From: ecl@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (evelyn.c.leeper)
Subject: Bookstores in San Francisco Bay Area (SF) List (rec.arts.books)
Expires: Sun, 25 Oct 1992 16:30:42 GMT
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 15:30:41 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.books
Keywords: monthly
Supersedes: <1992Jun25.192212.18824@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>

Archive-name: books/stores/sf

Last change:
Wed Jul  1 14:50:23 EDT 1992

Changes and Additions:
	Tillman Place Bookshop
	Richard Hilkert, Bookseller
	Aardvark
	A Wrinkle in Time

[Note: 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. :-) ]

SAN FRANCISCO:
(Now arranged geographically--thanks to Joseph Brenner.
Roughly East to West, or starting "Downtown" and moving outwards.)

Downtown:
		City Lights (Broadway and 261 Columbus).  The best
			place for general literature.  Famous beat era
			shop.  Go downstairs.
		Alexander Book Co. (south of Market on Second Street
			downtown).  Pleasant to hang out in, and carries
			a more interesting selection of everything than
			many larger places.  It's hidden away behind
			Stacey's, which is valuable but really just a
			giant Waldenbooks in spirit.
		Rand McNally (Market near 2nd).  Huge selection of maps
			and travel books.
		Stacey's (581 Market near 2nd).  It is remarkable for
			technical books.  Another branch at 383 Sacramento
			between Front & Battery.
		Tillman Place Bookshop (8 Tillman Place off Grant
			between Post & Sutter).
			Also called Charlotte Newbegin's Bookshop.
			Specializes in Russian books, which makes it almost
			unique in the western US (but see also Palo Alto).
			"This is one of my favorite places to browse at
			lunchtime.  They carry new and used books, and
			sometimes adorn their used treasures with hand-made
			dust-covers -- gorgeous hand-painted papers and
			hand-printed labels.  They also have a large,
			elegant cat, who usually sleeps amid the window
			display!"
		Argonaut Books (786 Sutter at the corner of Taylor) (used)
		The Bookstall (570 Sutter btwn Powell and Mason) (used).  It
			has a general selection of books.
		Albatross (166 Eddy btwn Mason and Taylor) (used).  Much more
			upscale than McDonalds, excellent selection.  In a
			very seedy area, but you are probably safe during
			the day.
		McDonalds (48 Turk) (used). You gotta see this place: rickety
			shelves stacked to the rafters with old books
			and magazines. The next quake is going to wipe this
			place out.  In a very seedy area, but you are
			probably safe during the day.

Civic Center: 
                Fantasy Etc. (808 Larkin)		       
			"Science Fiction and Detective Fiction"
		A Clean Well-Lighted Place For Books at Opera Plaza
			(610 Van Ness Ave between Golden Gate and Turk).
		Acorn Books (740 Polk between Eddy and Ellis next-door
			to Sierra Club HQ) (used).  Everything over $15 is
			on the computer. They also have printouts by topic.
		San Francisco Museum of Modern Art bookstore (Van Ness
			and McAllister, near the Opera House).  A great
			selection of art and art-related books; also some
			interesting children's books.
		Richard Hilkert, Bookseller (333 Hayes, near the Performing
			Arts Center).  Has a large number of books on
			architecture, as well as a large collection of books,
			new and used, on design, the arts, collecting,
			gardening, cooking, travel....  Carries new and used
			books, and has book signings from time to time.  
		Drama Books (134 Ninth St, San Francisco CA 94103,
			(two or three blocks off Market), (415) 255-0604).

Marina: 
                Writer's Bookstore (2848 Webster, between Green & Union).
                        A tiny store with new and used books.  Classical
                        music on the radio, sports on TV!  *All* new books
                        discounted up to 50% off cover-price!
                Maritime Book Store (Hyde Street Pier near Fisherman's
                        Wharf).  A very good selection of new maritime
                        books.  While there, must visit the Balclutha, one
                        of the few remaining square-rigged Cape Horn sailing
                        ships.

Mission:
                Aardvark (237 Church).  Used to have separate new and used
			stores; now the Church Street location carries both
			new and used books.
                Old Wives' Tales (1009 Valencia). Feminist.  In the Mission
                        District.
                Modern Times Bookstore (Valencia near 20th Street;
                        Next door to Cafe Beano at 878 Valencia).
                        A good selection of books along the lines of
                        contemporary urban/liberal thought.  "I gather from
                        the name they think of themselves as an
                        alternative to the more backward-looking "City
                        Lights" bookstore."
                Carroll's Books (Church and 24th--Noe Valley) (used).  Jim
                        Carroll was a buyer at Green Apple (see below)
                        and has excellent taste in used books.  If you're
                        in the area, check out the Mission: Valencia Books,
                        Maelstrom, etc.
                Laissez-Faire Books (Howard Street).  Some general
                        philosophy, but strong classical liberal flavor.
                Freedom's Forum (1800 Market Street).  (Capitalist)  "Most
                        bookstores carry plenty of socialist books; how
                        many carry the works of the Austrian economists
                        such as Ludwig Von Mises and F.A. Hayek?  ...
                        Anyone wanting a balanced view of both socialism
                        and capitalism should patronize this store
                        frequently."  (according to one poster)
                Limelight Film & Theatre Bookstore (1803 Market,
                        San Francisco CA 94103, (415) 864-2265).  The
                        Limelight has more scripts, but Drama Books also
                        stocks used books, and more about the
                        history/techniques of theater.

Castro:
                A Different Light (489 Castro Street between 17th & 18th).
                        This is a branch of the company that also has
                        bookstores in West Hollywood and New York City.
                        They have a very large selection of titles of
                        interest to lesbians, bisexuals and gay men, and
                        occasionally carry a few used books.  They also
                        have a large L/G/B newspaper and magazine section,
                        and sell videos, cards, T-shirts, buttons and other
                        good stuff, and also regularly schedule authors'
                        receptions and readings.  
                Crown Books (Castro near 18th Street)
                        A typical Crown bookstore, though with a fairly
                        large "Gay Interest" section in the back.
                Castro Kiosk (Castro nearby Books Etc)
                        Another Gay and Lesbian magazine store.
                Books Etc. (538 Castro near 18th Street) (used).
                        A good selection of (mostly) used books, notable
                        for having a fairly large "Gay Interest" section.

Lower Haight:
                (no name?) (473 Haight St near Filmore)
                        Mostly magazines, and that mostly gay and lesbian
                        pornography.  Some independant comics and quite a
                        lot of small press/fanzine publications.
                Diluvian (518 Haight near Filmore) (used).
                        Largely a used bookstore, with a wide assortment
                        oriented toward hardcovers.  Atmosphere is
                        relaxed, spacious with a number of easy chairs
                        scattered around.  They play classical music in
                        the background.
                Naked Eye (533 Haight St near Filmore)
                        Newstand and video rental place.  A weird magazine
                        selection, with some nice touches like "The
                        Skeptical Inquirer" on display next to the UFO
                        magazines.
                Comix Experience (305 Divisidero)
                        A basic comic book store, with a bit more open
                        space than usual, for live appearences by authors
                        and artists.

Upper Haight: 
                Saint Adrian Company (1334 Haight, near Central)
			(used).  Small, but classy used bookstore.
			Atmosphere: has a small leather couch on a
			Chinese carpet, with jazz music in the background.
                Bound Together, the Anarchist Collective Bookstore
                        (1369 Haight near Masonic).  An odd collection
                        of new and used books, plus small press stuff.  It
                        has some strange left-wing anarchist literature,
                        but it also carries quite a bit of other material,
                        which might loosely be classified as "weird":
                        lesbian poets, Tesla Coils, early issues of
                        "REsearch," and so on.
                Forever After Books (1475 Haight near Ashbury) (used).
                        Small, but with every available space packed with
                        used books.  The staff is very agressively helpful,
                        probably because they know how hard it could be to
                        find something here.  They carry all of the usual
                        stuff, though in particular I thought they had
                        impressive collections of old DIY/Engineering books
                        and children's books.
                Great Expectations (1520 Haight near Ashbury)
                        Very small place, but a surprizingly good collection
                        of general literature. Lots of T-shirts and things,
                        largely on 60s nostalgia themes, but there are also
                        hints of the newer, punkier Haight.
                Comic Relief (1597 Haight near Clayton)
                        Mostly comics.  Carries some other random things
                        like THE ANARCHIST COOKBOOK.
                The Booksmith (1644 Haight near Belvedere)
                        Has a table up front with a collection of
                        excellent, quirky, discount hardcovers and trade
                        paperbacks.

Richmond:
                Green Apple Books (506 Clement) (also used).
                        "Remotely situated in the Richmond district
                        under perpetual fog and surrounded by a
                        maelstrom of Russian tearooms, Vietnamese
                        restaurants and greengrocers, the Holy City Zoo,
                        Tevye's, and the greatest Armenian delicatessen--
                        Haig's--I've ever smelled." Go upstairs for used
			books.  There are a few other used bookstores
                        within a block or two of there.
                Albatross III (143 Clement near Second Avenue) (used).  This
			is the neighborhood of Green Apple and many
			restaurants.
		Canterbury Books (on the south side of Geary at about
			40th Street).  Very knowledgeable staff.  Just
			one block from a 38 Geary bus stop.  "Highly
			recommended."

Sunset: 
                In and Out of Print books (401-A Judah and Irving) (used).
			Another great used book store.  (Someone and says its
                        awning says OPEN TILL MIDNITE.)  "I don't know
                        the name of the place but they have a fairly
                        typical assortment of the sort of stuff which
                        people like used bookstores for, including some
                        older paperback first editions as suitably
                        outrageous prices."  (Also 443 Clement)
                 Elsewhere (Judah and 8th Avenue).  Science fiction and
                        mysteries.  One person said it seems to be
                        open only about 10 hours a week; another
                        said it is open until 8 (?) on Wednesdays.

BERKELEY/OAKLAND:
SF and Fantasy:	Dark Carnival (Shattuck/Adeline, across the street
			from the Ashby BART).  (The address is 2978
			Adeline, but some people think it's on
			Shattuck.)  Wonderful selection.
		Other Change of Hobbit (2433 Channing Way).  In a
			mini-mall between Durant and Channing Way
			off Telegraph; underneath building on west side
			of Telegraph--the same mall as Revolution Books
			and Dave's Smoke Shop.  Another great SF/F
			bookstore.  New and used books.
New and Used:	Ben Franklin Books in the North Berkeley Center
			(Shattuck and Cedar).  Nothing spectacular but
			one occasionally finds something interesting
			there.  New books.
		Berkeley Book Consortium (1700 Shattuck at Virginia).
			I've found several books at BBC that I had given
			up hope of ever running across.  Used books.
		Big Bad Book Sale (2349 Shattuck Ave).  New books
			greatly reduced, with very little order to the
			chaos.
		Black Oak Books (1491 Shattuck Ave).
			Though one person says, "IMHO, Black Oak Books
			is all shuck and jive. Lots of new Politically
			Correct stuff up front, but slim pickins for
			used goods in the back."  (Other dissenting
			votes have also been received.)  New and used
			books.
		Cody's (2454 Telegraph at Haste).  One of the two stores
			in the Bay area I hold up as the definition of the
			term 'bookstore.'  A very large selection of just
			about everything, (foreign language books on
			Dwight just west of Telegraph).
		Half-Price Books (2525 Telegraph between Dwight and Parker).
			"This bookstore is abominably organized.  The only
			time I ever go in is when I'm waiting for a table at
			the Ethiopian restaurant next door."
		Holmes (274 14th St, Oakland).  Excellent selection,
			EXCELLENT prices.  You might have trouble getting
			there, because the freeway collapsed.  (Others claim
			this isn't a problem, and there is pretty good parking.)
			It's also on the border of a major crack-dealing
			district, so you should only go there in the middle
			of the day, not at night.  (As someone else points out,
			it also closes at 5, so the former seems redundant.)
			Lots of Californiana upstairs.  New and used books.
		Liberty Tree (134 98th St in Oakland).  Not just
			libertarian but also general civil liberties and`
			history books.
		Mr. Mopps' Children's Bookshop (1405 Martin Luther King
			Jr. Way)
		Moe's (2476 Telegraph between Haste and Dwight).  Four
			floors of mostly used books.
		Mama Bear's (6536 telegraph, Oakland).  Feminist
			bookstore/coffeehouse.  Limited selection.  There's
			a better feminist bookstore in San Francisco
			called Old Wives' Tales.
		Pegasus Books (1855 Solano).
		Pendragon Books (5560 College Avenue, Oakland).
			Pegasus and Pendragon are owned by the same
			management.  Both of them stock primarily used
			books, remaindered books and recent releases.
		Revolution Bookstore (2425 Channing Way).  In a
			mini-mall between Durant and Channing Way
			off Telegraph; underneath building on west side
			of Telegraph--the same mall as Other Change of
			Hobbit and Dave's Smoke Shop.
		Serendipity (University Ave one block east of San Pablo).
			A warehouse full of first editions and rare books.
			Used books.  "One of the Bay Area's finest, but they
			know books and there are few bargains there.  Also
			worth a visit just to admire some very fine
			woodworking in their bookcases and cabinets."
		Shambhala (2482 Telegraph next to Moe's).  Excellent source
			for books on Eastern religion and other forms of
			mysticism.  New books.
		Shakespeare and Company (2499 Telegraph).
		University Press Bookstore (across from the intermural
			athletic center, 2430 Bancroft).
		Walden Pond (3316 Grand Avenue between Lake Park and
			Mandana), in Oakland.  Distinct from
			Waldenbooks, a used and new bookstore.
			They have a particularly good selection of 
			international writers (in translation) and 
			radical literature and magazines.
Magazines:	Dave's Smoke Shop (2444 Durant).  In the indoor shopping
			passage between Durant and Channing Way just west
			of Telegraph; same mini-mall as Other Change of
			Hobbit and Revolution Books).  The periodical
			selection in there is amazing.  They've even got
			Pravda (untranslated).

OTHER:

Menlo Park:	East West Books (1170 El Camino).  "A complete New Age
			book shop, with sections on herbalism,
			metaphysics, aromatherapy, shamanism, inner
			healing....  Also cards, incense, crystals,
			gongs, and other Aquarian doodads.  This is the
			sort of thing that people who like this sort of
			thing will like."
		Kepler's (821 El Camino Real) (new).  One of the two stores
			in the Bay area I hold up as the definition of
			the term 'bookstore." Special emphasis on
			alternative and progressive titles.  Has regular
			in-person programs, often featuring important
			authors.
		Wessex (558 Santa Cruz half-block off El Camino) (used).
			A truly delightful place.  They have a large
			selection of used books in wonderful condition
			and at good prices.  They seem to have a little
			bit of everything although the Science Fiction
			and Mystery sections are somewhat limited.
			They don't keep late hours, but are open Sunday
			afternoons.  The best used bookstore on the
			peninsula.  Their other claim to fame:
			Classical, Jazz and Blues used records.
			Wonderful place!
Palo Alto:	Bell's (536 Emerson) (used).  In terms of selection good.
			Great for book collectors.  "Unfortunately much
			of their stock is out of reach on high shelves,
			which can be frustrating.  They also shelve their
			fiction books in three layers, so you have to create
			little temporary piles on the floor as you mine for
			books.  Great place!"
		Bob and Bob (151 Forest Ave).  Judacica.
		The Book Buyers (504 Emerson).  A good general used book
			store.
		Books, Inc. (Stanford Shopping Center).  Has a good
			paperback selection.  All books are new and there
			are about a dozen tables of marked-down books.
			The staff is okay, not as friendly as at Phileas
			Fogg's (see below).
		Chimaera (University near High--yes, new address!).
			Excellent mostly used bookstore specializing in
			well-selected literary and humanities titles.
			Also good selection of used records, cassettes,
			and CDs, especially for classical, jazz, and
			progressive rock.
		Future Fantasy (3705 El Camino).  SF/F/H/Mystery
		If Wishes Were Horses (522 Ramona between University
			and Hamilton).  Children's books.
		Know Knew Books (on California) (used).  A good spot for
			used paperbacks, SF and general.  A good
			selection of hard cover fiction and non-fiction
			as well.
		Megabooks (444 University Avenue near Waverly).  Good
			general used bookstore which often has real
			bargains on recent cook books.
		Phileas Fogg (Stanford Shopping Center).  Good travel
			bookstore, helpful staff.
		Printers Inc. (310 California) (new).  Smaller than
			Kepler's, but more personal.  (One poster says they
			have recently expanded, so this may no longer be
			true.)  Good selection of foreign papers.  Cafe in
			the bookstore.  One poster writes, "My favourite
			weekly ritual is to cycle from work to Printer's
			Inc., pick up my reserved copy of the [Toronto]
			"Globe and Mail," and peruse it over a cup of dark
			French roast coffee with the buzz of conversation
			in the background.  A very pleasant and civilized
			way to spend an otherwise dull Tuesday evening."
		Renaissance Books (Hamilton near Emerson).  Another used
			bookstore, specially good for its huge
			collection of very cheap popular fiction --
			mysteries, gothic, science fiction, etc.
			(Used to be Recycle Books.)
		Slavic Book Store (?) (El Camino across from Stanford
			University).  Good selection of Polish books,
			among others.
		Stacey's (new).  Technical books.
		Stanford Univ. Bookstore (on the Stanford Campus).
			The largest bookstore in the Bay Area.  It's the
			most likely place to find a new book.  Their
			inventory is available on the network for people
			who have the right accounts.  There's also a branch
			on University Avenue in Palo Alto which specializes
			in technical books.
Los Altos:	Heintzelman's Bookstore (205 State Street) (new).  Packed
			to the roof with a large selection of books.  The
			owners were friendly, helpful, and well-read. 
Mountain View:	Printers Inc. (301 Castro Street) (new).
			More cramped and cluttered than the Palo Alto store.
		Hobby Store (San Antonio Shopping Center)
			Amazing selection of new books on aircraft, trains
			and ships (warships, mostly).  They have many
			hard-to-find and imported titles.
		Tower Books (El Camino and San Antonio)
Los Gatos:	Curious Book Shoppe (the corner of N. Santa Cruz
			and Main St) (used).
Campbell:	A used book store on Campbell Ave along the one-way strip
			that runs East, with the stopsigns, not the
			by-pass route).
San Jose:	Books, Inc. (new)
		Recycle Books (Santa Clara Street).  They have a pretty
			decent general selection.  Science fiction books are
			a strong point, but philosophy books are a weak spot.
Santa Cruz:	(There are a number of bookstores in Santa Cruz.  All three
			of the bookstores that previously resided on the
			Pacific Garden Mall were damaged to a greater or
			smaller extent during the '89 earthquake.  Logos
			has reopened in a permanent location; the other
			two have not, at least as far as I have heard.)
		Bookshop Santa Cruz (currently in two tents on Cedar,
			right near the town clock).  The larger tent is
			devoted to new books; the second is for staff and
			receiving.  Their used books are sold from a building
			to your left from the tent entrance, called the
			(used?) book shed.  A Santa Cruz tradition.
		Logos (has re-opened in a new building at its *old* location
			on the Pacific Garden Mall).  Two full floors of
			books, used records, and used CDs.  Can be thought
			of as Santa Cruz's answer to Moe's in Berkeley.
		Plaza Books  (damaged in the 'quake, but not destroyed.
			On Cedar half a block from Walnut).  New books
			only.
		Book-Cafe (41st Ave in Capitola).  New books only.  Good
			selection of magazines.  Also has a small coffee-
			shop inside.
Cupertino:	A Wrinkle in Time (19970 Homestead Road, 408-255-9406).
			New and used SF, comics, videos, games, and
			collectibles.

As for truly NORTHERN California, there is an excellent used book store on 
the main drag in Ferndale (be sure to avoid this treacly tourist trap unless
you care about books).  [New note: After the 4/25/92 quakes, is this still
open? -ecl]  They now have a branch in Eureka which has an excellent music
selection, and there is a third branch in Arcata, also very fine.  Eureka
has another good store, located on the square with the ugly modern fountain
in the historic part of town.

Evelyn C. Leeper   |   +1 908 957 2070   |   att!mtgzy!ecl or ecl@mtgzy.att.com

Newsgroups: rec.arts.books