A New Chapter for Local Bookstores
Some good news for small businesses and the written word in our neighborhoods. Bucking the prevailing trend of disappearing bookstores, we actually have two new ones in our neighborhood, and more may be on the way! This is a welcome development, and one worthy of celebration.
First we welcome Codex Books to the neighborhood. Located at 1 Bleecker Street just west of the Bowery, they are open from 10 am to 10 pm daily. Codex sells used and new books of all kinds, with an emphasis on literary fiction and art books. The also buy gently used books (as does East Village Books).
Codez also hosts free events. On March 6th they will host a discussion curated by Chris Hosea with Bunny Rogers, whose 2017 solo show at the Whitney Museum, ‘Brig Und Ladder,’ delved into the tragic violence of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, and other subjects. They will be joined by Lawrence Giffin, a poet and archivist whose books and chapbooks include Plato’s Closet, Christian Name, Just Kids, Sorites and more.
This comes on top of the recent expansion of McNally Jackson on West 8th Street with its Goods For the Study stationary store offshoot. McNally Jackson opened its original location in 2004 at 52 Prince St. The bookstore includes a lovely storefront level cafe, two levels of books, space for readings downstairs and an Espresso Book Machine, for authors to publish their own books.
And according to Patch “McNally’s retail empire may not be stopping with a second stationary store. McNally told Patch on Thursday she is shopping for a location to open a second bookstore and cafe, also in Greenwich Village.” Here’s hoping the independent bookstore icon has continued success. Support your local bookstores!
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