Discover your next great read | Browse our latest recommendations
Discover your next great read | Browse our latest recommendations
Discover 40 independent bookstores across 20 cities in New York. From beloved neighborhood shops to iconic literary landmarks, find your next favorite place to browse and discover new books.
40
Bookstores
29
Used Books
15
Rare Books
17
With Cafes
Famous for '18 Miles of Books' - a New York City landmark since 1927 with new, used, and rare books.
Buffalo's beloved independent bookstore on Elmwood Avenue since 1971.
New York's oldest and largest independent children's bookstore.
America's premier cookbook store with over 12,000 food and wine titles.
The world's oldest mystery specialty bookstore, a Tribeca landmark since 1979.
New York's legendary science fiction and comic book megastore since 1981.
New York's queer bookstore and event space at the LGBT Community Center.
Albany's independent bookstore serving the Capital Region for over 50 years.
Brooklyn's beloved Fort Greene bookstore with thoughtful curation and events.
A SoHo institution with carefully curated selections and the famous Espresso Book Machine.
A sophisticated bookstore on Saratoga Springs' grand Broadway, reflecting the city's unique blend of horse-racing culture, arts, and intellectual life. The store features a strong equestrian and sports writing section alongside excellent literary fiction. Evening events in the Victorian reading room draw crowds from across the Capital Region.
An eclectic, fiercely intellectual bookstore in downtown Ithaca, serving the Cornell and Ithaca College communities with a selection as diverse as the town itself. The store is famous for its radical politics section and exhaustive environmental science collection. Hand-lettered signs and vintage furniture give the space an unmistakable character.
A free-spirited bookstore in the heart of Woodstock, carrying the town's creative legacy into the literary realm. The store blends music history, counterculture writing, and contemporary fiction in a space decorated with vintage concert posters. A gathering place for the Hudson Valley's artists, musicians, and writers.
A beloved Hudson Valley bookstore in charming Rhinebeck, known for its warm atmosphere and excellent taste in fiction and children's books. The store has earned a reputation for hosting memorable author events that draw readers from across the region. Seasonal window displays are a Rhinebeck landmark.
A compact but perfectly curated bookstore on Cold Spring's picturesque Main Street, offering hikers and weekenders a thoughtful selection that rewards careful browsing. The store's strengths in nature writing and outdoor literature mirror the village's identity as a gateway to the Hudson Highlands. Every title earns its place on these shelves.
A hybrid bookstore and vinyl record shop on Beacon's thriving Main Street, born from the city's creative renaissance. The store pairs books and records by theme, creating immersive browsing experiences. Art books and exhibition catalogs complement Beacon's identity as a major destination for contemporary art thanks to nearby Dia:Beacon.
A literary landmark in Sag Harbor's historic whaling village, drawing the Hamptons' considerable literary community to its thoughtfully curated shelves. The store occupies a building that has housed a bookshop since the 1860s, and its walls seem to exhale stories. Summer author events on the garden patio are among the most coveted tickets on the East End.
A vibrant community bookstore on Rochester's Monroe Avenue, combining strong literary programming with a deep commitment to the city's revitalization. The store anchors the neighborhood's walkable commercial district and serves as an informal community center. Staff picks routinely introduce customers to unexpected favorites.
A welcoming downtown Syracuse bookstore bringing literary culture to the heart of the Salt City. The store focuses on amplifying diverse voices and building bridges across Syracuse's varied neighborhoods. The young adult and children's sections are exceptionally strong, reflecting the owners' backgrounds in education.
A unique combination of working letterpress studio and curated bookshop on Hudson's antique-filled Warren Street. The store specializes in beautifully made books, fine press editions, and artists' books alongside a smart general selection. Letterpress workshops are perennially popular with visitors and locals alike.
A beloved neighborhood bookstore tucked into a historic brownstone on Court Street, offering thoughtfully curated shelves and a welcoming reading nook. The staff's handwritten recommendations have become a local institution. Families and longtime residents gather here for weekend storytime and evening author events.
A proudly Black-owned bookstore celebrating African American literature and the rich cultural heritage of Harlem. The shop features one of the city's deepest collections of works by Black authors spanning every genre. It also serves as a cultural hub with spoken word nights and community workshops.
A spacious independent bookstore on Beacon's thriving Main Street, drawing both locals and visitors to the nearby Dia:Beacon art museum. The store specializes in art books, nature writing, and contemporary fiction. Its large front windows flood the space with Hudson Valley light.
A multilingual independent bookstore reflecting the extraordinary diversity of Astoria, Queens. The shop carries titles in over a dozen languages alongside its English-language collection. It has become a gathering spot for the neighborhood's vibrant immigrant communities and literary-minded locals alike.
A sprawling three-floor bookstore on the Ithaca Commons, serving Cornell students, Ithaca College scholars, and the wider Finger Lakes community. The basement houses one of upstate New York's largest used book collections. Its top floor hosts a lecture series that draws speakers from both campuses.
A gritty, independent bookstore on St. Marks Place carrying on the East Village's tradition of literary rebellion. The shop is known for its deep selection of poetry chapbooks, zines, and counterculture titles. Late-night hours make it a favorite haunt for writers and musicians after shows at nearby venues.
An elegant independent bookstore on the main boulevard of this storied racing and arts town. The shop draws a sophisticated crowd of summer visitors and year-round residents with its excellent fiction and history selections. Its equestrian and horse racing section is one of a kind.
A stylish bookstore on Warren Street in the heart of Hudson's antique and design district. The store reflects the town's creative community with strong sections in art, architecture, and design. Its carefully chosen fiction shelves rival those of shops in much larger cities.
A free-spirited bookstore in the center of Woodstock, carrying on the town's legacy of artistic and countercultural life. The shop specializes in music, spirituality, and the creative arts. Colorful and eclectic, it feels like an extension of the town's village green.
A warm, neighborhood bookstore on Amsterdam Avenue beloved by families and intellectuals alike on the Upper West Side. The children's section is one of the finest in Manhattan, while the adult shelves reflect the area's literary and academic character. The shop has been a fixture of the neighborhood for over three decades.
A charming bookstore in the picturesque village of Rhinebeck, known for its carefully curated selection and connections to the town's thriving farm-to-table culture. The shop occupies a converted colonial-era building with wide-plank floors and deep windowsills perfect for reading. It draws visitors from across the Hudson Valley.
A sophisticated bookstore in this historic whaling village on the eastern end of Long Island, catering to a literary-minded summer crowd and devoted year-round residents. The shop is known for its author events featuring major writers who live in or visit the Hamptons. Its maritime history section reflects Sag Harbor's seafaring past.
A cozy bookstore in the picturesque Hudson Highlands village of Cold Spring, popular with hikers, weekenders, and Metro-North day-trippers. The shop specializes in outdoor and nature titles alongside a well-rounded general collection. Its back patio overlooks the surrounding hills.
A vibrant independent bookstore in Rochester's Park Avenue neighborhood, serving the city's active literary and academic community. The shop is especially strong in science, technology, and photography, reflecting the city's history as home to Kodak and Xerox. Its events calendar is one of the busiest in western New York.
A welcoming community bookstore in the artsy riverside village of Nyack, known for its strong theater and performing arts collection. The shop occupies a Victorian storefront steps from the Hudson River and reflects the creative spirit of a town that has long attracted artists and performers. Edward Hopper's birthplace is just around the corner.
A charming bookstore in the village of Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, offering an unrivaled sports writing collection alongside excellent general fiction and regional history. The shop draws both tourists and the town's small but devoted literary community. Its front porch is a favorite reading spot in summer.
A relaxed, eclectic bookstore in the heart of Saugerties, a Catskills village known for its lighthouse, antique shops, and growing arts scene. The store carries a strong mix of used and new titles with particular depth in poetry and environmentalism. Its creaky wooden floors and mismatched furniture give it an irresistible lived-in charm.
A refined bookstore in the quiet Dutchess County village of Millbrook, catering to the area's horse country residents and weekend visitors. The shop excels in gardening, home and design, and literary fiction. Its tasteful interior and hand-selected inventory give it the feel of a private library.
A lively bookstore in the heart of Tarrytown, the Westchester village forever linked to Washington Irving and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The shop carries a wide general collection with special strength in gothic and horror fiction, American folklore, and children's fantasy. Halloween season transforms the store into a destination.
A warmhearted neighborhood bookstore in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, serving one of the borough's most tight-knit communities. The shop reflects the neighborhood's diverse, multigenerational character with strong sections in mystery, romance, and family reading. Its bay window facing Third Avenue is always filled with seasonal displays.
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