Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl
Exploring Brooklyn's independent bookstore scene one shop at a time.
This past year on Independent Bookstore Day, my friends and I embarked on a bookstore crawl in Brooklyn. After evaluating the list of bookstores participating in the day’s celebrations, I mapped out a route to explore as many locations as possible (within our bandwidth for walking). I have highlighted the stores we visited for those who would like to venture into the wonderful world of independent bookshops in Brooklyn!
Ripped Bodice
218 5th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215
We started the day at Ripped Bodice, a woman-owned bookstore devoted to the celebration of romance novels. Ripped Bodice was founded in Los Angeles in 2016 by sisters Leah Koch and Bea Hodges-Koch, with the Brooklyn location opening in 2023. The shop is welcoming, magical, and has any romance book your heart could desire. They have specialized sections for popular tropes and themes, such as books with Taylor Swift lyrics in the title or stories of cowboys whisking their true love into the sunset. It was a perfect way to start the crawl and built excitement for the rest of the day.
Center for Fiction
15 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Our next stop was the Center for Fiction: the only nonprofit literary organization in the U.S. solely dedicated to celebrating fiction. This gorgeous bookshop opened in 2019, featuring floor-to-ceiling books and windows with a generous selection of fiction to choose from. Center for Fiction has a coffee and wine bar to grab a drink and snack during the crawl. The shop is also home to the Writer’s Studio, a community space for writers which can be accessed through the membership, and the Center for Fiction Library, a circulating collection of fiction founded in 1821 as The Mercantile Library of New York. The organization holds writing workshops, reading groups, and literary events throughout the month, cultivating space for creativity and dynamic discussion.
Greenlight Bookstore
686 Fulton St, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Greenlight Bookstore’s mission is to create a welcoming space for discovery, conversation, and connection around books. Founded in 2009, Greenlight is a neighborhood staple with definitive character and charm. The shop has warm wood accents, winding aisles, and niche front tables (currently they have a selection dedicated to the season two release of “Severance” entitled “Work Sucks, I Know”). Greenlight’s Instagram also never fails to make me laugh, and I am already planning my next trip to their shelves.
McNally Jackson
445 Gold St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
McNally Jackson has just celebrated their 20th anniversary, and is a chain of the most beautiful bookstores in New York. Founded by Sarah McNally, the stores offer a broad selection of books in addition to fine stationary. Under the McNally Jackson umbrella is McNally Editions, an independent publisher devoted to “rediscovering books from off the beaten path”. If you are looking for an enjoyable browsing experience with a thoughtfully curated selection, this bookshop is definitely worth a visit.
Books are Magic
122 Montague St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Books are Magic was the last stop of our bookstore crawl! Founded in 2017, this family-owned bookshop creates a space for connection through the magic of books. Their events are spectacular, their selection is unique and far-reaching, and stepping through the shop door always puts a smile on my face. This store is the perfect way to end a day embracing independent bookshops and celebrating books.