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A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

By Adam Guy


New York City is a book lover’s paradise. Not only has New York City been the setting for countless titles through the centuries. Not only are most major publishing houses headquartered in the Big Apple.  But with 8.5 million people living here, we have loads of bookstores to scratch every literary itch. There are mainstream stores like Barnes & Noble; themed shops like Pillow Cat Books that only sells titles relating to animals; classic bookstores like the Strand; and gorgeous ones like the French-focused Albertine.

Inside McNally Jackson Bookstore. Bookstore interior with shelves filled with colorful books. Stacks of books on tables, green walls, and a sign reading "SOFIA COPPOLA ARCHIVE." A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

I’ve pulled together a list of 22 of the best bookstores in New York City. The list includes major retailers, small indie shops, and eclectic gems. There are many, many more bookstores than are on this list, of course. You can find just about any kind of book in the world here.

 

Stores are organized into Uptown (Manhattan), Midtown (Manhattan), Downtown (Manhattan), and Brooklyn. I’ve concentrated on places that visitors with limited time would be most likely to visit. And away we go…


Uptown (Manhattan)

Consider Uptown anything from the bottom of Central Park at 59th Street and above.


(Upper East Side, 972 5th Ave at E 79th St.)


A visit to the stunning Albertine is like visiting France, without the macarons. Arguably the most beautiful bookstore and reading room in NYC, the Albertine is devoted to French works written in French and English. The shop offers over 14,000 titles from 30 French-speaking countries in genres including novels, non-fiction, art, comics and graphic novels, and children’s books. Located in the former Payne Whitney mansion, its fellow building occupant is, quite appropriately, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.

Inside the Albertine Bookstore. Bookstore with astrological ceiling and starry motifs. Shelves filled with books, people browsing. Warm lighting, inviting atmosphere.  A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

Not a French speaker? It’s still worth a visit to see the incredible ceiling on the second floor of the shop. The hand-painted mural of constellations, stars, and planets was modeled after the extraordinary ceiling of the music room at the Villa Stuck in Munich, Germany by Franz von Stuck (1863-1928). De rien! (You’re welcome!)


(Upper West Side, 536 W 112th St near Broadway)

 

Inside Book Culture. Bookstore interior with customers browsing. Shelves filled with colorful books, a large abstract painting on a red wall, and a staircase in view. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit.

This gem is located near Columbia University, so you know the book

sellers are super smarties and offer excellent recommendations. That, and their selection of

used books is great. I suspect all those college students frequently sell their books to pay for Manhattan rents! Book Culture has other locations on the Upper West Side and in Long Island City, Queens.


(Upper East Side, 1313 Madison Ave at E 93rd St.)

 

It’s mainstream meets cozy at The Corner Bookstore. This charming Upper East Side staple may have opened in in 1978, but it’s easy to imagine Charles Dickens or Jane Austen thumbing through the shelves. I bet Charles would have been a Hunger Games kind of guy. And Jane… she would have claimed to be looking for works by Virginia Woolf or Sylvia Plath. But you know she would have snuck a peek at Fifty Shades of Grey.  Grrrrr…

A person in a red coat walks past "The Corner Bookstore." Books are displayed in the window. It’s a winter day with snow on the ground. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

(Washington Heights, 1942 Amsterdam Ave at 156th St.)

 

"I grew up as a child dreaming and trying to figure out, 'so am I invisible? Who am I? Where do I fit in all of this?'” said founder of Sister’s Janifer P. Wilson. "It's always been in my soul to house, present, and preserve the history of the African diaspora."

 

Janifer and daughter Kori run Sister's Uptown Bookstore. The family-owned shop aims to nurture the minds, hearts and souls of its community with present and past works of gifted African American authors and other great authors and intellectuals, including masters of spoken word. Check out Janifer speaking about her beloved store. At 3:41, she says “We’re about all people. We’re about everybody. We love everybody.”  Thank you for that, Janifer!

Front of Sister's Uptown Bookstore with blue awning, books displayed in the window, and string lights. Located at 1942 Amsterdam Ave. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

Midtown (Manhattan)

Consider Midtown as anything between 14th Street at Union Square up to 59th Street/Central Park.


(Midtown East, 116 E 59th St btw Park and Lexington Ave.)


Inside Argosy Bookstore. Cozy bookstore with rows of books, dim lighting, and green lamps. People browse near shelves. Ceiling features a decorative ship model. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

Argosy Book Store, founded in 1925, is now in its third generation of family ownership. Its enormous stock of antiquarian and out-of-print items fills a six-floor building in Midtown Manhattan and a large warehouse in Brooklyn. Argosy specializes in Americana, modern first editions, autographs, art, photography, and antique maps & prints. 

 

How could I not include an old and rare bookshop on the list?  New York City is more than 400 years old after all. I wonder if you get to wear special “book-handling” gloves when thumbing through those antique volumes.

 

(Midtown near Central Park, 768 Fifth Avenue at Central Park West.)


Assouline specializes in producing exquisite coffee table books that are more than just reading material; they are works of art. It’s tucked upstairs in the lobby of the Plaza Hotel. You may not know the store is there… unless maybe you read about it in a blog.  The books are so stunning, you may be afraid to touch them. I don’t know the cost of any of them. Let’s just say if you’re staying at the Plaza, you probably aren’t too concerned.  Assouline also has locations in the Mark Hotel, D&D Building, and nearby Bloomingdale’s.

Inside Assouline Bookstore. Books on shelves with colorful covers featuring topics like Versailles, Rolex, Picasso, and Formula 1. Warm lighting enhances display. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

(Union Square North, 33 E 17tH St btw Broadway and Park Ave.)


Red-brick building with "Barnes & Noble Booksellers" signage. Green awnings and windows. Bright sunny day, bicycles parked in front. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

OK, so it’s Barnes & Noble. But the one just above Union Square is the largest one in the country! And the first one ever opened in 1917 just a few blocks away.  For these two reasons, B&N makes the list. And hey, they survived that period about a decade ago when we ALL thought bookstores were all-but-dead. Happily, they appear to be coming back… hence this list!

 

Four additional Barnes & Noble locations are in Upper West Side, Midtown, Brooklyn Heights, and Park Slope, Brooklyn



(Midtown, 1073 6th Ave near 41st St.)

 

Books Kinokuniya sells Japanese literature, animé, manga, magazines, gifts, and stationery. It also includes a large selection on mainstream English titles. Kinokuniya is the largest bookstore chain in Japan. This location near Bryant Park opened in 2007.


Wait. Wait. Wait… MANGA. What is Manga, Adam?  I’m so glad you asked.

Inside Books Kinokuniya. Books displayed on shelves, including "20th Century Boys," "Monster," and "Paradise Kiss." Bold, colorful spines with a warning label. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

Manga is an umbrella term for a wide variety of comic books and graphic novels originally produced and published in Japan. Unlike American comic books, which are usually printed in full color, Japanese manga are almost always published in black and white. Full-color prints are often only used for special releases. Japanese manga is read right-to-left rather than left-to-right, which is the norm for English language publications. (Thanks, New York Public Library!) OR.. how about watching this “WHAT IS MANGA?” video.  The learning feels SO good!


(Chelsea, 42 W 17th St. btw 5th and 6th Ave.)


From Beatrix Potter to Harry Potter. From Winnie the Pooh to If I Ran the Zoo. Books of Wonder is the leading children’s bookstore in New York City. Their selection includes board and picture books and ages up through young adult titles. They even have an extensive collection of rare, out-of-print, and collectible children's titles.

Inside Books of Wonder. Bookshelf filled with colorful children's books in a cozy bookstore. A cheerful elephant illustration is visible on a top shelf. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

 The staff at Books of Wonder know really their stuff! You can tell them half a plot description or the color of a cover and there’s a good chance they’ll know the book you are talking about. My smart and talented friend Anna Jordan used to work here and she had this magical power. AND the delightful young adult book she wrote, Shira and Esther’s Double Dream Debut, is sold at this fantastical store. Check it out!

(Midtown, 266 W 39th St between 7th and 8th Aves.)

 

Lin Manuela Miranda and his Hamilton buddies saved the Drama Book Shop from a potential closure in 2019. Miranda had a special connection to the store, having studied there during high school. It’s also a place where he worked his first Broadway show, In the Heights.

Inside the Drama Bookshop. Books spiral from the ceiling, pages fanned out in a creative display. Below, people browse a cozy bookstore with wooden shelves. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

The shop, which originally opened in 1917, was moved and given a super cool design refresh by Hamilton set designer David Korins. The shop hosts many book and script signing events, including ones by Lin himself. This is a definite must-visit place for theater fans.


(Midtown, 1 Rockefeller Center at W. 48th St.)  


Bookstore window display at McNally Jackson with shelves of colorful books. Bright lighting highlights various covers; cozy, inviting setting. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

McNally Jackson started as a quaint indie shop in Nolita. Thanks to a great selection and smart aesthetic, this small chain has gone mainstream. (You can’t be considered indie still when you have a giant store at Rockefeller Center.) That said, they still feel indie-ish with loads of staff recommendations. Four additional NYC locations in Nolita, South Street Seaport, Williamsburg, and Downtown Brooklyn)


(Flatiron District, 1133 Broadway btw 25th and 26th St.)

 

Another beautiful bookstore with dark wood shelving reaching high in the large space. You could imagine such a space inside an old Gilded Age mansion. If only they had giant leather chairs inside… This mainstream shop has been around for more than 50 years. With a stage in the back area, Rizzoli frequently hosts books signings and reading events. Centrally located near Madison Square Park, you can pick up a title, then walk a few blocks to Eataly to grabs a coffee and gelato. Sounds like a good day to me.

Inside Rizzoli Bookstore. Bookstore interior with people browsing shelves labeled "Art History" and "Artists." Display of colorful art books on a table; ornate ceiling. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

Downtown (Manhattan)

Consider Downtown as anything below 14th Street down to the bottom of the Financial District.


(East Village, 28 E 2nd St btw 2nd Ave and Bowery)

 

They only sell cookbooks!  How adorable is that? Owner Bonnie Slotnick has been selling these unique books for more than 27 years. What’s the recipe to her success?  Slotnick helps reunite people with long-lost recipes... and memories. Her specialty is rare, out-of-print books. Want to learn to churn butter or jam your own strawberries? Or maybe you want to see how to make a delicious dessert using old-school recipes and methods. Bonnie has a cookbook for you. Reading these vintage gems isn’t just about temperatures, measurements, and ingredients, it’s taking a walk through a culinary time gone by.

Inside Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks. A cozy bookstore cafe with a wooden table set with books, white flowers, cups, and glass bowls. Shelves filled with books in the background. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

(SoHo, 126 Crosby St. btw Houston and Prince St.)

 

How could I not include a used bookstore in the mix?  Housing Works is a local charity fighting homelessness and AIDS through advocacy, services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain the efforts. This bookstore is one of those efforts. With reasonable prices, a vast selection that changes daily, welcoming vibe, and a fantastic coffee shop to boot, Housing Works Bookstore is a worth a visit. And if it’s good enough for Taylor Swift to film her video for song “All Too Well” here, then it’s good enough for me! Thanks for the rec, TayTay. We’ll be in touch.


(Tribeca, 58 Warren St near W. Broadway)

 

Inside the Mysterious Bookshop. Library with tall bookshelves filled with colorful books. A wooden ladder leans against a shelf. A person browses in the background. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

If someone was murdered in New York City, who would you want working the case? Maybe Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew. Perhaps Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot. But where could you find all these famous sleuths? I know… at The Mysterious Bookshop! This gem is the oldest mystery specialist bookstore in America! Opened in 1979 by Otto Penzler, Mysterious Bookshop specializes in mystery fiction and all its subgenres, including detective, crime, hardboiled, thrillers, espionage, and suspense. Just look at how adorable the place is. That said, wouldn’t this make for a fantastic setting for a murder mystery? Muhahaha!

 

(East Village, 328 East 9th St. btw 1st and 2nd Ave.)

 

Totes adorbs, right? (Do the kids still say that?) Well, Pillow Cat Books IS adorable. How could a store dedicated to all things animals not be? I’m not talking about veterinary medical books here. Titles include everything from Paddington and Snoopy to Kurt Vonnegut’s Galapagos and George Orwell’s Animal Farm. There are books about fashion animals and imaginary animals. They have photography books of animals, works about cats and elephants and even rats. I only wish they used animal sound effects for when the shop door opened to announce visitors. One for the suggestion box perhaps.


(Union Square area, 828 Broadway at E 12th St.)

 

It’s the mother of all bookstores in New York City, the gold standard. The Strand "the undisputed king” of the city’s independent bookstores, the Strand opened nearly 100 years ago in 1927 over on what was then called “Book Row.” Book Row covered six city blocks and housed forty-eight bookstores. Today, the Strand is the sole survivor of Book Row’s colorful past.

Inside the Strand Bookstore. People browse and queue in a colorful bookstore. "Checkout" and "Strand" signs are visible. Shelves filled with books create a cozy feel. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

The shop carries over 2.5 million used, new, and rare books on four floors of literary madness, covering topics as far-ranging as occult to philosophy to finance. It has been featured in such movies as Six Degrees of Separation, Julie & Julia, Sex and the City, and, most recently, Dash and Lily on Netflix.

 

If there’s one shop to visit while in NYC, this is my recommendation. But block off a few hours for browsing.

 

(Lower East Side, 47 Orchard St. btw Grand and Hester St.)

 

Inside Sweet Pickle Books. Store interior with shelves of books and jars of pickles. Signs say "PICKLE MERCH" and "Farmhouse Pickles." Disco ball hangs above. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

Used Books and pickles. What’s the dill? Let me explain. At Sweet Pickle Books, you can exchange used books for jars of pickles. (I’m not making that up.). Why? It’s owner Leigh Altshuler’s way of paying homage to the Lower East Side’s pickling tradition. Pickle stores and carts used to litter the neighborhood during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Altshuler has her own pickle recipes offering original dill and spicy farmhouse style pickles. The store will pay cash for used books. I say indulge in a jar of crunchy deliciousness while cozying up to a slightly worn copy of a Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’ or maybe the latest tabloid biography on Britney Spears. To each their own…

 

(Chinatown, 44 Mulberry St btw Bayard and Mosco St.)

 

So quaint and unexpected. That was my reaction when I stepped into Yu & Me Books in Chinatown. At first, I thought this store only offered books in Asian languages., which would have been intriguing. That was not the case at all. Yu & Me highlights titles (primarily in English) from immigrants and people of color, with a special focus on Asian Americans.

Inside Yu & Me Bookstore. Cozy bookstore cafe with walls of books and lit string lights. Three people sit at a counter, books displayed on tables. Warm ambiance. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

Founded by Lucy Yu, Yu & Me is the first Asian American female-owned bookstore in New York City. It opened in December 2022 as the Covid pandemic was winding down, Yu was concerned about the hate crimes that were going on against the Asian community at the time. Yu wanted to highlight the need for a sense of celebration and security among the community, to do things for people that had similar life experiences and identities as she did. Then Yu & Me was born.

 

The shop may be small, but the variety of titles and categories are abundant. There’s even an adorable café offering coffee, alcoholic, and non-alcoholic drinks. Yu & Me has become as much of a hipster hangout as a place to find the latest best seller by Haruki Murakami or Celeste Ng.


Brooklyn

Yes, there are bookstores in the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. But for this list, I’m only including stores in Brooklyn.


(Brooklyn Heights, 122 Montague St near Henry St.) A second location is in nearby Carroll Gardens.)

 

Best-selling author Emma Straub (The Vacationers, This Time Tomorrow, All Adults Here) founded Books are Magic. She lives in the neighborhood next to Brooklyn Heights. I suspect Straub started the store, not because she wanted to sell more of her own works, but because she ran out of space in her home to keep her massive collection of books!

Three people smile outside a bookstore with "Books Are Magic" painted above. The window displays books. The mood is cheerful. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

Books are Magic is a very neighborhood-y indie bookstore that blends in perfectly in Brooklyn Heights. It’s also next to the first Haagen-Dazs ever in the world. See… books ARE magic!

 

(Crown Heights, 724 Prospect Place near Rogers Ave.)


Inside Cafe Con Libres bookstore. A person organizing colorful books on a white bookshelf in a cozy room. A tote bag reads "feminist, bookish, unapologetic." Boxes on floor. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

The smallest of all the bookstores on this list, Café Con Libres means “coffee with books.”  The Brooklyn shop dubs itself as an intersectional feminist community bookstore, a space where everyone, specifically woman, girls, and non-binary folx feel centered, affirmed and celebrated.


After a trip to Ethiopia, where owner Kalima Desuze witnessed the magic of a community coffee shop, she instantly knew she would open a bookstore and coffeeshop. The concept for Café Con Libres was inspired by Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. The seminal work motivated her to curate a collection focusing on women’s stories. Café con Libres hosts two book clubs: a bi-monthly Feminist Book Club and the Womxn of Color Book Club that explores the crossroads of womanhood and race.

 

Let’s not forget the coffee!  Drinks are expertly made and delicious!

 

(Park Slope, 218 5th Avenue near President St.)

 

The Ripped Bodice specializes in romance books of all types including classics, contemporary, sci-fi/fantasy, black love, LGBTQIA+, erotica, historical, and young adult. If you like “meet-cutes,” “long walks on the beach,” “star-crossed-lovers,” “soul crushing breakups,” “happily every afters,” and “you had me at hellos,” this store is definitely for you! It’s not too far from Manhattan. Simply take the R subway to Union Street in Brooklyn. Then walk a block or so to 5th Avenue. Thanks to romance author Jenifer Goldin who told me about this memorable bookstore. Be sure to check out Jenifer's charming novels ANONYMOUS MOM POSTS and MOMS WHO READ ROMANCE NOVELS.

Pink storefront of "The Ripped Bodice," a romantic bookstore in Brooklyn. Large windows with decorative white designs reveal warm interior lighting. A Book Lover’s Guide to New York City: The Best Bookstores to Visit

Happy book hunting and reading!!


----------------------------


Do you stop at bookstores on your tours, Adam? We absolutely can. That’s part of the planning process. You tell me you love books, and I’ll drop in a bookstore or two on our list of stops if it makes sense to the neighborhoods we visit. Or I’ll advise you of shops you might enjoy on another day of your trip.

 

I Know A Guy NYC Tours offers private, personal, and fun adventures around the city. They feel like Harry Potter hunting down horcruxes, or an uplifting walk like in Cheryl Strayed’s ‘Wild’… but in New York City and not the Pacific Crest Trail. Lots of guests have enjoyed the experience. See what they had to say!  

 

Check out what tours are like by following I Know A Guy NYC Tours Facebook or Instagram. You’ll completely get the vibe.



 

I Know A Guy NYC Tours

Thanks for reading this blog! If you would like to chat about your upcoming trip and possible tour ideas, please contact me at aguy@iknowaguy.nyc or 404-915-9901 I'm quite friendly!


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