New York City | Bookshops

During my recent solo adventure to New York City, I revisited the Strand Bookstore and discovered two new-to-me ones along the way:

I wrote after my first visit to the Strand that I found it overwhelming. This time I had more of a clue about which sections I wanted to spend time in and the experience was much less stressful and a lot more fun.

Visitors to the store fall into three categories, in my opinion – locals, book lovers from across the world and those who turn up looking for the perfect Instagram image. The Strand Bookstore can be found at 828, Broadway (on the corner of 12th Street) and is open from 09.30 to 22.30 (some sections close earlier). There are pop-up stores at Times Square and at Central Park (60th Street and 5th Avenue).

Books of Wonder at Union Square (18 W18th Street) could claim Nora Ephron as a regular and she allegedly used the bookstore as the inspiration for The Shop Around the Corner in You’ve Got Mail. Meg Ryan spent a day there learning the ropes and staff from the store dressed the film’s set to ensure authenticity.

In real life, it’s a fantastic children’s bookstore and I know The Boy Child would love to visit. The store is open from 10.00-1900 Monday to Saturday, 10.00-18.00 on Sundays.

There’s also a second branch at 217, West 84th Street.

The Mysterious Bookshop focuses on, yep, mysteries and the staff is both helpful and eager to find you exactly the right book for you.

Plus, those stacks.

The store is at 58, Warren Street in Tribeca and is open Monday to Saturday, 11.00-19.00.

Obviously, my book-related wanderings were centered around Manhattan but I’m sure you’d find a wealth of other bookish gems across the New York City’s other boroughs.

You can read my post on London’s Independent Bookshops here.