasy, we’ll tell you about what we believe to be the best of the best in the most literary city in the U.S.
Rizzoli (31 W. 57th Street):
Situated in Midtown Manhattan, just below Central Park, between 5th and 6th Avenues, Rizzoli bookstore, despite selling a little bit of everything to stay competitive, specializes in art books and coffee table tomes. Certainly, the store’s inclination toward artistic and architectural literature is evident in the store’s actual design; the store’s high, almost domed ceiling and elegant marble staircase immerse visitors in a feeling of lavish luxury. The books themselves are kept in beautiful, carved wooden shelves and arranged neatly on sprawling tables. If you are a fan of the library in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, this bookstore will not disappoint. It’s worth a visit just to pretend like you live there for an hour or so.
Van Alen Books (30 W. 22nd St.):
The stairway at Van Alen Books in Midtown. Photo courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
Another art bookstore that you should check out is Van Alen Books,
located at 30 W. 22nd st. While it’s not breathtaking in the same way
as Rizzoli, the architecture book selection there is incredible. When
you walk into the very modern space, the first thing you’ll probably
notice is the huge yellow staircase that
stretches into the center of the store. The bookstore, which was
designed by LO-TEK pro-bono, aims to revitalize the necessary but waning
connection between architecture and the physical book in this age of
e-reading and the impermanent, virtual page. Interestingly, for a space
that was originally created with the idea of the importance of the book
in mind, the books don’t seem to be the focus; rather, the bookshelves
only take up the right hand wall and back corner, near the cash
register. Still, the small collection is rich and impressive, and boasts
some interesting and illuminating tomes on the practice, history, and
theory of the architectural field.Housing Works Bookstore Cafe (Crosby and Prince Streets):
The
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe is almost always filled with book-lovers,
eager to share their opinions on the latest literature over a can of PBR
or Sixpoint Sweet Action.
If you and your word nerd friends are ever
out one night, and you can’t decide whether to visit a new bookstore and
peruse the shelves for some quality verbiage, or whether you want to
just chill at a hip bar with a laid back vibe (and maybe an activist
bent), don’t fret! Housing Works Bookstore Cafe is the place for you.
The SoHo store sells used books in a massive space (with a sweet second
story walkway) that still feels cozy enough, and it also sells beer
(yes, beer) at the cafe in the back of the store. Even better, the store
hosts literary and musical events more often than not, and you can
usually snag a used copy of Kerouac, Toni Morrison, or even something as
contemporary (and raunchy!) as E.L. James’s 50 Shades of Gray
for a decent price. Plus, part of all the profits from book sales go
toward promoting AIDS research and awareness. Really, what more could
you want in a bookstore? (Unless you just want more books, in which
case, you can always pay a visit to The Strand, famed for its “18 miles of books.”)
McNally Jackson Bookstore (Prince & Spring Streets):
The first floor of McNally Jackson,
where the store also has its own printing press and a cafe that sells
coffee, tea, and snacks. Photo courtesy of McNally Jackson Bookstore.
When it comes to organizing literary events that have serious star
power but still remain accessible to the public (usually for free),
there is no better bookstore in Manhattan than McNally Jackson. The
official book-signing location for the annual New Yorker Festival, McJ
also hosts talks with upcoming and renowned authors from all genres. In
the past year, the likes of Sloane Crosley, Ian Frazier, Lev Grossman,
Maud Newton, Ben Marcus, and Molly Ringwald have all given talks or
readings in the basement floor of this SoHo establishment. The store
also hosts a monthly series called “Nerd Jeopardy,” various workshops in
several genres, and many literary journal launch parties. Needless to
say, McJ is worth a trip for the fun stuff happening there, even if you
don’t necessarily buy a book.Printed Matter (195 10th Avenue):
Even from the outside, Printed Matter is clearly dedicated to promoting visual art.
(When you’re done at Printed Matter, be sure to stroll on over to its literary next-door neighbor, 192 Books, Chelsea’s most beloved neighborhood general interest bookseller.)
Forbidden Planet (13th Street and Broadway):
Forbidden Planet is the central hub for comic book and graphic novel enthusiasts in the city.
Speaking of the intersection between visual art and books, Forbidden
Planet near Union Square is particularly well-stocked in graphic novels
and comics. If you’re a literary type (or just someone whose bucket list
doesn’t include attending ComicCon), don’t scoff when you come in; once
you wade through the slew of action figures, superhero apparel, and
other cult phenom paraphernalia, you’ll find shelves upon shelves of top
quality literature. Sure, you’ll find your standard Marvel and DC
Comics selections here, along with some lesser known comic brands, but
what sets this store apart from the other comic book stores in the city
is the scope of its inventory that would appeal to the literary set.
(Gary Gianni’s take on Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or Droopsie Avenue by Will Eisner, for instance.)However, I would like to give a special shout out to the wonderfully grungy St. Mark’s Comics and to Midtown Comics for having two floors of nerd necessities (and for having a life-sized Spiderman hanging out on the stairs).
Bluestockings (Allen Street and Stanton Street):
Bluestockings
is fully stocked with activist literature and books that address such
issues as gender roles, democracy, capitalism, and racism. Photo
courtesy of NY Mag.
Appropriately situated in the Lower East
Side, Bluestockings is a bookstore dedicated to activism of all sorts.
Walk into this store, and most days, you’ll see thoughtful New Yorkers
thumbing through feminist texts or hanging out and discussing the
inequalities of the current capitalist system while they wait for their
organic, free trade, or vegan coffee from the cafe. At night, though,
the place is a hub for all kinds of literary events–film screenings,
talks, readings, open mics, knitting circles, book clubs–you name it,
and Bluestockings probably has it. According to their website,
Bluestockings has at their core the desire “to create a space that
welcomes and empowers all people.” Makes perfect sense to us, and we
love to hang out in this haven of intellectual discussion and universal
acceptance.
The Mysterious Bookshop (Warren St. and W. Broadway):
Tribeca’s mystery-only bookstore, The Mysterious Bookshop, is filled with this kind of ominous decor appropriate to the genre.
Mystery lovers around the city know that
the best place to get their crime fic fix is here, at The Mysterious
Bookshop, just off of West Broadway. The store itself is anything but
mysterious or foreboding; a quaint little space with a basic
layout–shelves all along the three interior walls, tall white windows on
the wall facing the street–the bookstore is actually quite a pleasant
place to linger. Since the recent closing of Partners and Crime
in Greenwich Village, The Mysterious Bookshop is the only all-mystery
bookstore left in the city. Be sure to drop by this killer bookstore
before it disappears, too!
Brazenhead Books (secret location):Mysterious in a totally different respect, the only way to access Manhattan’s “secret” bookstore is to know someone who knows someone who knows the bookseller; if not, let’s just say that you’ll need to put in some serious research time in order to get to the information you’ll need to make an appointment to visit the small bookshop, which is stuffed into a little apartment. But lack of space doesn’t make this bookstore any less enchanting; visiting Brazenhead has the exclusive feel of a speakeasy, but Michael, the bookseller who runs the operation, is anything but inaccessible. During my visit, while I browsed the walls full of individual books (he doesn’t buy anything in bulk–instead, Michael buys the books like he sells them, one by one), I found myself immersed in an intelligent, lively conversation about everything from life to books to the writers we liked to religion, politics, and human nature. For the few who have had the privilege to visit, Brazenhead often becomes a home away from home. The books are all in wonderful condition, too; I made a great find by Borges on my visit. It might feel like a lot of work trying to find out how to get there, but we like Brazenhead so much that we think it’s definitely worth it.
Get in touch with the author @kellitrapnell.
