57th Street Books

01/14/09

Best bookstore you could get lost in

by Sue28Purr at Citysearch

A wonderful place to browse, read for a while, listen to an author. The atmosphere is friendly, and feels like home. It takes a while to find what you want, but when you do, you have already purchased "surprises" on you way. It's great also for neighborhood events' announcements. Employees are knowledgable.

• Pros: Lots and lots of books, many of which cannot be found elsewhere
• Cons: Not wheelchair accessible, and books sometimes hard to find; also parking is difficult

08/14/03

You'll find everything from general-interest volumes to very rare paperbacks at this revered Hyde Park book nook.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
57th Street Books is part of the Seminary Co-op Bookstores family, founded in 1961. As at the other shops, buying three shares of stock will net you a 10 percent discount on most purchases, the opportunity to special-order any book and to buy through the mail, and a share in the store's earnings. But you don't need to be a member to shop.

The Goods
A vast literature section. 57th Street specializes in hard-to-find authors (not just one book, mind you, but nearly everything in print by each writer). You may stumble across books you didn't know existed by some of your favorite authors--truly the sign of a great bookstore. The five rooms of the basement shop are crammed with titles in virtually every category.