From: ecl@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (evelyn.c.leeper)
Subject: Bookstores in Various Cities List (rec.arts.books)
Expires: Sun, 25 Oct 1992 16:31:30 GMT
Organization: AT&T
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 15:31:29 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.books
Keywords: monthly
Supersedes: <1992Jun25.192246.18933@cbnewsj.cb.att.com>

Archive-name: books/stores/various

Last change:
Thu Jul 23 09:11:05 EDT 1992

Cities include:
	Chicago, IL
	Philadelphia, PA
	Pittsburgh, PA
	Seattle, WA
	Washington, DC
	Edinburgh, Scotland
	Glasgow, Scotland

Additions:
	Edinburgh
	Glasgow

Additions to Chicago:
	Ex-Libris
	Krochs & Brentanto's
	Bookman's Alley

[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. :-) ]

==============================================================================
Chicago, IL:

Hyde Park Area:
	57th Street Bookstore (57th & Kimbark)  This is a general branch of
		the Seminary Co-op.  Very good children's book section, and
		a nice collection of fiction, sf, and mysteries.
	Ex-Libris (55th next to Luis Kiernans (sp?)).  Specializing in
		theological and rare books.
	Krochs & Brentanto's (53rd & Lake Park).
	Louis Kiernan Books  (55th Street)  Reasonable collection of used.
	O'Gara's (near the Medici)
	Powell's (with one store on 57th, one on Lincoln north of Diversey,
		and a warehouse at 828 S. Wabash)
	Seminary Cooperative Bookstore (Chicago Theological Seminary
		(58th Street & University Avenue).  "Has a good
		theological section but its only connection with the
		Seminary is that it rents space from them.  It is, in my
		opinion, the best academic bookstore in the social sciences
		and humanities in the world, for English-language books at
		any rate.  Anyone can shop there, but members receive a 10%
		discount on most books and may special-order books from
		anywhere in the world.  Membership costs $30 (for three
		shares of stock).  Members also receive an annual dividend
		and an additional rebate on their total annual expenditures
		(in good years; recently finances have been tight), and if
		they really want to, they can cancel their membership and
		cash in their stock after owning it for a year.  To join,
		show up between 8:30 AM and 5 PM, Monday-Friday.
	University of Chicago Bookstore (59th and Ellis)  General books
		downstairs, slightly academic tilt, but reasonable general
		section.

Other:
	Booksellers Row (North side: 2445 N. Lincoln and downtown:
		408 S. Michigan).  Used books.  North side is larger
		selection, one downtown is very easy to get to.
	Guild (and others) (on Lincoln north of Fullerton)
	The Stars Our Destination Bookstore (1021 W Belmont, one block
		West of the Belmont L stop, 312-871-2722).  A cheery little
		science fiction haven.  (They moved to this location 5/1/92.)

If you go to one used bookstore on the Northside, just pick up a map
listing the other ones nearby.  There are about 8 or so within 1.5
miles of each other.

Evanston:
	Great Expectations (911 Foster St near the El tracks, a couple of
		streets north of Emerson just east of Sherman).  "It's an
		interesting place with easy chairs and cats scattered around.
		I once overheard the proprietor tell a potential customer
		that the book the customer wanted to order was too easy to
		find.  Better bring along your checkbook though; it ain't
		cheap."
	Bookman's Alley (in the alley at the rear of 1712 Sherman Avenue).
		Roger Carlson has taken three large rooms that used to be
		a workshop or warehouse and converted them into a pleasant
		and fairly spacious old bookland.

Others:
	Aspidistra (N. Clark)
		HUGE warehouse of used and some new books.  Cheap.
	Borders Bookshop (near Rte 83, 1/2 mile N. of the shopping
		center in Oakbrook)
	Occult Bookstore (Clark north of Belmont)
	Barbara's Books (one on Broadway about 2 blocks south of
		Belmont, and one on Wells in Oldtown across the street
		from the adult theaters and bookstores)
	Rizzoli (in Water Tower)
		"I always feel underdressed when I go in there."
	The Unabridged Bookstore (Broadway a block north of Belmont)

==============================================================================
Philadelphia, PA:

Hibberd's Books (1310 Walnut St.)
	Sells new, used, and rare books.  Interesting item in this
	store is the bag of books in front of the store marked "take
	a chance, change of your life" filled with used books that are
	unknown until it is opened.
Book Trader (501 South St.)
	The biggest used book store in Philadelphia that I know of.
	They also sell black & white posters, used records, and have
	a tiny gallery upstairs.  Open every day till midnight.

==============================================================================
Pittsburgh, PA:

Atlantic Books
	An okay remainder place.
The Bookworm (in Squirrel Hill)
	A good used bookstore.
Borders (5 miles south on US 19).
	A very good book store, and compares well with any bookstore
	short of Powell's (in Portland, Oregon) that I've visited.
City Books (on the South Side of the Monogahela river across from
	downtown)
	Used.
Riverrun Books (next door to City Books)
	Smaller than City Books but the two put together are well worth a
	visit.
Eide's Comic Shop
	A better science fiction section than any store in the
	Boston area (specialty or otherwise).
Pinocchio Bookstore for Children (in Shadyside opposite the west end of
	Walnut St)
	The selection here is far better than any in any general bookstore.
	(It's well-chosen stuff for the most part, not shelf after shelf
	of Sweet Valley High).
Skleder's 
	Has a reasonable selection of old books, but nothing to brag
	about.
University of Pittsburgh Bookstore
	Pretty good.

There are several more (St. Elmo's and Stonewall probably merit additions as
well).  The CMU-SCS-student's Guide to Living In Pittsburgh gives a long
descriptions of the various kinds of bookstores in the area, but it's probably
more information than you want.  (It would take up a whole posting by itself,
and the bookstore pickings in Pittsburgh are a good deal slimmer than NYC or
the Bay Area.)

==============================================================================
Seattle, WA:

AKA Books & Left Bank Books
	Part of a collective that provides small press and alternative
	titles--former is primarily used books at good prices, latter
	is mostly new titles.
Bailey/Coy Books
	Wonderful, full of good fiction and recommendations from staff
	and customers.
David Ishi, Bookseller (down the street from Elliot Bay)
	Lots of old hardcovers and memorabilia, but it's a bit
	expensive.  He specializes in fine editions, and will do
	difficult rare book searches on request. 
Discount Books
	Has some of the lowest prices, but their selection is usually
	limited.
Elliot Bay Books
	Booklover's paradise. Also has an extensive children's section,
	complete with a playroom for kids as you browse other areas.
Lambda Books
	The best place for gay/lesbian titles and postcards.
Magazine City
	Carries the entire line of paranoia/crime-how-to/disappear from
	government scrutiny books from Loompanics.
Magus Bookstore and Beauty and the Books
	Run-of-the-mill university used bookstores.
Shorey's Books
	Used bookstore with ancient reference books.  Lots of dreck, but
	the occasional book you can't find anywhere else.
Twice Sold Tales (on John, not 45th)
	Has incredibly good used fiction at good prices.
University Bookstore
	Simply massive, with good people to find the book you want, and
	an extensive children's section. "Better than any University
	bookstore I know (including Harvard Coop) for general books."

There are also several used bookstores the university area--one along
University Way and a couple on side streets going East, towards campus.

And of course, you might want to consider a day trip down to Portland
(three hours by car) to get to visit Powell's--probably the largest
bookstore in the world.

==============================================================================
Washington, DC:

Air Land and Sea (Old Town Alexandria at 1215 King St)  New and used
	aeronautical, nautical, and military books, prints (and collectibles,
	and other knick-knacks).  
Borders (Rockville Pike near White Flint mall in Bethesda/Rockville)
	The best.  Aside from having a huge selection, it has employees who
	actually know something about books.  Pricey, but a great place to
	hang out.
From Out of the Past (Alexandria on Richmond Hwy (Route 1))  Eclectic
	mix of books, sometimes overpriced badly IMHO, but *the* place in 
	Washington to buy things like old Life magazines.
Kramerbooks/Afterwords (P St. just north of Dupont Circle)
	Smallish bookstore, but good selection & nice cafe in the back.
	Open 24 hours a day.  Also the regular Kramerbooks at 1875 K Street
	inside International square.  Very good collection of political
	science and technical works.  **NOTE**: Another person says
	these are "[n]ot listed as such (under either name) in the
	current D.C. white or yellow pages.  There is an Afterwords Cafe at
	1517 Conn. Ave, N.W., but I have no notion if it is related."
	Can someone clarify?
The Map Store Inc. (Farragut Sq at 1636 Eye St. NW)  An excellent
	source of maps, travel guides, etc.
Maryland Book Exchange (College Park at 4500 College Ave)  An above
	average technical/university bookstore with some used books.
The Newsroom (two blocks up from Kramerbooks on Connecticut Ave)  A good
	selection of national & international newspapers & magazines.
Olde Soldier Books, Inc. (Gaithersburg on N Frederick Ave)  Specializes
	in Civil War books, in which they have a broad stock.  Worth
	checking on any military material for earlier wars, new (some)
	or used (mainly).  They also publish.
Olsson's Books & Records (Main store in Georgetown on Wisconsin Ave. NW.
	Other stores at Dupont Circle on 19th St NW, Metro Center on F
	St NW, Old Town Alexandria on S Union St, and Bethesda on Old
	Georgetown Rd)  Good selection, including some hard-to-find books.
	Also a music store.  Will order from Books in Print, and, at the
	Georgetown store, British Books in Print.  Also a music store;
	mainly classical.
Politics and Prose (Connecticut and Nevada)  A full service bookstore.
	Recent fiction and current affairs, politics.  Often has authors
	speaking.
Reiter's Scientific and Technical Bookstore (2021 K St NW)  They have a
	very broad stock of technical books and are also willing to do
	phone and mail order worldwide (800)537-4314 or (202)223-3327.
Wonder Books & Video (Frederick on W Patrick St (Route 40 W))  A large
	used bookstore that I've always found well worth searching.

In Bethesda, just find one used bookstore -- each one has maps
	showing the locations of all the others.

Second Story Books (chain with stores at Dupont Circle on P St NW,
	Rockville on Parklawn Ave, Bethesda on Bethesda Ave, and in
	Baltimore)  Used books (and records). Largest selection of
	any of the used book stores I go to (I look for paperback fiction
	and history, mostly).

For literary stuff, try Chapters, at 1532 K St NW.

For SF, fantasy, and strange odds & ends, try Hole in the Wall
      (a.k.a. Hole in the Wallet) in Falls Church, Virginia.

For theater books, Backstage Inc., 21st & P Streets N.W.

==============================================================================
Edinburgh:

Bauermeisters (on the Bridges).
Castle Books (Canongate).  Used.
Dillons (Princes Street).  Large chain.  Someone claims, "Dillons?  You mean
	Sherratt and Hughes, now known as.....Waterstone's."
Forbidden Planet (Teviot Place).  Science fiction.
Macnaughtons (Haddington Place, Leith Walk).  Used.
Old Grindle's (Spittal Street).  Used.
Second Edition (Canonmills).  Used.
Sheena McNeil (Bruntsfield Links).  Sheet music.
Thins (South Bridge).  One person says: "[Along with] John Smiths, ... [is]
	so far ahead of anyone else there is no point in looking at others.
	Both have a few other branches scattered around their respective
	cities." But another says: "Thins is the worst bookstore I've ever
	had the misfortune of dealing with," and a third says, "It must have
	been a while since you tried looking for anything in Thin's,
	and absence has apparently made your heart go all funny. Thin's is
	a Very Poor Bookshop.  They are also a bunch of hypocrites, handing
	out propaganda in favour of retaining the Net Book Agreement, while
	marking up the prices of Non-Net Books higher than Waterstone's and
	Co."
Tills (Buccleuch Street).  Used.
Waterstone's (Princes Street).  Large chain.
West and Wilde (Dundas Street).  Gay/lesbian
West Port Books (West Port near Lothian Rd.).  Used.
(a couple of shops in Teviot Row).  Medical, new and used.
(a shop in Spittal Street).  Second-hand football programmes.
(a remainder shop opposite Thins).
(a couple of used book stores in Broughton Street and at the top
of Leith Walk and several used book stores in the Grassmarket).

You can pick up a leaflet with a full list of used book stores from any one
of them.
The Assembly Rooms in George St. often holds book fairs on Saturdays
where many of the second-hand booksellers exhibit.

==============================================================================
Glasglow:

Bargain Books (chain of small stores).  Limited stock but excellent bargain
	prices.
Caledonia Books (Great Western Road).  Used.
Church of Scotland Bookshop (Buchanan Street near the Underground Station).
	Near Forbidden Planet.
Centerpeace (Stockwell Street).  Pacifist/feminist/Third World.
Clyde Books (Parnie Street).  Radical/socialist/feminist/green.
Dillons (the Argyle Street/Union Street corner).  A very large branch.
	More modern than Smiths and a great place to pick up book
	bargains.  Close to Smiths and Waterstones.
Dowanhill Books (in a lane off Byres Road opposite Hillhead tube station).
	Used.
Forbidden Planet (Buchanan Street).  Science fiction and comics.
Futureshock.  American imports and OLD paperbacks as well as imports.
Gilmorehill Books (Bank Street).  Used.
Obelisk (Virginia Galleries, Virginia Street).  Used science fiction and
	mysteries.
John Smith and Sons (St. Vincent Street).  Quite close to George Square.
	This is the main branch and is famous enough for you to be able to
	ask directions to it.  It has 5 floors and keeps books on just about
	any subject you can think of.  Main public transport terminals nearby
	(i.e., walking distance) include Central Station (trains), Queen
	Street Station (trains), Buchanan Street Station (buses) and Buchanan
	Street Underground Station.  Close to Dillons and Waterstones.
John Smith and Sons (University Bookshop, University Avenue, Hillhead) (west
	of the city centre).  A strictly academic bookshop, they specialise
	in stocking books on the recommended reading lists for students
	supplied by Glasgow University (who keep close links with the shop).
	Most university courses are in evidence in the shop - medical books
	particularly so.  Main public transport terminal nearby is Hillhead
	Underground Station.
John Smith and Sons (Byres Road Branch, Byres Road, Hillhead).  A mainstream
	three-storey bookshop.  Simply a scaled-down version of the main
	shop.  This shop is located next door to the Hillhead Underground
	Station.  The university shop is 5 minutes away on foot.  A nice area
	in general, well worth a look: there are several famous cafes/coffee
	shops around here too (e.g., The Ubiquitous Chip, The Underground
	Gallery).
Voltaire and Rousseau (Otago Street Lane).  Used.
Waterstones (Union Street very close to Dillons).  Large branch.
	More modern than Smiths.  Close to Smiths.
Winchester Book Shop.  "But I have found nothing to match the Winchester book
	shop, where I could always cure a headache, browsing among the
	shelves."
Word of Mouth (Bank Street).  Food and cookery; this place is amazing.
(a comics shop in Byres Road)
charity shops in Byres Rd, all of whom sell books, starting with Cancer
	Research, Oxfam, Dr Barnado's, Save the Children, Glasgow
	University's settlement(?), as well as the back alley secondhand books
	(next to Oxfam) and occasionally DeCourcy's arcade)

Regarding Smiths, one reader says:
"There are other branches of Smiths, but these three should cover all
your needs wherever you are in Glasgow.  All Smiths shops are tied by a
computer network allowing the facility for quick look up of stocks
elsewhere in the city and quick transfer between branches in the case
where a particular book is not in stock at a certain branch.  They can
also order ANY book in print as long as they can locate the ISBN, and
send it to any address you please.  They have British and Overseas Books
in Print on Microfiche for this purpose."

Regarding some of the other chains, another reader warns:
"AVOID the new, plush bookshops that are branches of big English chains
(Dillons, Hatchards, Waterstones).  These have a limited range of yuppie
best-sellers and their attempts to fuck publishers over through the years
(unilaterally refusing to pay before three months after invoicing and later
attempting to smash the Net Book Agreement) have been very destructive.
They have nothing in stock you can't get from John Smiths or Thins."

W. H. Smiths and John Menzies are huge UK-wide chains that sell magazines
and airport bestsellers.

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

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