Bookstores in New York State (other than Manhattan)
Last change:
12 Feb 2009
If you are downloading this, note that Manhattan is in a separate file.
Uptown Manhattan (60th to 207th Streets)
Midtown Manhattan (24th to 59th Streets)
Downtown Manhattan (Battery to 23rd Streets)
The Bronx
Brooklyn
Queens
Long Island
Adirondacks NY
Albany/Troy NY
Buffalo/Niagara Falls NY
Colonie NY
Elmira NY
Ithaca NY
Latham NY
Oneonta NY
Rochester NY
Saratoga NY
Schenectady NY
Triple City area (Binghamton, Endicott, and Johnson City)
Syracuse NY
Utica NY
Westchester County NY
Comments
other geographic areas
============================================================================
[Note 1: Bookstores outside of Manhattan, including boroughs other than
Manhattan are listed. Further listings are welcome.]
[Note 2: I collected these comments from a variety of people. I personally
have no knowledge of many of these places and take no responsibility if you
buy a book you don't enjoy. :-) Phone numbers and precise addresses can
be gotten by calling directory assistance. Call ahead for precise hours,
as even when I list them they are subject to change.]
[Note 4: Area codes change so quickly these days that these may be wrong.]
============================================================================
------------------------------
The Bronx:
Barnes & Noble (Bay Plaza, 290 Baychester Ave, 10475, 718-862-3945). [08/08]
Books In the Hood (815 Westchester Ave, 10455, 347-270-1215?). [08/08]
Briscoe-Brown Books (3907 Dyre Ave, 718-325-0543). [08/08]
Bronx Bookplace (2460 Grand Concourse, 718-295-7000). [08/08]
Lighthouse Christian Bookstore (1341 E Gunhill Rd, 718-547-6620).
[08/08]
============================================================================
------------------------------
Brooklyn:
Atlantic Bookshop (179 Atlantic Ave at Henry)
Used. "Nice selection. Down the block from the Strand.
Friendlier and more pleasant with better prices. Good
selection of art books. Also has something on most other
subjects and hardcover fiction. Definitely worth a visit."
Reasonable prices, in spite of the upscale look. Used to be
12th Street Books in Manhattan. Old hours were Mon-Sat
10AM-8PM, Sun 12N-8PM. [11/08]
Avery Book Stores (308 Livingstone, 718-858-3606). A medium-sized used
bookstore covering all subjects including SF. Both hardcover and
paperbacks. The SF selection tends toward cheap reading copies of
books about ten years old, and a small selection of used F&SF and
ANALOGS. Overall, this is a somewhat dank and dirty store with a
mildewy stock.
B. Dalton (Kings Plaza Mall, upper level, northwest corner). Typical
B. Mallton store. Only things that seem to be said for it is that
it is in the outer reaches of Brooklyn and is open seven days a week.
Barnes & Noble (7th Ave btwn 5th & 6th, Park Slope, F 7th Ave at 9th St
station).
Bensonhurst Discount Book Store (1908 86 at 19th Ave., 718-232-7233,
B train to 20th Ave). Mostly new and used paperbacks, some
hardcover and comics. Adventure, mystery, SF, western, romance,
textbooks. Used paperbacks literally stacked on shelves up to the
ceiling. Open Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri 10AM-4:30PM, Wed & Sat 10AM-3:30PM.
Black Facts Books (44 Willoughby, 11217, 718-858-1970). African-American
and black literature, music, and gifts. Connected with Culture
Plus. Open Mon-Sat 10AM-7PM. [01/05]
Bookcourt (163 Court, 718-875-3677). Excellent selection. Quick service
with orders. Good discounts.
Booklink (99 7th Ave, Park Slope, 718-783-6067, D/Q 7th Ave or 2/3 Grand
Army Plaza stations). General bookstore. Open until 8:45PM every
day except Sunday (6:45PM).
Comic Plus (326 Seventh Ave, next to the 7th Ave stop on the F train,
718-768-5681). A comic book store with a fairly large selection.
Community Book Store of Cobble Hill (212 Court, 718-834-9494). "The
Community Book Store of Cobble Hill is an old-fashioned bookstore
where you can get the kind of personal service that has gone out of
fashion in most other stores. The proprietor and founder of the
store is there himself seven days a week. He will order books for
you, root around in his stacks if he thinks he might have a copy
(he has a lot of stock that is too old for other stores to bother
holding onto), and do whatever else he can to find the book you
want. Last spring I asked him to order a book for me. In the
course of doing so he discovered that a new edition of the book was
soon to be issued. He informed me and asked if I would like to
wait a couple more weeks for the new edition. I did. That's what I
mean by personal service." Mon-Sat 11AM-10:30PM, Sun 12N-8:30PM.
Community Book Store of Park Slope (143 7th Ave, between the 7th Ave F stop
and the 7th Ave stop on the D and Q lines, 718-783-3075). A small
independent new book shop with a focus on new hardcover fiction,
tastefully selected. A tidy little shop geared toward the upscale
Park Slope trade. Open until 9PM every day.
Culture Plus Books Inc (289 Livingston, 11217, 718-222-9308, FAX
718-222-9311). African-American and black literature, music, and
gifts. Also has another store in Brooklyn (Black Facts). Open
Mon-Fri 7AM-7PM, Sat 7AM-5PM. [01/05]
Eichler's Bookstore (5004 Thirteenth Ave, Boro Park). Claims to be "The
Largest Judaica Store in the World." Sforim and other religious
texts in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish. Very few secular works,
mostly kosher cookbooks or works about the Holocaust or Israel.
Also sells. games, recordings, and ritual objects and clothing.
Need I add it is closed Friday afternoons and Saturdays?
S. Goldman - Otzar Haseferim (125 Ditmas Ave, 718-972-6200, FAX
718-972-6204). Jewish books and Judaica. "Sells books published
by Soncino Press and Judaica Press (including a translation of
Mikraoth Gedolot), and other works, such as Igrot Moshe of R. Feinstein."
Here's A Book Store, Inc. (1989 Coney Island Ave btwn Quentin Rd & Ave P,
718-645-6675, D or Q train to Kings Highway; F train to Kings
Highway, bus: B5, B50, B68). A friendly, interesting, general
bookstore. Has a wide selection of new and second-hand books in
all subjects. Open Mon-Thu 11AM-6PM, Fri-Sat 11AM-4:30PM, Sun
(Oct-June) 12N-4PM.
Judaica World of Crown Heights, Inc. (329 Kingston Ave, 718-604-1020,
888-2-JUDAIC, http://www.judaica-world.com). This place has
a rather extensive Jewish book selection, including
Russian/Hebrew and Spanish/Hebrew. They ship worldwide.
Kehot Books (291 Kingston Ave, 718-778-0226). They distribute books
published by Lubavitch but may have a few others.
Nkiru Books (Nkiru Center for Education & Culture) (732 Washington Ave,
11238, 718-783-6306, FAX 718-783-0262). Very pleasant and
well-stocked store dealing with books on African-American
culture. They also have occasional readings by prominent
authors.
A Novel Idea (8415 3rd Ave, Bay Ridge, 718-833-5115). "Intelligently
stocked, primarily fiction with small but smart poetry and religion
sections, and a larger section devoted to local interest books,
including histories of Brooklyn and books by Brooklyn authors."
Merkaz Stam (309 Kingston Ave, 800-264-7705, 718-773-1120,
FAX 718-773-0090). Judaica and Jewish religious items. "The
prices seem very good, and they are located right in Crown Heights
with apparently a decent reputation around there."
Pathfinder Bookstore (59 4th Ave at Bergen, 718-399-7257). "Features book
on the Cuban revolution, South Africa, union struggles, Black
history, women's liberation, Russia and Eastern Europe. Books by
Marx & Engels, Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Che Guevara, Rosa
Luxemberg, Mother Jones, Lenin, Castro and many others." They also
send out catalogs.
Sepher Hermon Press (1265 46th St, 718-972-9010). Popular, scholarly &
academic books; will research special requests. They are the
distributors of THE JEWISH TRAVEL GUIDE, listing kosher restaurants,
hotels, mikvaot, etc. all over the world.
Shakespeare & Co. (Brooklyn Academy of Music, 30 Lafayette Ave,
718-636-4136, http://www.shakeandco.com).
Shoroshim Russian Judaica Resource Center (1566 Coney Island Ave,
718-692-0079, FAX 718-252-5159). Specializes in Russian/Hebrew
Jewish literature. It has 161 titles: a good selection of Torah,
Tania, Jewish literacy, and much more.
Software Etc. (Kings Plaza Mall, lower level, east side). Another Barnes &
Noble thing with a good selection of computer books.
Spoonbill & Sugartown (218 Bedford Ave, 11211, 718-387-7322). Used, rare,
and some new books in the arts and letters.
[newstand] (corner of Thirteenth Ave and 49th, Boro Park). English, Hebrew,
and Yiddish newspapers and magazines.
One poster writes:
"I suppose that there *are* *real* bookstores here--after all Brooklyn by
iteself is the third or so most populous city in the U.S. It is just that
I have never had the pleasure of finding one. I was spoiled many years ago
by a bookstore in Huntington, Long Island called Oscar's. This was at the
time that Oscar was still running it, and it was marked by a true love of
books for their contents and themselves. Unfortunately those are qualities
rarely still found in today's world."
============================================================================
------------------------------
Queens:
Bayside:
Barnes & Noble (23-80 Bell Boulevard, part of the Bay Terrace Shopping
Center). Superstore. Open 9AM-11PM.
The Book Shop (214-05 41st Ave, Bayside, 718-225-8275, OMANO1@aol.com).
Used fiction, romances, mysteries, horror, etc. Also carries
school reading list books. Open Mon-Wed, Fri 10AM-5:30PM,
Thu 10AM-7PM, Sat 10AM-5:30PM.
Cambria Heights:
Haitiana Publications, Inc. (224-08 Linden Blvd, 718-978-6323,
FAX 718-978-6031). Good selection of books in French, Creole and
English with special focus on Haiti and the Francophone Caribbean.
Also now includes Francophone African literature section.
Forest Hills:
Barnes & Noble (107-24 71 Ave, a.k.a Continental Ave).
Waldenbooks (107-19 71 Ave, a.k.a Continental Ave, 718-261-1973)
(E, F, G (weekdays), R trains to 71st Ave / Continental Ave
station). Both stores are located 1/2 block south of Queens Blvd.
Jackson Heights:
Butala Emporium (Indo-US-Books & Journals Inc.) (37-46 74th, 11372,
718-899-5590, FAX 718-899-7889). Located in the Asian Indian
shopping center of Jackson Heights, this shop specializes in
books, magazines, newspapers, audio tapes and musical instruments
from India.
Long Island City:
N&N Books International (21-10 44th Dr, Long Island City 11101, 800-255-0355
or +1-718-482-0009). The store mostly specializes in Russian books
and music.
Middle Village:
Jonathan David Co., Inc. (68-22 Eliot Ave, 718-456-8611, FAX 718-894-2818).
Judaica. Carries all major publishers. Issues a free book guide.
Richmond Hill:
Ideal Foreign Books (132-10 Hillside Ave, 718-297-7477)
An excellent collection of both French and Spanish books, and
reasonable prices. Primarily a supplier to United States colleges
and universities, but also will do individual orders.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Long Island NY:
Bob's Music, Movies and More (Sunrise Highway, Rockville Centre shopping
district, 516-766-4949). "Good selection. Has his own books as
well as several other dealers on consignment. If you are looking
for a particular subject, check the whole store. Subject areas are
not well-marked and each dealer has own section so that each subject
is repeated in several locations throughout the store." Judaica
sections. Was Stan's Book Bin; is still 80% books. 1/4 mile from
the Rockville Centre LIRR Station.
Book Revue (313 New York Ave, Huntington). New and used. "One of the last
of the independents that actually has a selection to rival the big
chains. Some used books are mixed in with the new." [06/04]
Booklover's Paradise (2972A Merrick Rd, Bellmore, 11710, 516-221-0994).
"A real used/antiquarian bookstore. Books stacked all over the
place. Shelving is often odd, one category of book overlapping
another. No particular specialty apparent. Prices rather high,
more "antiquarian" than "used". Owner friendly and helpful." The
source of this adds that the owner would have fit very well in the
old Fourth Avenue bookstore district, and there is no sign of a cat.
Judaica section. About two-thirds of a mile from Bellmore LIRR
station. Open Mon-Sat 11AM-6PM.
BookMarx (28 Lincoln Ave, Roslyn Heights, 11577. 516-621-0095.
bookmarx@aol.com). General stock, baseball, sports,
literature, art, history. Open Mon-Fri 10:30AM-6PM,
Thu 10:30AM-7PM, Sat 10:30AM-5PM. [06/05]
Dover Publications (31 E 2nd St, Mineola). A smaller store than
what used to be in New York City, only about 10' by 15'. A
small selection of their titles. The main attraction is
their half-price "hurt books" section. Now takes credit cards
as well as cash. Mon-Fri 9AM-4PM.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Adirondacks NY:
Books and Baskets (169 Olive, Saranac Lake, 12983, 518-891-9694,
booksandbaskets@roadrunner.com). [02/08]
============================================================================
------------------------------
Albany NY:
Blue White Rainbow (216 Lark). New Age, some occult, self-help,
crystals, etc.
Book Barn (Troy Schenectady Rd, in a tiny little plaza with Roman
Pizza, Watervliet, 518-786-1368). Used books, many types of
paperbacks as well as hardcovers and trade paperbacks.
Book House (Stuyvesant Plaza). General new bookstore. Good children's
books section. "My favorite all-around book store in Albany.
Great to browse in."
Book Outlet (71 4th, Troy, about 3 blocks south of the Green
Island-Troy Bridge, 518-272-0010). "Primarily used books but
with some remainders. Mostly non-fiction (in about 30
categories). Hardcovers and trade paperbacks but with plenty
of paperbacks. About a thousand paperback and hardcover SF and
fantasy. Nice owner, nice store."
Childrens Book Nook (1250 Ashgrove Rd, Cambridge, 12816). About
50,000 children's books. Not sure of the hours, but can be
open in the evening by appointment as well. [02/07]
Dove and Hudson Old Books (296 Hudson Ave, 518-432-4518).
"Surprisingly good scholarly-bent neighborhood shop with small
but well-chosen selection of literary fiction, history, art
books, etc. I always stop here when in the area. Very
pleasant owners and a nice place to spend a couple of hours."
"It is, truly, a fantastic bookstore, with great history &
literature sections. Highly recommended." Open Tue-Sat
11AM-7PM. [01/04]
Flights of Fantasy (488 Albany-Shaker Road, Loudonville, 12211,
518-435-9337, 800-300-READ, http://www.fof.net). A lot of new SF,
fantasy, gaming paperbacks, a few trades and hards. Used
books are romances (small section), mystery and suspense
(medium section), and SF/fantasy (large section). Nice owner,
good selection, but two caveats. First--book prices are based
on condition so if there is more then one copy of a book they
will probably have different prices. Secondly, every SF book
more then about a decade old costs more then it did new, in
some cases way more. Not just Ace doubles or other specials,
ALL." Doesn't open until late (someone said noon on Tuesdays,
for example), but actual hours are unknown. [12/04]
Green Light (Central Ave above Northern Blvd). Occult books, tarot
decks, etc.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Buffalo/Niagara Falls NY:
Avenue Book Exchange (1211 Hertel Avenue, 14216, 716-877-1255). Used and
rare books. Open Mon-Sat 9AM-6PM. [11/05]
Bob's Olde Books (480 Center, Lewiston, 14092. 716-861-9741). "
"Classic authors and illustrators; collectible and decorative
books." [02/09]
The Book Corner (1801 Main, Niagara Falls, 716-285-2928). Used books.
Open Mon-Wed, Sat 9AM-5:30PM, Thu 9AM-8PM, Sun 12N-5PM; extended
hours in the Christmas season.
The Book Shoppe (519 Main, Medina, 716-798-3642). New books. Open Mon-Thu
10AM-5PM, Fri 10AM-8PM, Sat 10AM-5PM.
Books, Etc. (1614 Military Rd, Niagara Falls, 716-297-3376). New books.
Open Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-6PM.
Old Editions Book Shop & Cafe (74 E Huron, 14203, 716-842-1734,
http://www.oldedition.com). [Yes, the URL is has no 's' at the
end.] Used and rare books, prints, maps, etc. Open Mon-Sat
10AM-5PM. [11/05]
Oracle Junction Bookshop (2964 Delaware Ave, Kenmore, 14217, 716-877-9244,
oraclejunc@aol.com). "Used, rare, and collectible. A large
collection, with good offerings in science and math." Open Mon,
Tue, Thu-Sat 10AM-5PM; Wed 10AM-7PM. [08/05]
Rust Belt Books (202 Allen, Buffalo, 14201-1416, 716-885-9535). Used.
Open Tue-Wed 10AM-6PM; Thu-Sat 10AM-8PM; Sun 10AM-5PM. [08/05]
Second Reader (1419 Hertel Ave, Buffalo, 14216, 716-862-0001). Used.
Open Tue-Thu 11AM-6PM; Fri-Sat 12PM-8PM; Sun 12PM-5PM. [08/05]
Talking Leaves Books (3158 Main, 716-837-8554; 951 Elmwood,
716-884-9524; http://www.tleavesbooks.com). "Both stores are
densely packed with books; the Elmwood store has more popular
titles, and also a rack of literary magazines. The Main Street
store is more highbrow, e.g. a section on 'Poetry and Poetics.'"
The Main Street store is open Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat 10AM-6PM;
Wed-Thu 10AM-8PM. The Elmwood store is open Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM,
Sun 10AM-6PM. [11/05]
"Located at the 'Super-Flea,' a year-round flea-market on Walden Ave,
Cheektowaga, there is a bookseller that has expanded to several booths,
and seems to have a lot of collectables as well as paperbacks. He has
been there or near there for at least a decade, and will probably be
there another decade. There is another place in the same flea-market
which sells large quantities of paperbacks also.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Colonie NY:
Barnes and Noble (Wolf Rd, Colonie).
Borders Books & Music (Wolf Rd, Colonie).
Canterbury Tales (Central Ave., Colonie, 1-2 miles west of Wolf Road, north
side of street). Used books, comics, and various memorabilia.
Hudson Valley/Poughkeepsie area:
Alternative Books (35 N Front, Kingston NY 12401, 914-331-5439,
http://www.alternativebks.com). Rare and out-of-print books
in art, literature and the humanities with a inclination toward the
avant-garde and experimental. Does free booksearches and welcomes
wantlists.
Bookworm (Route 376 west from the Red Oaks Mill area). A nice used
bookstore. A few years ago, someone said, "Of course, romance has
the largest section, but the SF section is quite large too, 11
packed bookshelves worth." Someone recently [01/00] wrote that
the store has enlarged and the SF section tripled in size. Prices
are half cover plus ten cents. If a hardback has a hand-written
price inside, they charge half of this.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Corning NY:
Bookmarks (32 E Market, 607-962-2665). A general new and used book store.
Used paperbacks are half-price, $1 minimum, $3 maximum.
Whitehouse Books (32 E Market, second floor, 607-962-8536). "Glass
and crafts books, almost all new - nice people and the best
selection of glass books I have ever seen." (Well, it is in Corning,
after all, which also has the world's best glass museum.)
============================================================================
------------------------------
Elmira NY:
The Bookcase (1127 Pennsylvania Ave, 14904, 607-733-9596,
http://www.elmirabookcase.com). Used and rare in all
categories. Also old ephemera such as magazines, sheet music,
postcards, and book embossers. Open Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 10AM-5PM;
Thu 10AM-7PM; Sun 12N-3PM.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Ithaca NY:
A-ha! Books & Fine Art (3 Cedar Ln, 14850, 607-257-9200 (?),
Used and rare.
Autumn Leaves Used Books (115 The Commons). Ever-growing diverse
collection of quality used books. Recently moved to much larger
store. All subject areas, used paperbacks and hardcovers; now has
a cafe on premises.
a Book Barn of the Finger Lakes (198 North Rd, just off NYS Rte 13,
607-844-9365). Used books, large selection. "Located directly
opposite traffic light to Tompkins-Cortand Community College
at Lacey's Corners in three barns stained red with dark green
battens." {I have no idea what a batten is.] Open 10-AM-5PM.
[10/07]
The Bookery I (inside DeWitt Mall). Used and rare books. Well-established.
The Bookery II (Buffalo St in DeWitt Mall). New books. Quality, strong in
many areas including art, fiction, philosophy, history, poetry.
Holds readings and signings many Sunday afternoons.
Colophon Books (205 N Aurora). "Small but interesting selection of new and
used books; decent SF section." [11/07]
Cornell Campus Store (across from Wiliard Straight Hall). Good selection of
new books in a number of general academic subject areas, in addition
to the expected textbook department.
Friends of the Library Book Sale (509 Esty; http://www.booksale.org).
"If you're in town during the several weeks in the spring or fall
that this fund-raiser for the Tompkins Co. Library opens its
warehouse to selling all manner of used books, you're in for a
treat. Every subject, inexpensive deals, everything from mass-market
paperbacks to expensive rare books." Fall sale offers nearly
250,000 books.
Mando Books (Main St., Cortland, 30 mi northeast of Ithaca via Rt 13).
"Seems chiefly to deal in textbooks for SUNY Cortland classes."
Formerly Mandolin Winds. [11/07]
Mayer's Newsstand (318 E State). An outstanding selection of periodicals
(domestic and foreign) and foreign newspapers, though only
remaindered and mass market paperback books.
The Phoenix, Used and Rare Books (1608 Dryden Rd (Rte 13, north of Ithaca
toward Dryden). Housed in a large old barn, carries a wide
selection of used books.
Riverow Bookshop (Front St., Owego, 30 mi south of Ithaca via Rt 96)
Variety of subjects, lots of rare, OP books, some new books.
Snow Lion Publications (605 W State, enter from . Green parking lot around
the block). "Important publisher of Buddhist and Tibetan books.
Has a sales area in their warehouse open to the public. In
addition to their own titles they also sell a variety of Buddhist
books by other publishers." [11/07]
And of course the inevitable chain stores, as well as non-book stores
that carry a wide variety of children's books, such as Alphabet Soup.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Latham NY:
Earth and Sky (640 New Loudon/Route 9, Latham). Pleasant blend of New Age
and occult.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Oneonta NY:
Rose and Laurel (Main). "He has all sort of used books, from
contemporary lit, older lit, hardcover, sci fi, horror, just
about anything you could want. And his prices are fair.
Unfortunately, he has no posted hours. You basically have to
be lucky to show up when the store is open." [02/07]
Popeke's Used Books (Chestnut). "He has a larger children's book
section than the Rose and Laurel, but his prices are a bit
higher. He keeps regular hours, though, I think." [02/07]
============================================================================
------------------------------
Rochester NY:
Abacus Bookshop (350 East Ave). Used.
Ang & Lil's (Stone Rd, Greece). Used.
Armchair Books (545 Titus Ave). Used.
Bennu Books (656 South Ave). Used. Has a somewhat smaller selection of
mystery, SF, and other fiction and also has a selection of Black
studies type books.
Book Centre (the Village Plaza, Spencerport). Used.
Bookrack (Perinton Mall, 716-223-3490). Nice used paperback store,
selection. Have about a thousand SF, lots of mysteries, romance,
general fiction. Alst another branch in Webster (another Rochester
suburb).
Borders Books & Music (Jay Scutti Plaza South, Henrietta). Open until
10PM Mon-Sat.
Brown Bag Books (678 Monroe Ave). Used, with a good selection of mystery,
SF, and regular fiction with a smattering of other topics.
Calhoun's Books (1510 State Routes 5 and 20, three miles west of
Geneva, 315-789-8599). Used. 50-60K old hardbacks. Americana,
juvenile series (old), NY state, postcards. Open 11AM-5PM seven
days a week mid-Apr to mid-Oct.
Gutenberg's Rare & Used Books (675 Monroe Ave). Has much more rare then
used. If you're just looking at used to save money I wouldn't
bother.
Houghton (147 State St). Used.
Maplewood Books/Total Information (Driving Park at Dewey Ave, Rochester).
This is an excellent technical bookstore. While their primary
market seems to be the large population of engineers in Rochester,
they do carry other subjects. Their selection of computer science
titles (both textbooks and titles geared towards users) is
unrivalled by any other bookstore I have seen other than a campus
bookstore at a top-notch engineering school. The only thing wrong
is that they are only open until 6 PM on weekdays and currently
have no weekend hours.
Media Play (Southtown Plaza, Henrietta). Also has music and computer
software.
Park Ave Book Store (370 Park Ave). New books only. Now has an espresso
bar in place of their used book section.
Rick's Recycled Books (739 Monroe Ave, 442-4920). Used books and local art.
About a thousand SF books. Has coffee and doughnuts in the morning.
"Rick is a very nice and knowledgeable person."
Science Fiction Plus (1580 Blossum Road). New and used.
Yankee Peddler Bookshop (274 North Goodman in Village Gate Square,
585-271-5080, yankeeped2@frontiernet.net).
Used.
? (Schoen Place, Pittsford). Formerly part of Rock Bridge books, which is
still there, but no used.
See also http://www.rochesterbooksellers.com/.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Saratoga NY:
Lyrical Ballad (Phila St in downtown Saratoga). Amazing used store carved
out of basements from several adjacent establishments.
Saratoga SF and Mystery (454 Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs,
518-583-3743). New and used. Run by Mary Southworth and Karl Olson,
who frequently sell books at SF conventions.
Tales of Space and Crime (Wilton Mall). Also run by Southworth and Olson.
"Let me also state that Mary Southworth, the co-owner, is one of the
most helpful store owner I've ever met. I have enjoyed *every* book
she recommended to me."
============================================================================
------------------------------
Schenectady NY:
Bibliomania (Jay Street). Used, but classy used books. "A bit weird."
The Book Nook (Upper Union St). General and local new books.
Books and Pieces (174 Jay St). Randomly open, peculiar used book store.
[02/08]
Cornerstone (Upper Union St). Children's books and toys.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Syracuse NY:
Barnes & Noble (Erie Ave, Dewitt). Superstore plus recordings and coffee.
Bear Street Books & Music (1430 Salina near Bear St, 315-471-2958).
"Mentioned only because it's just around the corner from Book
Warehouse. It was closed (but appeared to be in business)
when I was there."
Books and Memories (2600 James at Woodbine, Eastwood neighborhood,
315-434-9268). Used. 100,000 used volumes. General stock with
good SF pbs, older childrens books. They have 15,000 LPs,
55,000 magazines, posters, and games in the basement. Even
though there are often boxes of as-yet-unshelved material, what
is on the shelves is neatly organized. Near The Book End.
Open Mon-Sat 12N-6:30PM.
Books End (2443 James at Marlborough, Eastwood neighborhood,
315-437-2312). Mostly used. Almost as big (35,000 volumes) as
Books and Memories down the street and better organized. Good
mystery, SF. Specialities: NY State, Modern 1sts, Military
history. Mon-Fri 10AM-6PM, Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun 11:30-5PM.
Borders (Carousel Center, 315-466-6100).
Seven Rays Book Store (508 Westcott, 13210, 888-777-RAYS (7297),
http://www.sevenrays.com/). Claims to be "the biggest metaphysical
bookstore on earth" (I am skeptical). [10/06]
============================================================================
------------------------------
Triple City area (Binghamton, Endicott, and Johnson City):
Barnes & Noble (Vestal Parkway, Vestal; Oakdale Mall, Johnson City).
Standard chain superstore.
Bookbridge (Vestal Parkway, Vestal). Near Binghamton Univ., strip-mall
independent store--small by superstore standards, but respectable.
Gil's Book Loft (Binghamton).
Fat Cat Books (263 Main St, Johnson City, 607-797-9111). Good selection of
new and used SF and fantasy. Also stocks games and comics.
Title Wave (Binghamton). Used books.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Utica NY:
Berry Hill Book Shop (2349 State Route 12B, Deansboro, 315-821-6188).
Used. 100K old hardbacks in a barn (you do have to climb some
steep stairs and go under some beams to get at books). At
least a little of practically everything but almost no
paperbacks. Big fiction, childrens, illustrated books
sections. Used to have dozens of cats, but this may have
changed. Open Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM. [08/06]
Bookworm (263 W Genessee, 315-733-9805). Used books--almost all paperback,
nice store, nice people. A few hundred SF and fantasy, some
fairly old. Lots other types of books especially mystery, romance
and adventure.
Park Row Booksellers (9 W Park Row, Clinton, 13323, 315-853-2129,
http://www.parkrowbooks.com). New books. Open Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat
10AM-6PM; Tue, Thu 10AM-8PM, Sun 12:30PM-4:30PM. [10/06]
============================================================================
------------------------------
Westchester County NY:
Bruised Apple Books (923 Central Ave, Peekskill, 914-734-7000). "Used, 50K
books (and some CDs), nice folks, nice cat. Solid in SF. A good
bit of fantastical in the literature section. Engrossingly creepy
bathroom." Strong in religion, philosophy, other areas as well.
Definitely worth visiting if you're nearby. Driving directions:
from eastbound US 202/6, turn right on Nelson and left on Central.
Open Mon-Thu, Sat 10AM-6PM; Fri 10AM-8PM; Sun 12N-6PM.
Panacea Books (Post Chester). Latino books and periodicals.
Riverrun Bookshop (7 Washington Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson, 914-478-4307).
Riverrun Rare Books (12 Washington Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson, 914-478-1339).
"Two blocks [west] of Broadway (Route 9). Used books only. North
side of street has general stock of used reading copies, including
mysteries and SF. On other side of street is Rare Book Room with
first editions and signed copies, including mysteries and science
fiction, literary criticism, English translations of fiction, books
about books, art, art history, photography, architecture, etc.,
plus one room of classical phonograph records. Most but not all
sections well arranged. Both stores are worth a visit. Accessible
by Metro North train from Manhattan and other points served by
Hudson Line trains of Metro North. Easy street parking for cars."
Well, the parking in front of the store is on a hill worthy of San
Francisco, and the general stock side is "cluttered and attic-like,"
with great difficulty in getting to the books, which are *not*
well-ordered. Prices on the high side. Another poster says that
the Rare Book Room is the "real" store, and not to miss it. Driving
directions: from southbound US 9, turn right on Warburton and right
again on Washington. Open Tue-Sun 11AM-5PM.
============================================================================
------------------------------
Comments:
For more used bookstores, you might check http://www.abaa-booknet.com/ or
http://www.bookweb.org/bookstores/usa_states.html.
There are also Book Hunter Press's USED BOOK LOVER'S GUIDE TO [various
regions], seven regional guides to over 7,900 used, out-of-print, and
antiquarian book dealers in the United States and Canada. The complete
database is online and can be searched by location, dealer name, specialty,
and type of dealer. Access to the database is available on a two tier basis:
partial access is free, full access is by subscription.The web page also
includes free access to regional and city maps showing locations with used
bookstores. For more information or a free catalog, check their web page at
http://bookhunterpress.com/.
And there is also ANTIQUARIAN, SPECIALTY, AND USED BOOK SELLERS
DIRECTORY 1997-98, covering 5,261 dealers in 863 pages. For more
information, check their web page at http://www.auldbooks.com/biblio/asubs.
An "Upstate New York Antiquarian Booksellers Directory" (155 listings,
nice map, actually includes all kinds of used and covers everything
north of NYC) is available by sending a SASE to Librarium, 129 Black
Bridge Rd II, East Chatham, NY 12060-3604, librarium@taconic.net.
============================================================================
Copyright Notice
Information contained in this FAQ is compiled from many sources. The
compiler accepts no responsibility for the comments contained herein.
The comments are provided "as is" with no warranty, express or implied,
for the information provided within them.
This FAQ is not to be reproduced for commercial use unless the party
reproducing the FAQ agrees to the following:
1) They will contact the FAQ maintainer to obtain the latest version for
their collection.
2) They will provide the FAQ maintainer with information on what collection
the copy of the FAQ is in, and how that collection may be obtained.
3) They will agree, in writing, that the FAQ will be included in the
collection without modification, and that acknowledgements of
contributors (if any) to the FAQ remain in the FAQ.
4) They will agree, in writing, that the collection including the FAQ will
be distributed on either a non-profit basis, or have some percentage of
profit donated to a non-profit literacy program. Project Gutenberg
counts.
To support this, this FAQ is Compilation Copyright 2009 by Evelyn C. Leeper
(the FAQ maintainer).
===========================================================================
Evelyn C. Leeper (eleeper@optonline.net)
Go to my home page