5 New York bookstores worth traveling for
In honor of Bangkok’s two biggest book fairs, here are our favorite independent bookstores from one of the most literary cities in the world: New York.
9 years ago
The Strand
Founded in 1927 by the same family who still owns it today, the Strand is undoubtedly New York City’s most badass independent bookstore. The red “dollar carts” ($1, $2, $2-5) lined up outside the store have made it a landmark in its own right. Inside, it famously contains “18 miles of books,” including over 2.5 million new and used copies covering every topic you can imagine, and regularly stocked at discount prices. Rare collectibles, often in mint condition, occupy the whole top floor, while the other three floors are noted for their “special pick” tables that put titles into neat groups like “Books we love under $10” and “Real books priced lower than e-books.”
Tip: Don’t forget to grab goodies like the high-quality Strand tote bags, pouches, mugs, magnets, postcards and buttons before heading to the checkout.
828 Broadway & 12th Street, 14 St-Union Square subway. Open Mon-Sat 9:30am-10:30pm; Sun 11am-10:30pm.
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
As the name suggests, Housing Works is not only a bookstore but also a social enterprise whose mission is to provide support for HIV/AIDS sufferers and the homeless. Along with reasonably priced books, their merchandise includes DVDs, CDs and postcards, all of which come from donations. This means the selection can be quite random, and you never know what rare gems you might find. The roomy store offers two floors of books as well as a cafe for you to sit and read. Or, if you prefer, take a seat on the second floor overlooking the walls of books below. Housing Works is a non-profit mission.
Tip: Visit the Housing Works Thrift Shop right next door for clothes and other unexpected surprises. Also, pick up some free condoms at the counter.
126 Crosby Street, Prince St, Broadway-Lafayette, or Bleecker St.subways. Open Mon-Fri 9am-9pm; Sat-Sun 10am-5pm.
McNally Jackson
With its neat interior design and stylish facade, McNally Jackson lacks any of the rough-around-the-edges charm of other indie bookstores, feeling more like a cool coffee shop crossed with Barnes & Noble. It only stocks new books, and like B&N, offers 10-20-percent discounts on many titles as well as signed copies of new releases. If you’re looking to produce your own book, there’s also a Self-Publishing Department where they’ll guide you through the printing process.
Tip: The shop currently houses the first and only Espresso Book Machine in New York. The machine can print any made-to-order book from a selection of seven million titles in the cloud for the price of a typical paperback.
52 Prince Street, Broadway-Lafayette, Spring St. subway. Open Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-9pm www.mcnallyjackson.com
Crawford Doyle Booksellers
The smallest store in this list utilizes space in the most amazing way. Stuffed from floor to ceiling, the book shelves can seem overwhelming at first, but the titles are all carefully selected and neatly organized into general fiction, history, philosophy, religion, children’s books and more. They also offer signed copies and first editions, including work by J.D. Salinger, John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway. We adore the way that everything is curated as if it were a museum, artfully displaying titles from the same collections together, like the shelf of 26 rainbow-hued spines from Penguin’s Drop Caps series. This makes it one of the prettiest bookstores around.
Tip: After your visit, head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), which is right around the corner.
1082 Madison Avenue, between 81st and 82nd St, 77 St or 86 St subways. Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 12pm-5pm. crawforddoyle.com
P.S. Bookshop
P.S. Bookshop takes its name from the owner’s daughter’s initials, and has the vibe of a laidback family reading room rather than a conventional bookstore. It specializes in used, rare and out-of-print books, but also has plenty of modern classics, general fiction and children’s titles, too. The general messiness and labyrinth-like shelves give it a real charm; When you finally find your way out, there are sofas and couches for you to sit and have a rest.
Tip: Once you finish shopping, carry your haul over to one of the many parks nearby: Clumber Corner, Bridge Park, Trinity Park, Cadman Plaza Park and Walt Whitman Park (dedicated to the great American poet). The Brooklyn Heights Library is also within walking distance.
76 Front Street, Brooklyn, High St or York St subways. Open daily 10am-8pm. www.psbookshopnyc.com
NYC Essentials
VISA
Thai nationals must apply for a visa at the US Embassy’s Consular Section. Details at bangkok.usembassy.gov
FLIGHTS
There are many one-stop flights. Thai Airways (via Tokyo) starts at B44,670, Eva Air (via Taipei) starts at 39,535, Delta (via Tokyo) starts at 43,290, Korean Air (via Seoul) starts at B45,945, and China Eastern starts at B47,500.
EXCHANGE RATE
US$1 = B32-34
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