Despite the proliferation of Amazon and large chain-store bookstores, New York City still has some amazing independent bookstores that provide tourists and bibliophiles with a great way to spend a few hours. This is no surprise given the number of writers and publishing houses that still call New York City Home. Our amazing staff at Arlo Hotel frequently recommend several independent bookstores for our guests.
Head to the East Village to pop into the infamous Strand BookStore – a landmark book shop offering several floors of books along with collectibles and souvenirs. One of the shop’s prized possessions is a $45,000 copy of Ulysses that’s signed by author James Joyce and includes illustrations from famed painter Henri Matisse. Located at 828 Broadway, the Strand Book Store features an assortment of rare, used, and new books to suit any literary tastes.
After a restful evening at our Arlo Hotel location in SoHo, hop over to McNally Jackson, an independent bookstore with locations in SoHo, Williamsburg, City Point and South Street Seaport. It’s the place to go with international literature, the latest graphic novels, science fiction and various other genres.
In Midtown, explore the city’s oldest independent store, the Argosy Book Store, founded in 1925. The store is now operating under the third generation of the same family, and provides shoppers with many options including first editions, leather-bound books, antique maps, and various other hard-to-find items. The store also boasts its own framing services and a shipping department that sends packages to clients from around the world.
If our Arlo Hotel guests are feeling mysterious, we send them to The Mysterious Bookshop in Tribeca. Opened in 1979, this store is dedicated to the mystery genre, operates various “crime clubs” and offers monthly signed first editions.