New York City is full of gorgeous bookstores that any book lover should visit.
I love the movie You’ve Got Mail which essentially is about an independent bookstore owner from the Upper West Side and her relationship with a big box bookstore owner that opens a bookstore in her neighborhood. I wanted to be like a character in this movie, frequenting beautiful bookstores and sipping cappuccinos in dreamy neighborhood cafes.
So, we decided to visit as many independent bookstores across New York City that we could find. To compare the bookstores we visited, we created a rating system so that we could rate and subsequently rank each bookstore that we visited.
On a cold winter weekend, we visited 17 bookstores throughout the city, but I also included the ratings of 10 other bookstores that I have frequented many times, especially when we lived in East Harlem.
The Rating System
To rate each bookstore, we rated each on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the best) in 4 different qualities. The scores of each quality were then averaged for a composite score of each bookstore. Luca and I averaged our scores so that each bookstore would have one singular 1 to 5 rating.
I will note before going into depth of each of our ranked qualities, all our rankings are super objective to our personal taste. I’m sure some of the bookstores that were low in our rankings are at the top of other people’s list. All of the bookstores we visited were wonderful in their own ways.
Vibes
The question we asked ourselves when ranking this quality was, are the vibes right_. My very favorite vibe walking into a bookstore is a little dark with books covering the walls and wood paneling and the sweet rich smell of old book pages, not too quiet, but quiet enough to concentrate. Of course not all bookstores could be this wonderful, but lower rankings were given to shops that were too quiet or felt awkward or were too crowded to get much past the doorstep.
Uniqueness
I believe that uniqueness is the most objective quality on this list. There were some bookstores that had super unique features that we had never seen before like sculptures made from old books or cool architecture inside (these earned the highest scores). While other bookstores weren’t super surprising and had features that most bookstores have (these earned lower scores).
Selection
Selection was a little harder to gauge as some of the bookstores we visited were specifically for cookbooks only or animal books only. We tried to rate the bookstore within its realm, for example with the cookbook store, was there a wide range of cookbooks or only a small selection within this topic. High scores were given to places that had a lot of selection within their realm, like maybe anyone could find something they like there. Lower scores were given to places with limited items within their realm.
Value
Value was more based on if the prices seemed worth it. We originally were going to rank for price, but of course a rare book that is signed by the author will be much more expensive than a much cheaper book that is not particularly rare. They might have good value for what they are, even if they both cost a drastically different amount. High scores were given to bookstores that had books that were reasonably priced or had books in a wide range of prices for all consumers. Lower scores were given to bookstores that had particularly expensive items that didn’t really seem worth it or didn’t have books in lower price ranges.
The Best Bookstores in NYC
Logos Bookstore
Rating (total): 3.75/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Tie for Uniqueness and Value
Address: 1575 York Ave.
Logos Bookstore is a small, but unique bookstore that we really enjoyed. Some shots from the first season of You on Netflix were filmed at this bookstore. Inside, large friendly cats will greet you. One of my favorite parts of this bookstore was the unique and curated children’s book section in the back of the store.
Argosy Bookstore
Rating (total): 4.88/5 (Highest Rated!)
Highest Ranked Quality: Tie for Vibes, Uniqueness, and Selection
Address: 116 E 59th St.
This bookstore is a dream come true. I could’ve told you before we even tabulated our ratings of all the bookstores that this would be the winner for me. Technically it is a 6 story high bookstore, but the main areas that most patrons visit are the basement, first, and second floors. You enter on the first floor and step into a bookstore that feels like you’re in the early 1900’s. Old and rare books line the walls and it is filled with the smell of old sweet books. The basement has walls and walls lined with books which are more used and bargain books for sale. However, my absolute favorite part of the bookstore is the 2nd floor. To get to the second floor, you must take a tiny old elevator at the front of the store. The floor is primarily old maps and prints. They have all of the maps and prints for purchase and they are all organized into different categories. In the back of the second floor, there are large tables where someone will help you to find the maps you are looking for. Their collection of prints and maps is absolutely amazing. We were flipping through maps of Luca’s hometown in Italy from over 400 years ago (before Italy was even a country!). This bookstore is an absolute must see and 100 percent my favorite in the city.
The Drama Bookshop
Rating (total): 3.5/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Tie for Uniqueness and Selection
Address: 266 W 39th St.
The Drama Bookshop is definitely the place to go if you are interested in theater or acting. The Drama Bookshop mainly sells books regarding anything in the theater or acting world. We immediately were greeted by super kind employees on entering. There is a coffee bar and cute seating areas throughout the store. Books are used in really unique art pieces throughout the store and even on the ceiling. If you are visiting the city, this is one of the few bookstores close to Times Square (and super close to Broadway).
Left Bank Books
Rating (total): 3/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Tie for Uniqueness and Selection
Address: 41 Perry St.
Left Bank Books is a tiny bookstore, with a collection of very rare books. Their books are expensive, but worth it if you are looking for a particularly rare first edition book.
Bookmarc
Rating (total): 3.13/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Uniqueness
Address: 400 Bleecker St.
Bookmarc has nice vibes inside. I did not realize before visiting, but this bookstore is in conjunction with the Marc Jacobs brand, so many of the books are fashion related. However, not all the books are fashion related and they have a nice selection of cookbooks and New York coffee table books.
Three Lives and Co
Rating (total): 3.25/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Tie for Vibes, Selection and Value
Address: 238 W 10th St.
Three Lives and Co bookstore was a very cute and quaint bookstore, however it was a bit too crowded for us to spend a great deal of time there (our ratings possibly reflect the bookstore being crowded). However, while we were able to look around, they have a beautifully curated selection of books. I made a beeline to the travel writing section with had a great mix, along with newer and rarer titles. The New York City section was also nicely done.
Unoppressive Non-imperialist Bargain Books
Rating (total): 2.63/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Uniqueness
Address: 34 Carmine St.
Unoppressive Non-imperialist Bargain Books definitely has an interesting vibe (just maybe not the vibe for me). There are many spiritually minded books here. I believe there was also tarot readings available while we were there (although I am not sure if that is available during all their open hours). The prices were very affordable and there were many people browsing while we were there.
Mercer Street Books and Records
Rating (total): 3.5/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Selection
Address: 206 Mercer St.
Mercer Street Books and Records was a happy surprise to find. From the outside, the store is very unassuming, but step inside and you will be greeted with thousands of used books (and for very good prices). It wasn’t crowded, so we could roam through all the shelves as long as we wanted. They also have a huge assortment of records for sale here.
Housing Works Bookstore
Rating (total): 4/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Value
Address: 126 Crosby St.
Housing Works Bookstore is a lovely used bookstore that also supports a good cause with their profits. The books at Housing Works Bookstore have great prices (for example I got a hardly used copy of a book I was wanting that is usually $24 for $5!). There is a cool upstairs balcony that wraps around the inside of the space, providing more room for more books, but also a cool view of the entire bookstore. Sometimes they also have cool pop up shops in this space (along with the books). Last spring, we went to a designer’s dress sample sale here. I recommend stopping by here if you’re in the area.
McNally Jackson Books Prince Street
Rating (total): 3.63/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Selection
Address: 52 Prince St.
McNally Jackson Books is a cute bookstore that has several locations around the city. They primarily have new books, but have a beautifully curated selection in all different genres. McNally Jackson Books is definitely the place to come if you are looking to find a new unique book or item for your friend. This location used to have an adorable coffee shop in the far corner, but is no longer present and houses the stationary section instead (but don’t worry as there is a ton of cute coffee shops in this part of town).
Dashwood Books
Rating (total): 2.63/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Tie for Vibes and Uniqueness
Address: 33 Bond St A
Dashwood Books is a small little store that has an interesting selection of books. Most of the books are related to photography or art. They also have many coffee table books. It was very crowded when we visited here.
Codex
Rating (total): 3.25/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Tie for Vibes and Uniqueness
Address: 1 Bleecker St.
Codex is a cute tiny bookstore in the East Village. It is very small, but worth the visit. The shop has tall wooden bookshelves that try to fit as many books as they can. It is cute and has good vibes. The walls outside the bookstore are covered with cool pictures and murals.
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks
Rating (total): 3.5/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Uniqueness
Address: 28 E 2nd St.
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks has a lot of character and was more crowded than we thought it would be. There are old cookbooks from around the world with a wide variety of choices that I don’t think you could find anywhere else. The owner was super nice and even gave us a list of other bookstores to visit in the area. If you are looking for a cookbook or gift for any food lover, this is the place to go.
Karma Bookstore
Rating (total): 2.38/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Tie for Uniqueness and Selection
Address: 136 E 3rd St.
Karma Bookstore is a bookstore in the East Village that mainly has books related to art. There were many different types of coffee table books for sale and books displayed on tables rather than shelves.
Mast Books
Rating (total): 2.88/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Vibes
Address: 72 Avenue A
Mast Books has a unique selection of artsy books on a variety of topics. There were a lot of indie books, but also selections within a few different topics, such as books related to the colors of different plants and mushrooms. There were also many coffee table books for purchase here.
East Village Books
Rating (total): 3.75/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Tie for Selection and Value
Address: 99 St Marks Place.
East Village Books was another very unassuming bookstore that ended up having a much bigger selection than we thought they would. The books sold at East Village Books seem mostly used (if not all used), but at super good prices. Books with certain colors on them were listed as only 1 or 2 dollars, so I think you could definitely find some good deals here. There was also a large selection of old postcards for sale.
Pillow Cat Books
Rating (total): 3.75/5
Highest Ranked Quality: Uniqueness
Address: 328 E 9th St.
Pillow Cat Books is a new bookstore in the East Village area that has books only about animals. We actually found out about this bookstore from another bookstore we visited (so new it wasn’t even on google yet!). The store is named after the owner’s cat, named Pillow of course, that will greet you when you enter the store (if she’s not sleeping in her bed by the window). The books are organized by the animal they are about and they have a great selection of vintage and new animal books.
Other Bookstores in NYC
The following bookstores are stores that I have visited in our time living in New York and are rated in hindsight, but I think are definitely worth making it on the list of New York bookstores.
Strand Bookstore
Rating (total): 4/5
Address: 828 Broadway
If you ask any tourist to New York City to name a bookstore in NYC, they will probably mention The Strand Bookstore. The Strand is a HUGE bookstore, with their flagship location being close to Union Square and 14th St. The Strand is a must see bookstore with thousands (if not millions) of titles. In addition to all the books, they have many other cute book related and NYC related items.
The Corner Bookstore
Rating (total): 3.5/5
Address: 1313 Madison Ave.
The Corner Bookstore is one of the closest bookstores to where we used to live in the city, so I would come here often in the past. I like this little bookstore so much. It is small, but they always have a great selection. It makes me think that this would be the bookstore that would feature in the romcom classic You’ve Got Mail if it was instead based in the Upper East Side.
Mysterious Book Shop
Rating (total): 3.5/5
Address: 58 Warren St.
The Mysterious Book Shop is a bookstore selling only mystery related books. It has a really cool vibe and feels like the library in an old mysterious mansion (with comfy leather couches).
Rizzoli Bookstore
Rating (total): 3.75/5
Address: 1133 Broadway
Rizzoli is a beautiful bookstore located in the area in between the Flatiron and Union Square. Inside it has beautiful marble floors and it feels so elegant even just while browsing. They have many different types of books, the usual fiction and nonfiction, but also many fashion books, coffee table books, and notebooks.
Kitchen Arts and Letters
Rating (total): 3/5
Address: 1435 Lexington Ave.
Kitchen Arts and Letters is another bookstore close to where we used to live in the city. Here you can find many new cookbooks on all different types of food. They have a wide selection and are very helpful if you are looking for something in particular.
Westsider Rare and Used Books, Inc
Rating (total): 4/5
Address: 2246 Broadway
While West Sided Rare and Used Books is quite small, it is so beautiful and perfect for a book lover. Books are crammed in any place they will fit. Most books are used and priced really cheaply. My favorite part is the tiny little staircase that goes up to a little loft overlooking the shop that houses more of their rare books.
The Strand, Columbus Ave
Rating (total): 3.25/5
Address: 450 Columbus Ave.
The Strand at Columbus Ave is a branch of the large Strand Bookstore that is located close to Union Square. This branch of the Strand has a large selection (but not as large as the flagship store).
Shakespeare and Co, Upper East Side
Rating (total): 3.25/5
Address: 939 Lexington Ave.
The Shakespeare and Co on the Upper East Side is close to Hunter College. There is a wide selection of books here as well as a cafe. As soon as you walk in, you smell the brilliant combination of coffee and new books.
Book Culture
Rating (total): 3.75/5
Address: 536 W 112th St.
Book Culture is a really cute independent bookstore located close to Columbia University. I believe they have used and new books here. They have 2 stories of books and many unique gifts for the book lover.
Have you been to any of these bookstores? Any other bookstores in the city you think I should visit? Let me know in the comments down below!
Thanks for Reading!
Wow! So many books and bookstores! I’d love to visit some of them!