TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Delightful Destinations: Bookstores With Pizazz

ADVERTISEMENT

By BETH J. HARPAZ, The Associated Press

Published: January 20, 2008

Updated: 01/18/2008 09:33 pm

NEW YORK - When is a bookstore worth a tourist's time? When it is more than a place to buy books.

A destination bookstore can make you feel like you're part of the community, whether you're grooving on the laid-back vibe at Powell's in Portland or tuning into the Beltway buzz at Washington's Politics and Prose.

Some bookstores offer literary touchstones, such as the wooden chairs signed by writers who have visited That Bookstore in Blytheville, an Arkansas institution frequented by native son John Grisham. City Lights in San Francisco, once a hangout for beat writers such as Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, draws tourists from around the world.

"Each one of these stores has a unique, distinct personality and approach," said Meg Smith, chief marketing officer for the American Booksellers Association, a trade group for independent bookstores. "You really do see a snapshot of the town and the region in these kinds of fulsome independent bookstores."

And don't overlook the shopping potential. Most independent bookstores take pride in showcasing regional literature. Quirky handwritten signs with staff recommendations may direct you to writers you've never heard of. The tote bags at the Strand bookstore in Manhattan, which come in more than 30 designs, were voted the No. 1 souvenir to bring home to Japan by New York readers of Nikkei, a Japanese financial newspaper.

Any list of destination bookstores is bound to leave off some favorites. But here are some noteworthy bookstores around the country definitely worth a visit:

INKWOOD BOOKS: 216 S. Armenia Ave., Tampa, www.inkwoodbooks.com or (813) 253-2638

You'll feel right at home at this friendly, locally owned bookstore in a renovated yellow house. Rooms are filled with fiction and nonfiction, poetry, cookbooks, nature books, children's books and more. Ask about the authors who visit for book signings and chats with readers about their work. And feel free to ask for book recommendations.

HASLAM'S BOOK STORE: 2025 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, www.haslams .com or (727) 822-8616

This is Florida's largest and oldest used-book store. But the massive treasure house also sells new books and even has a section of low-carb foods. Family owned and operated for generations, it prides itself on personal service, massive inventory and frequent author book signings.

BOOKS & BOOKS: 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, www.booksandbooks.com or (305) 442-4408

Some bookstores are crammed with serpentine rows of dusty shelves aching with books - but that's not what you'll find at Books & Books, with three locations in addition to its Coral Gables flagship.

"Our Coral Gables store is built around a courtyard in a Mediterranean-style building and our South Beach store is in a gorgeous Art Deco building," said owner Mitchell Kaplan.

The store also has branches in an upscale mall in Bal Harbour and on Grand Cayman Island in the Caribbean.

Books & Books hosts 70 author events a month, and the stores' specialties include art, architecture and regional literature, including books about Cuba and Latin America. Both the Coral Gables and Miami Beach stores also have full-service restaurants.

CITY LIGHTS: 261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, www.city lights.com or (415) 362-8193

This store, a city landmark, was co-founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who also started City Lights Publishers and was arrested on obscenity charges for publishing Ginsberg's famous poem "Howl."

The store continues to serve as a center for counterculture activities and politics. Recommendations from its "Muckraking" section, for example, include such titles as "The Fall of the House of Bush." Tourists also like to stop in at the bar next door, Vesuvio, to have a drink where Kerouac once bellied up.

THE ELLIOTT BAY BOOK CO.: 101 S. Main St., Seattle, www.elliottbaybook.com/ or 1-800-962-5311

The Elliott Bay Book Co. is in Seattle's historical Pioneer Square district, once the city's skid row but now known for nightclubs, galleries, sports arenas and architecture - including the 1867 red-brick building that houses Elliott Bay. Cedar shelves offer 150,000 new and used titles in rooms with exposed brick walls, and one or two readings are held every night.

POLITICS AND PROSE: 5015 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C., www.politics-prose.com/ or 1-800-722-0790

Even people who have never been here feel like they know the place because many of its readings are broadcast on C-SPAN.

"We have a lot of people who come here, and the first thing they want to know is, 'Where does the author stand?'" said co-owner Barbara Meade. "They want to have the whole setting they see on television explained to them."

But don't let the "Politics" in the store's name fool you. Readers can find books here in any genre; the store's children's section is especially well-regarded.

POWELL'S CITY OF BOOKS: 1005 W. Burnside, Portland, Ore., www.powells.com or 1-800-878-7323

The Gold Room, the Rose Room, the Purple Room - even with a color-coded map and signs, it's easy to get lost in the labyrinths of Powell's City of Books. And "it's hard to walk out with less than 10 books," said marketing coordinator Kim Sutton.

Powell's claims to be the world's largest independent used and new bookstore; its other locations include three more general bookstores and two specialty stores (Technical and Home and Garden).

TATTERED COVER BOOK STORE: 1628 16th St., Denver, www.tatteredcover.com or (303) 436-1070

Visitors to Denver often go to 16th Street, a mile-long outdoor mall through the heart of LoDo, historical Lower Denver. There, amid breweries and boutiques, near the arenas where Denver's major league teams play and across from the train station, you'll find the Tattered Cover.

The store has two other locations, but the LoDo location is especially inviting, with overstuffed chairs and a gas fireplace.

STRAND BOOK STORE: at 12th Street and Broadway, near Union Square, Manhattan, www.strandbooks.com or (212) 473-1452

Founded in 1927 by the Bass family, which still owns it, the Strand is a New York legend, offering "18 miles of books," including used books for a buck, new best sellers, rare books and collectibles in every price range, and an entire floor of art books.

It's as much a scene as it is a bookstore; customers range from Japanese tourists and East Village hipsters to New York University students and crusty intellectuals who quiz the staff on their literary knowledge.

The "treasure hunt" is part of the allure, said Christina Foxley, director of store events.

"Our stock is constantly changing," she said. "One hour we might have a book; one hour we don't. You never know what you might find."

Tribune book editor Karen Haymon Long contributed to this report.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT