New, Used, Rare and Specialist
New York bookshops fall into a few kinds, and knowing which you are walking into saves time. Big general stores carry the new releases and the deep backlist. Used shops buy from the public, so their shelves change every week. Specialists stock one subject in depth, from mysteries to children’s books, and their staff know it well. A handful also sell signed and rare editions, which are priced by condition and edition, not by the cover price.
This guide moves from Union Square down through the Village and SoHo to Tribeca, then crosses to the Lower East Side, the East Village and Brooklyn. Most of these stores open at 10am or 11am. The big ones stay open to 9pm, so they work as the last stop of the day.
Tip: If you want to sell books, the Strand and Spoonbill & Sugartown both buy used books. Check their buying hours before you carry a box across town.
Strand, Barnes & Noble and Books of Wonder
Strand Book Store
Start at Strand Book Store (828 Broadway), at Broadway and 12th Street a short walk south of Union Square. It was founded in 1927 and advertises 18 miles of books, new and used. It is open daily from 10am to 9pm. Collectors should ask for the Rare Book Room, which keeps shorter hours than the main store. The store also has a used book buying desk, open only on some days of the week, so check before you carry a box in. A second branch, Strand Columbus Avenue, serves the Upper West Side.
Barnes & Noble Union Square
On the north side of the square, Barnes & Noble Union Square (33 E 17th St) fills four floors with books, toys and games, and vinyl records, plus a café. It holds frequent author events and a children’s storytime, and it has a print-on-demand machine. It opens at 9am Monday to Saturday and at 10am on Sunday, and stays open to 10pm on Friday and Saturday, the latest of any stop here.
Books of Wonder
Walk west to Books of Wonder (42 W 17th St), the children’s bookstore founded in 1980. Beyond new picture books and novels, it sells vintage, rare and collectible children’s editions, signed books and a shelf of Caldecott and Newbery award winners. A gallery shows original children’s book art and limited-edition prints, and there is a World of Oz section for collectors. It is open every day from 11am to 7pm. Pair it with the rest of the Flatiron and Union Square shops.
Three Lives, McNally Jackson and Warren Street
Three Lives & Company
In the West Village, Three Lives & Company (154 W 10th St) sits on the corner of Waverly Place behind red double doors. It opened in 1978 and is named for Gertrude Stein’s book. The focus is literary fiction, and the staff hand-sell: tell them the last book you loved and they will put the next one in your hands. It hosts readings in the shop. Hours are Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm and Sunday noon to 7pm. The West Village walk covers the shops around it.
McNally Jackson SoHo and Housing Works
In SoHo, McNally Jackson SoHo (134 Prince St) is the Prince Street branch of the independent bookseller, open daily from 10am to 9pm. McNally Jackson now runs five New York stores. The others are at the Seaport (4 Fulton St), in Williamsburg (76 N 4th St), in Downtown Brooklyn (445 Albee Square West) and at Rockefeller Center, which is its largest and has a stationery section called Goods For The Study. All keep the same 10am to 9pm hours.
A short walk east, Housing Works Bookstore Cafe (126 Crosby St) is a two-level secondhand bookshop with a café serving coffee, beer and wine. All of its profits go to Housing Works’ services for people affected by AIDS and homelessness. It is open Monday to Saturday 11am to 7pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm. Donations are taken daily from 11am to 5pm, so it is a good place to drop off books you have finished.
Warren Street, Tribeca
Two specialists share a block of Warren Street in Tribeca. The Mysterious Bookshop (58 Warren St) was founded by Otto Penzler in 1979 and is a mystery specialist: new hardcovers and paperbacks, signed first editions and rare crime fiction. It publishes its own series and runs Crime Clubs that send members selected books. It is open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 7pm.
A few doors away, Words on Warren (52 Warren St) is a children’s bookshop opened in 2025 by Tribeca resident Jean Maeng. It carries books for the youngest readers and picture books through middle-grade fantasy and young adult, early chapter-book series, and a New York City section. It is open daily from 11am to 5pm.
Lower East Side, East Village and Brooklyn
Lower East Side and East Village
On the Lower East Side, Sweet Pickle Books (47 Orchard St) is a secondhand bookshop that also sells jars of pickles. It is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 9pm and Sunday 10am to 8pm, which makes it an easy evening stop. The Lower East Side guide covers the vintage shops nearby.
The East Village has added bookshops over the past year. Afterword Bookshop (216 E 6th St, between Second Avenue and Cooper Square) opened in December 2025, with a kids’ alcove, cards, puzzles, local art and a backyard. It does not post hours online, so check before you go. A new Barnes & Noble is being built at 181 Avenue A, between 11th and 12th Streets. The company lists a November opening, but as of late October the build-out was still under way and staff said it could take another month or two. Check before you plan a trip around it.
Brooklyn
In Williamsburg, Spoonbill & Sugartown Books (218 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn) sells new and used books with a strong art, architecture and design section and plenty of coffee-table books. It also buys used books for cash or trade. It is open daily from 11am to 9pm. McNally Jackson’s Williamsburg store is a few blocks away on North 4th Street.
In Dumbo, POWERHOUSE Arena (28 Adams St, Brooklyn) is the bookstore of the POWERHOUSE publishing house, with author talks, book launches and art shows. Its sister stores are in Industry City and at Columbus Circle. Its posted hours vary, so check the website before you go. The Dumbo guide covers the rest of the neighborhood.
Planning the Day
A full Manhattan loop works in this order: Barnes & Noble when it opens, Books of Wonder from 11am, the Strand at midday, then Three Lives, McNally Jackson SoHo and Housing Works in the afternoon, with Warren Street before 5pm if you want Words on Warren. Finish at Sweet Pickle or a McNally Jackson, which are open late. Save Brooklyn for a second day, or take the L train to Bedford Avenue for Spoonbill and McNally Jackson Williamsburg.
