Book Shopping in NYC

Hey! So this past weekend, I took a trip to New York City! And of course, I annoyed my family by dragging them all across the city to different bookstores. Here’s a rundown of a few that I visited!

The Strand 

The first bookstore that I journeyed to was The Strand, which stands on the corner of 12th Street and Broadway. It is the only surviving store of what was called the “Book Row,” a six block book lovers dream with 48 bookstores, mostly secondhand, during the 1890’s-1960’s. The Strand is known for its “18 miles of books,” and although I was skeptical of this statement myself, they definitely aren’t exaggerating. 

Walking through The Strand is like walking through a maze of books. There are rows and rows of ceiling-high shelves going every which way, although it still has an organized feel to it. The main level is very grand, with different tables that are categorized by interest and genre. They even had a Blind Date With a Book table, which I think is really cute and fun. There was also a cafe and stationary section. 

The lower level is very wide and open. Personally, I didn’t spend too much time down there because the sections didn’t really suit my interests, but it still had the library-like feel. If you’re a big nonfiction reader, this was the level for you. However, I was drawn to the giant tote bag table in the center since I collect independent bookstore totes. 

The upper level has to be my personal favorite, as this is where they keep the Young Adult section. The children's area is also upstairs, and it was really cute and sweet. I ended up purchasing two books from this level, Lightlark, the first of a series that has long been on my TBR, and The Thirteenth Child, which intrigued me when it was a Barnes and Noble Book Club Pick I believe. 

Overall, I absolutely adored this store and would definitely recommend visiting! It is one of the more touristy bookstores, but the sheer volume of books that they have is extraordinary. The Christmas decorations made it even more magical. I would also like to note that The Strand also had a pop-up along the lower end of Central Park that was super fun!

Rizzoli Bookstore

Rizzoli is a very literature oriented bookstore. It was a bit more sophisticated for my taste, but they did have an impressive collection of illustrated books on things like cooking, fashion, and interior design. It had a much more calming atmosphere than The Strand as it was much less touristy. The shelves and wallpaper were absolutely gorgeous as well. While I didn’t walk out with any books as it had more of an adult targeted audience (well technically I am an adult, but I don’t read like one), I’m definitely glad I stopped in. A book on women specializing in poison did catch my eye…