New York City loves its independent bookstores. It eulogizes those that have faded and celebrates when new ventures are launched. And while the historic Book Row may have passed away in the 80s, there are still many indie bookstores dotting the map, across all five boroughs. Here, I have attempted to collect all of the currently-open general-interest independent booksellers in NYC. Any store with regular-ish hours (excluding religious booksellers and appointment-only rare book sellers) is included.
While Manhattan and Brooklyn still lead the pack, Queens has a respectable number of stores, and all five boroughs are represented, with the Bronx and Staten Island both hosting lone independent stores. Lower Manhattan has the highest density of booksellers.
The listings here are kept up-to-date to the best of my ability; however, I make no promises about either the accuracy or reliability of the information. If you spot an error, or I've missed a shop, please let me know by email, mastodon, or twitter. Originally based on the "Hack Spots" website by @jllord (although I don't believe any of the actual underlying code still survives at this point).
There are currently 120 stores indexed on this page. Last updated April 22, 2025.
126 Crosby St
New York, NY 10012
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The used-bookstore arm of the well-established AIDS and homelessness charity Housing Works is well-known for its frequent reading and events, which occur most evenings. It closes early on weekends to make room for the frequent rentals of the space for weddings. The two-story space (if you count the balcony) has a broad selection of general-interest used books, records, and CDs, as well as a few shelves of Advance Reader copies for sale. The café sells sandwiches, soups, coffee, and beer for reasonable prices, but table space is generally at a premium, however.