Cafe con Libros: Creating Community One Coffee at a Time

Cafe con Libros: Creating Community One Coffee at a Time

Nestled in the bustling borough of Brooklyn, New York lives a quaint bookstore with an important mission. That mission is to bring Black and Latinx feminist literature to the forefront of the neighborhood, creating a community that fosters love and acceptance. Community is at the center of all they do, whether it’s selling you a book or tote-bag, or making a cozy and safe space to enjoy a latte.

Storefront of Cafe Con Libros. Courtesy of brownstoner.com

Café con Libros opened in 2017 “amid doubts that a bookstore identifying itself as feminist could thrive” (Alcantara). Even amidst the turmoil, owner Kalima DeSuze was determined to make Café con Libros a community center that pushes the narratives of the underrepresented voices of Afro-Latina womxn.

Image by Priscilla Gaona.

While DeSuze makes it clear that community is everything to her and this business, a sense of tight knit community values is reflected in the overall attitude of the neighborhood. Café con Libros is located in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, though bordering it is the well-known neighborhood of Prospect Heights. Compass.com states that Crown Heights is “a diverse area bursting with energy and things to do.” Filled with local businesses, it is a “community oriented area where people still host block parties and greet friends from their stoops” (compass.com). Likewise, Prospect Heights “has long been known as an epicenter of racial and social convergence” (compass.com). It draws people in based on “its sense of community. Diverse communities have started and run businesses, congregated along the same blocks, and frequented the same shops for generations” (compass.com). It seems as though DeSuze, who grew up not far from the future location of Café con Libros, picked the right place to open a local, community and mission focused business targeting diverse audiences.

Implicitly or explicitly, most of our spaces are male-dominated and [Café con Libros] has to be, if I have any control, about women-and girls-identified folks.

Kalima DeSuze, Owner of Cafe con Libros

Demographically, Brooklyn is a majority black neighborhood. According to the US Census Bureau, in 2021 there was 32,494 Black/African American individuals living in the borough, compared to 25,209 individuals. Brooklyn also has a majority of female identifying individuals, coming out at 32,974 to 29,236. This is of course excluding a portion of the community who no doubt identify outside of the gender norms. However, what this data does make clear is that Café con Libros is perfectly situated in a majority black and female neighborhood, making it the ideal location for a black feminist bookstore.

A popup greets you as soon as you go onto Café con Libros’ website. It says: “Why a Feminist Bookstore? ‘You have to git men off your eyeball before you can see anything a’tall.’ Alice Walker, The Color Purple.”

Image by Priscilla Gaona.

In DeSuze’s own words, “‘Implicitly or explicitly, most of our spaces are male-dominated and [Café con Libros] has to be, if I have any control, about women-and girls-identified folks’” (Bese.com). This isn’t simply about opening a niche store that caters to your neighborhood demographically, it’s about creating a place that doesn’t commonly exist, yet must. Tim Cresswell states in his book Place: a short introduction, “Place is also a way of seeing, knowing, and understanding the world. When we look at the world as a world of places we see different things. We see attachments and connections between people and place. We see worlds of meaning and experience” (Cresswell 11). Perhaps Café con Libros can be this “meaningful location” (Cresswell 7) for its neighborhood that connects people with their neighbors and shows them a new way of understanding.

It is at the very core of Café con Libros’ mission to serve their community and to build meaningful relationships and dialogue. If anything can be considered a “place,” Café con Libros certainly can. On their website, Café con Libros states that “One of our greatest endeavors is to be of service to our community: a place for growth, calm, healing and belonging.” They are aware of the significance of “place,” by using this intentional language to create the distinct imagery of community and safety. Moreover, they are undoubtedly succeeding, demonstrated by the testimonials on their website.

“Cafe Con Libros and its patrons have become one of my most cherished safe spaces. For a while now, I have been reckoning with shifts in friendships and craving community that shares my values. Cafe Con Libros and the WoC book club have satisfied that craving. Having the opportunity to engage in nuanced discussions about rich literature with other bookish folx has reminded me of the beauty and necessity of community.” -Melika Butcher

Café con Libros is perhaps the most dedicated business to fostering a community and engaging within that community that I have ever seen. Between their locally sourced pastries, their multiple book clubs, and their events that uplift other local businesses, womxn authors, and cultural events, Café con Libros is determined to make themselves a meaningful place to anyone who walks through their doors.

Works Cited

Alacantara, Amanda. “Meet the Owner of Cafe Con Libros, A Feminist Bookstore in Brooklyn.” Bese. 4 March, 2018. https://www.bese.com/meet-the-owner-of-cafe-con-librosa-feminist-bookstore-in-brooklyn/. Accessed 18 September, 2023.

Cafe con Libros. https://www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/. Accessed 18 September, 2023.

Claritas. 2023. https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 18 September, 2023.

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Blackwell Publishing, 2004.

“Crown Heights.” Compass. https://www.compass.com/neighborhood-guides/nyc/crown-heights/. Accessed 18 September, 2023.

“Prospect Heights.” Compass. https://www.compass.com/neighborhood-guides/nyc/prospect-heights/. Accessed 18 September, 2023.

United States Census Bureau. https://data.census.gov/all?q=ZCTA5+11216. Accessed 18 September, 2023.

Images

Brownstoner. 19 Nov. 2021. https://www.brownstoner.com/brooklyn-life/crown-heights-bookstore-cafe-con-libros-724-prospect-place-feminist-bookclub-kalima-desuze/. Accessed 18 September, 2023.

Gaona, Priscilla. “Meet the Owner of Cafe Con Libros, A Feminist Bookstore in Brooklyn.” Bese. 4 March 2018. https://www.bese.com/meet-the-owner-of-cafe-con-librosa-feminist-bookstore-in-brooklyn/. Accessed 18 September, 2023.

Maps

Maps created by Janelle Cass using https://mymaps.google.com/.

One Does Not Simply Walk Into The Strand

If there is one thing universally known about the Strand, it is that if you were to lay every book in the store down in a row, you would come out with over 18 miles of books. To hold such a mass collection, a store must be equally as big. Taking up its own city block in New York City, walking into the Strand is probably an overwhelming experience for many first timers. However, there are many things that the Strand does to make their customers feel at home, despite its tremendous size. One simply does not walk into the Strand simply to become lost and confused. The mix of well versed employees and the strands own interesting kind of organization can help even the less experience find the book that they will take home.

The first floor of the Strand
The first floor of the Strand

Not only does the Strand provide books to the book loving customer, it also provides a wide variety of products for their customers to take home, even ones you would not expect in a bookstore. The Strand sells a variety of movies, CDs and even vinyls, something that many of the larger bookshops have started to stock. What makes the Strand stand out is that they sell a huge variety of their own merchandise. Totes and clothing with the Strand logo on them are well stocked throughout the store, along with stationary, shot glasses, moleskin notebooks, calendars, posters, etc all with the Strand logo on them.

In a surprising move, most of this merchandise is in the very front of the store, right near the entrance. I found this choice to actually be rather odd considering that the main thing that the Strand is known for is being a bookstore. Walking right in will land you right next to many tables and walls stacked high with shirts and totes and all the other kinds of merchandise mentioned before. Apart from that, their merchandise is placed all around the store, just waiting to be bought by the loyal Strand customer. Though to be fair to the Strand, the outside sidewalk is completely filled with stacks and stacks of bargain books.

Once a person manages to get past the merchandise on the first floor, then the true book buying adventure will begin. The first floor is mostly filled with fiction and bestsellers. Though the choice to put the bestsellers front and center is not a surprising choice (Yay for living in a capitalistic society!) what follows on the first floor shakes up the normal thought of what would be put front and center. Travel and guide books feature prominently after the bestsellers, and then the books become books about history. Finally, the last section of the first floor of the Strand is dedicated to cookbooks. It is not surprising that so many different genres would be put so near each other, for “As they circulate through our lives, we look through objects (to see what they disclose about history, society, nature, or culture-above all, what they disclose about us)” (Brown).

As seen in the picture, there are many stacks of the different kinds of books (mostly fiction) while tables sit right in the middle. The most traffic of the area definitely goes to the tables, and that is where the best selling books go. Thats makes sense, seeing that grabbing books from an easy to reach and organized table would go a lot smoother than searching through the very tall stacks that go all the way back to the end of the city block. These seem to be centered more at the customer who does not know exactly what they want, and simply have time to look around and browse.

Let us go downstairs to the basement of the Strand. Here in the basement the main focus seems to be nonfiction, as well as more bargain books. This is the place for people looking for a deal who don’t want to stand outside in the sun or in the cold. The catch is that you will be surrounded by even more merchandise. Down here in the basement of the Strand you will find not just general books of nonfiction. The new gardener can find a book about how to create a garden, or a drama student can find a whole shelf dedicated to drama criticism. A person full of wanderlust could find a book about traveling through Europe, or a health freak could find a book about the newest diet.

Walk upstairs to the second floor for a much more visual experience. Here on the second floor is an artists dream, with the main collection being books that have something to do with art. Not just art books, but biographies about artists and art monographs. For the super hero inclined, there are a large collection of graphic novels, and for the younger crowd the is a whole collection of young adult and children books. There is even a whole section with just books on the floor, spread all around. Various other genres, such as erotica and science fiction, also are on the second floor, but the space mainly seems to be dedicated to the more visually inclined.

While studying video and pictures of the Strand, there was one thing I kept noticing. This was not a store where you could find a lot of space toast down, be comfy and read a book. One thing that the Strand does not borrow for the retail stores is the way that the retail stores “combine retail and entertainment space, [which] can be seen in their interior design, which includes comfortable furniture and room for socializing” (Miller 118). This is not entirely surprising, as when you have over eighteen miles of books, the priority for decorating and interior design would be to make as most use of the space for storing books as possible. As I looked though the pictures, I could almost feel the overwhelmingness of the place, and wondered if there was any place that a person could rest.

 

Luckily, this is achieved with out last floor, the Rare Books Room. The Rare Books room is exactly what it says on the tin. It is a room full of rare editions of books, or books signed by the authors. As there is less of a demand for these expensive books, the Rare Books Room is a great breath of fresh air. While the walls are filled to the brim with these books, but the rest of the space is much more spread out, with chairs to sit on and relax in.

 

The Rare Books room also helps bring a stronger community aspect to the Strand. As Miller in Reluctant Capitalists says, one of the marks of an independent bookstore is showing that they have “a commitment to their community” (Miller 119). The rare books room is often used to hold events, fundraisers and other types of parties, bringing a community together not just for their love of books, but their love of what the Strand is doing for them. This has become all the more true after the chain retail store Borders closed, making the Strand the largest bookstore in their community.

Sources:

Images:

The First Floor of the Strandhttp://travel-photo.photoshelter.com/image/I0000jS.bG2r..7A

Text:

Brown, Bill. “Thing Theory.” Critical Inquiry Vol. 28, No. 1. p 1-22

Print. Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.

The Strand: A Place for Book-lovers of all Sorts

Like any good bookstore, The Strand offers plenty of books in a variety of interests reflective of the customers it has. In such a diverse city where people take interest in all types of things, it is crucial for the bookstore to be able to supply the materials necessary to satisfy these intellectual cravings. The Strand, with its extensive collection, succeeds in doing that. Like New York City, The Strand offers a space where people of all interests can interact and explore something different while still providing an atmosphere that feels like home. In chapter ten, titled “On Collecting Art and Culture,” of his book The Predicament of Culture, James Clifford writes that collecting is a “probably universal” habit, though “the idea that identity is a kind of wealth (of objects, knowledge, memories, experience)” is not universal, but more of a Western idea. With other cultures, such as in Melanesia, collecting objects is done “to give them away, to redistribute.” (Clifford, 218) It can be argued, then, that bookstores have a way of doing both- of creating an identity based off of their collections but for the purpose of redistributing.

strand-bookstore
Just like the arrangement of books above the registers of the first floor suggests, The Strand offers a collection of books and other merchandise of every “color,” or type.

In Tim Cresswell’s book, Place: A Short Introduction, he calls for readers to think about the way in which we use the word place every day. He goes on to explain that our usage of the term “suggests ownership or some type of connection between a person or a particular location or building.” If someone were to say, for example, “The Strand is a nice place,” Creswell explains that this “suggests something of the way it looks and what it is like to be there.” (Creswell, 1-2) With this in mind, by taking a look at the collection of books The Strand offers and the way in which they are arranged, we are better able to understand what type of place this bookstore is trying to be.

 

Upon entering the store, one may be immediately overwhelmed by the amount of books at the ready to be picked up and paged through. The layout of the store gives the impression that there is so much to see that one must at least try to see it all, leading curious customers to explore sections that they might not otherwise venture in to, though sometimes accidentally.

The front of the store may seem pretty typical with a brief glance at the floor plan I’ve sketched out. Bestsellers, New Arrivals and Popular Fiction are located near the entrance along with the current or upcoming holiday-themed stand. But, The Strand is so much more than meets the eye- my sketch does not do it justice. Venturing further into the store, customers will find a Banned Books section near the Popular Fiction as well as a massive Poetry section and tables of “Underground” Books. Unlike chain bookstores which primarily focus on selling what’s popular, The Strand caters to a wide range of interests. The store does not disregard those who enjoy bestsellers, which elitists might say are of lesser value, but rather it invites this audience in by providing these bestsellers and popular fiction, while giving them an environment to explore a wider range of books. The same goes with those who like to disregard the bestsellers. The Strand is saying, it’s ok to enjoy what you enjoy, but maybe you will enjoy these other books, too.

Again, it’s too tempting to not explore at least the rest of the first floor. After entering, most people will be inclined to go away from the registers first, toward the right side of the store. From there, they will most likely be drawn to another nearby section, moving further back throughout the store until they wind up walking toward the registers, perhaps drawn there with the desire to purchase something, to double-back to something that had previously caught their eye, or to find the stairs to continue exploring the upper levels.

In her book Reluctant Capitalists, Laura Miller writes, “A locally owned and operated store is directly dependent on the goodwill of local residents and cannot risk alienating large parts of the community… The store proprietor knows that the fate of her entire business is tied to the future of that community.” (Miller, 26) This idea is clearly incorporated into the layout and stock of The Strand, but is perhaps most evident on the second floor.

As you can begin to see from my sketch, the second floor is home to thousands of young adult, children’s, and various types of art books. While downstairs caters to a more general population of New York City, the second floor is for specific types of people. As New York City is a very popular place for artists of all types to reside in or frequent, I suppose I should not have been as surprised as I was to find such a wide selection of books. It is evident that The Strand does not want to alienate any type of artist. The store welcomes and enjoys supplying books for painters, dancers, photographers, architects, fashion designers, and even crafters. Non-artists are, of course, also welcome. During my visit, I noticed another customer had even brought his Schnauzer!

The Third floor is a little different. The fact that there are no stairs to this level suggests a knowledge of the fact that there’s a certain type of person that will be interested in going up there, though everyone should at least take a peek.

Some customers might feel uncomfortable on this floor because it may be the area of the store where the stock of books isn’t quite within their reach, either intellectually or financially. The books are more expensive here and may tend to be more of collector’s items than for the pleasure of reading. This is possibly enough to make those who are just exploring the third floor feel as if they shouldn’t be there. However, no one actually seems to mind any of the browsers. My sketch shows comfy armchairs to the left of the store when exiting the elevator, whereas throughout the rest of the store the chairs are less inviting. Perhaps this is an attempt to compensate for any discomfort. It’s a way for the store to tell customers it’s okay to be here and even stay for a little while.

Throughout each level of the store, you may notice that sections such as Sci-Fi, Sports, and Graphic novels end up being located in corners, suggesting that these may not be the most popular sections, but those who are looking for them will find them. If not, there are information desks on each floor and signs everywhere telling customers to “Ask Us!” A recent Publisher’s Weekly article even announced a new in-store positioning-based marketing technique being implementing at The Strand in order to connect with customers and “build the Strand brand-” which is ultimately and thus far recognized as a friendly, interesting place welcoming of all types of book-lovers.

 

 

Sources

Websites

www.strandbooks.com

www.thinglink.com

www.publishersweekly.com

Images

www.google.com

ThingLink images taken with personal camera

Text

Clifford, James. “On Collecting Art and Culture.” The Predicament of Culture: Twentieth-century Ethnography, Literature, and Art. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1988. 215-51. Print.

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004. Print.

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2006. Print.

A Strand Vertically Divided

strandThe Strand Bookstore stands tall at 828 Broadway at the corner of East 12th Street, Manhattan, showcasing some aspects of its vast book collection from its sidewalk, leading passersby into its interior space. As customers enter through the Strand’s doors, they are surrounded by its cluttered inventory of books and merchandise. However, not all floors of this bookstore are as sensory-overloading as its first. The different levels of the Strand are physically as well as metaphorically divided between its three floors and basement.

Upon entering the Strand, consumers are met with a room filled to its brim; tables are stacked with merchandise, the Strand’s famous totes and apparel line its walls, while its books appear both on tables scattered throughout the store and on its towering bookshelves, located at the middle and back of the space. Offering an array of books and products, the first floor acts as a public sphere and is usually crowded with a line stretching from the registers. The space is readily accessible by tourists who are interested in purchasing souvenirs or city guidebooks, both of which are conveniently located in the front of the store. Due to the nearly ceiling-high bookshelves which block the views behind them, this floor’s layout does not encourage a heavy flow of traffic beyond the front of the store. Others may travel to the back of the store if they are in search of a particular book. Whatever scenario, the first floor of the Strand is a space with convenience and a purpose. Pictured below is a map of the first floor. Hovering over the image gives further details of the space.

Screen Shot 2015-03-11 at 10.25.24 PMOn the left side of the store are stairs, which lead to the basement and the second floor. The basement contains nonfiction books and bargain books. The second floor is home to the “children’s corner,” young adult, and art books, such as graphic novels and comic books (Strand). Less cluttered and crowed by both merchandise and people, his space emits a kid-friendly environment. Due to the floor’s specific genres, those who are interested in art books or families interested in children’s literature are its target audiences. Children’s events, such as “story time” and character visits are held in this space, which adds to its intimate and accommodating atmosphere to specific audiences.

Traveling to the top of the Strand ladder, the third floor is home to the Rare Book Room, only accessible by elevator. An airy loft-like space with original wooden flooring from 1901, this room can be compared to a living room or library in one’s own home. Using this spatial metaphor to examine the arrangement of the room, it is obvious it is a space that fosters privacy and relaxation, catering to book lovers. Bookshelves line the walls, and tables are scattered throughout the room. Signed copies, rare sets and bindings and limited editions are just a few types of the rare books that the Strand offers. While there is some merchandise, the inventory on this floor is quite limited compared to the first. Large leather chairs are in a corner of the room, inviting customers to sit and peruse over the books they have found. In the back corner of the room, an alcove is situated with two encompassing bookshelves and a window with draping curtains, which reinforces the Strand’s encouragement for customers to take their time and feel at home. These aspects of the room and others can be further explored by hovering over the floor map below.

Since the Rare Book Room is only reachable by elevator, those who visit this floor choose to do so in a deliberate manner. As customers step into the elevator, they literally rise above the chaos and crowd that encompasses the first floor. The employees of the third floor are trained and knowledgeable of the current rare book inventory, and in this less cluttered and more comfortable space, they are more easily approachable and accessible to customers. Obviously, the rare books are more expensive than the other books in the store. The top floor of the Strand symbolizes literary supremacy – that is, it is both physically and metaphorically situated above the other floors. Screen Shot 2015-03-10 at 9.53.42 PM Screen Shot 2015-03-11 at 9.58.43 PM Pictured above are two photos of the Rare Book Room accommodating parties and events. According to the Strand’s website, “We invite you to rent our rare book room, either to please or to educate, or to explore the worldly issues of the day” (Strand). Under these guidelines, the room must be used for specific educational/literary events. This reinforces the Strand’s ability to design the third floor as an intimate space of knowledge, just like a room in one’s own home. To borrow an insight from Jack Perry about space, he writes of Scribner’s Bookstore, “The bookstore’s old wood, it’s high ceiling, the feel of the leather volumes…made us feel at home, convinced us that literature was alive…” (Perry 107). This notion can be applied to the space of the third floor of the Strand. Not only does its layout and decor make customers feel at home, but its selection of rare books holds greater implications. These books have history and value that the mass-produced best sellers on the first floor do not. The rare books alone offer an aura of uniqueness, personally connecting to each customer. The Strand’s physical space can be read just like a book. Separated by floor, it is important to note how the store’s inventory differs. To further explore this idea, Bruno Latour notes that the origin of the word “thing” has a strong connection with quasi-judiciary assembly. He writes, “A thing is, in one sense, an object out there, and, in another sense, an issue very much in there…a gathering…the same word thing designates matters of fact and matters of concern” (2288). The mass-produced merchandise and inventory located in the basement, first and second floors are merely objects with no sentimental attachments. However, the third floor holds things: rare books that are matters of concern, as well as events, or gatherings, that must foster knowledge in some way. The store’s spatial narrative shows how each floor is specifically designed for different groups of people. How would the Strand’s narrative change if its inventory of objects and things were changed and displayed on different floors?

Sources

Maps: http://www.thinglink.com Interactive Rare Book Room Map Photos: Raymond Pettibon. http://images.complex.com/complex/image/upload/t_article_image/ktdfoh94el5epgjon2ob.jpg Rare Books. https://meganrudloff.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/img_6572.jpg Alcove. http://dgvcms2011.gestalten.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/dgv_2011_news_col2/wysiwyg_imageupload/25/strand1_2014.jpg Chairs. https://meganrudloff.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/image-17.jpg Corner of the Room. http://www.strandbooks.com/resources/strand/images/uploads/Styles/RentRareBooksSlider/rbr1.jpg “Books We Love  Under $50.” http://www.weekendnotes.com/im/009/08/rare-book-room1.JPG Checkout. https://meganrudloff.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/image-5.jpg Elevator. http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/2015-01/16/14/enhanced/webdr11/original-32118-1421437794-8.jpg Mystery & Sci-Fi. https://meganrudloff.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/img_6572.jpg Fine Bindings. https://meganrudloff.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/img_1740.jpeg https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4081/4795876570_cd055671ed.jpg Glass Case. http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1586713.1390332485!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/strand12f-3-web.jpg Interactive First Floor Map Photos: Event Advertisement. https://meganrudloff.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/image-28.jpg Outside. http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Strand.jpg Merchandise. https://thepennilesstraveler.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/dsc_4668.jpg $1 Outside Books. http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000MFDJxYi4cew/fit=1000×750/special-booksale.jpg Fiction. http://kirbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG_0629_SML.jpg Americana. http://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/dollarsandsense/files/2014/06/strand-11.jpg http://www.travellingshopaholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/nyc2.jpg “Expand Your Horizons.” https://erinontherundotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/strand_inside_erinontherun.jpg Cookbooks. http://p-fst2.pixstatic.com/5245a4cf697ab00ee0001f74._w.375_h.500_s.fit_.jpg “Sell Your Books Here.” https://meganrudloff.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/image-30.jpg Events. https://meganrudloff.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/image-28.jpg In-Text Photos: Strand Totes. http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/fb/ef/8c/the-strand-bookstore.jpg Children’s Section. https://instagram.com/strandbookstore/p/xpay6IOT0Y/ Rare Book Room. https://instagram.com/p/zVl4riuTwb/?modal=true Rare Book Room Event. http://www.strandbooks.com/resources/strand/images/uploads/Styles/RentRareBooksSlider/rbr6.jpg https://instagram.com/strandbookstore/p/0GtAmcOT3C/ Website: www.strandbooks.com Text: Latour, Bruno. “Why Has Critique Run out of Steam? From Matters of Fact to Matters of Concern.” Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism (2010): 2277-293. Web. Perry, Jack. “Bookstores, Communist and Capitalist.” The American Scholar 55.1 (1985): 107-11. Web.

American Dream Comes True in Manhattan: Humble Beginnings to Thriving Bookstore in Midtown

3generations
Danny Levine – 4th Generation, Shawn Levine – 5th Generation, Seymour Levine – 3rd Generation

Back in 1890, Hirsch Lany, a religious scribe in Lithuania began the company now known as  J. Levine Books and Judaica. He distributed copies of the Torah and religious articles in Europe before immigrated to New York City’s Lower East Side, in 1905 where he started what would become a thriving family business spanning over one hundred and twenty years, and five generations.

The store is still, first and foremost, a family-run business. The employees introduce themselves not only by their name, but also their generation. It’s a small personal touch, but communicates to visitors a much more personal atmosphere when stepping into their store. They have also implemented this into their website and social media outlets to further convey this sense of closeness with customers no matter how far away they may be. This sense of family and tradition conveyed by the store assists customers in being included not only in the history of their family, but their “place” as well.

Lower East Side c. 1900s
Lower East Side c. 1900s

Their store is located in Midtown Manhattan, a booming metropolis of tourist attractions and international business; although, that isn’t the company’s original location. They started out on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, in 1905 and remained at that location until the opening of their Midtown location in 1986. Today, New York City’s Lower East Side is much more up-scale than it was in the early 1900’s. As Tim Cresswell writes in Defining Place, “towards the southern tip of Manhattan and to the east of center is an area – a place – known as the Lower East Side. This is an area which has been known as a place of successive immigrant groups – Irish, Jewish, German, Italian, Eastern European, Haitian, Puerto Rican, Chinese.” Cresswell also explains how  a sense of place is dependent on the changing history and general feel of a location, but its the social and economic history as well. The history of a “place” changes as time goes on, although it helps to shape the historical foundation of the location that its in.

Additionally, an article entitled Jewish Bookstores of the Old East Side, by The Spectator was published in 1906 which discussed Jewish and Yiddish literary outlets in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Admittedly the article is extremely biased and makes use of popular stereotypes of the time; however, it gives some helpful insight into the neighborhood dynamic at the time. In a small introduction produced by The Book Peddler, the publishing magazine this article was reprinted by, the reader is told that “the Lower East side harbored more bookstores per capita—and more people ready to talk about books—than any other neighborhood in New York! Reading his account, it is little wonder that 86 years later so many Yiddish bookstores are still to be found among the heirs of the original immigrant population”. These heirsjudaica_book_news2 populating the area J. Levine and Judaica started in were heavily “bookish”. The article goes on to describe the neighborhood as a primarily Yiddish speaking community, so the prevalence of books in the language  were primarily found in this part of New York.

Literature was made more accessible to those speaking Yiddish at the time, and it wasn’t all Jewish. Certain stores had Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Voltaire, Dante, Shelley, etc. There were, of course, religious texts, but the Jewish community at the time was more interested in the availability of texts in a language more widely understood than English in an immigrant community. There is still a large Jewish community in New York City today and although it is no longer on the Lower East Side, and J. Levine and Judaica is no stranger to it. Throughout their history they have worked with their community to help wherever needed, even in providing textbooks to schools. J. Levine and Judaica added books as a way to spur more business, although with book sales dropping somewhat in recent years, they have taken the backseat to their Judaica items in the store.

As times have changed, so must business tactics. J. Levine Books and Judaica began as a continuation of Lany’s work abroad, but with the addition of his son-in-law, J. Levine, it soon expanded to include a variety of different products including embroidery and sewn religious articles. More recent generations have included the implementation of more “modern” products and patterns including singing dreidels, and Mickey Mouse Yarmulkes. On their website they provide a documentary of their store which demonstrates how they’ve moved through the years and many advances they’ve made:


J. Levine Books & Judaica Documentary

The history of their store hit a bumpy road with the addition of online competition, from large companies like Amazon.com. J. Levine Books and Judaica had no choice but to join the 21st century, and have done so successfully with over thirty thousand items on their online store, and three social media outlets They have been able to change and adapt with the times. In an article by The Jewish Week, J. Levine Books and Judaica is said to have changed for modern times to stay afloat “like many traditional bookstores, J. Levine is wrestling with an adapt-or-die reality as it competes with online mega-booksellers such as Amazon. The brick-and-mortar shops have developed a variety of strategies to stay profitable and deal with declining book sales,” (Sales). In this article, Ben Sales also states that from 2000 to 2005 their sales dropped by eighteen percent due to the emergence of Amazon.com. Fortunately, they bounced back with an online store, and strong social media presence. Throughout the history of their store, they’ve adapted in order to stay in the game.

In the timeline below I’ve highlighted the ways J. Levine Books and Judaica has changed and adapted over the years to attract more business and to adjust for more contemporary times.

The most recent addition to the store’s management, fifth generation Shawn J. Levine has been instrumental in their online presence. In the documentary listed above, he articulates that although they have a great number of items available on their online catalog, they are still hoping that people will be wiling to come into their store and have more of a face-to-face interaction.

Bm-pBUhCMAAk4E2
From Left to right: David Levine, Shawn Levine, Logan Levine

J. Levine Books and Judaica accomplished what only a fraction of the immigrants having come into the country from Ellis Island were able to. They attained the “American Dream”. An immigrant man moving to New York City to be a successful religious book distributor, ends up beginning a multi-generational family business still centered on their religious ideals. Today, the store has been featured in The New York Times, AP articles, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and YouTube. Now under management of fifth generation Shawn J. Levine, with the help of his father David, the store is headed for nothing but success. In the picture to the right from left to right are David, Shawn, and his daughter sixth generation Logan. Who knows what Logan’s generation will have to bring to the business!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

Books/Articles: 

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2004. Print.

“Jewish Bookstores of the Old East Side.” The Book Peddler; Newsletter of the National Yiddish Book Exchange (n.d.): 20-23. Rpt. in Brandels University Libraries ILL. 17th ed. N.p.: n.p., Summer 1992. Print.

Websites:

J. Levine Books and Judaica
http://www.levinejudaica.com/catalog/index.php

J. Levine Co.A Modern Tradition “JUDAICA BOOK NEWS”, 1981″
http://www.levinejudaica.com/catalog/moderntraditions.html

 

Images:

J. Levine & Judaica 3 generations
https://www.facebook.com/Levinejudaica/photos/a.10151070103493392.439587.43626378391/10151070103528392/?type=1&theater

J. Levine Co. Photo
http://www.levinejudaica.com/catalog/moderntraditions.html

NYC Lower East Side c. 1990s
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mulberry_Street_NYC_c1900_LOC_3g04637u.jpg

Shawn & Daniel Levine
http://www.levinejudaica.com/catalog/index.php

 

Video:
J. Levine and Judaica Documentary (Youtube)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAzpIgYtk9k
Timeline:
created on dipity.com
http://www.dipity.com/ekstranda/J-Levine-Books-Judaica/

 

 

 

 

The Sole Survivor: From the Past and On Into the Future

 

Since it was founded in 1927, The Strand has had a track history of survival and does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. There is a statistic that says 70% of family owned businesses will fail in the second generation of family dissent and 50% in the third. (Rosen) However, The Strand, as a family owned business through and through, is one of those that seems it will succeed. Nancy Bass, the third generation and granddaughter of the store’s original owner, Ben Bass, now co-owns the store with her father Fred.

Nancy+Bass+Wyden+Fred+Bass+Aperture+Foundation+4q6-uj85fsCl
This photo of Nancy and Fred was taken at the Strand Book Store in New York City on November 19, 2008. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

The Strand first started out on the famous “Book Row” on Fourth Avenue, which over its course of time housed at least 47 other bookstores, stretching from Union Square to Astor Place. The bookstores along the avenue had their fair share of eccentric customers, as a 1944 article from The Saturday Evening Post explains. However, even the strangest of these customers found a home among the shelves of these many bookstores and were welcomed to stay and browse. Today, The Strand remains conducive to this type of bookselling environment. With 18 miles of books upon shelves, all are sure to find something interesting, even if they only end up dusting off its cover and continuing on. “People love this store because it’s a browser’s paradise. Those eight miles are now over 18, but the thrill of getting lost in the stacks persists,” writes Rachel Deahl from Publisher’s Weekly. Art Spiegalman, a loyal customer of The Strand calls the feeling of getting lost among the rows, “The Strand Stupor.”

Secondhand bookstores on Lower Fourth Avenue
Customers browse outdoor shelves of secondhand bookstores along Fourth Avenue. (Photo by Andreas Feininger)

Today The Strand is known as the sole survivor of Book Row. What has made the store so successful when so many others around it had failed, and continue to fail? The trick of the trade must run in the family. Fred Bass started working in the store alongside his father Ben at age 13, and later, after completing a tour of duty in the Armed Forces, took ownership in the year 1956. (www.strandbooks.com) Not too long after, Fred moved the store to it’s present main location on Broadway, where it now claims around 55,000 square feet of space.

Besides this massive location, The Strand also had an Annex located at 95 Fulton Street but presently, the location has been closed for about seven years. Many of its customers were surprised and upset to see the store go, as it was seen as more convenient and, to some, even friendlier than the main store. “The numbers just didn’t add up,” Bass said in an article in The Downtown Express. “It was a great store. We sold a lot of books. I’m sad to see the store going because it was doing very well, but given the circumstances it wasn’t worth it to stay in that location.” This only goes to show how delicate the balance is for bookstores, especially independent ones in areas where rent is pricey.

On nicer days, the store continues to have a few kiosks in Central Park and around the city for passers-by to peruse. The Strand is often called one of the most “beloved” bookshops in the city by New Yorkers and non-city folk as well. Throughout its history, it has been able to route its footing throughout the East Village community of Manhattan and beyond. While some previous customers and even previous employers claim that the store environment is not always the friendliest, it is hard to believe that a store so big would not have room, and a book or two, for everyone genuinely interested in books and reading.

Inwood-Academy-for-Leadership-Students june 6 2014
Fifth and sixth graders from the Inwood Academy for Leadership during a visit to The Strand on June 6, 2014. (Photo from www.strandbooks.com)

“…The transaction between the bookseller and the bookbuyer remains essentially unchanged as the free passage of ideas from the maker of them to the reader,” writes John Tebbel in the first chapter of A History of Bookselling in the United States. “As the middleman in this exchange, the bookseller is not only the conduit between author and audience, but in the conduct of his business he is in a position to influence that relationship profoundly, whether for good or ill.” This is something that co-owners Fred and Nancy Bass surely understand, and it was something that Ben Bass must have understood, too. In its almost 88 years of existence, The Strand has been able to establish a relationship with its customers and its community to ensure that it would be successful.strand_discountshelf_erinontherun

According to the 2010 census, close to 42% of the area’s population receives some type of financial help from the government. The Strand does not try to exclude these people. While their rarest of books can reach up to $45,000 in value, they have many books as low as $1, some of them located right outside of the store. They also have reviewers copies which go for 50% off their normal price. Nancy Bass claims that the store’s “most enduring aspect of the store’s success” is the good deals that a customer can find inside, or out. “Almost everything in the store’s discounted, some might even say cheap,” says Nancy Bass in a Publisher’s Weekly article from 2007. (Deahl)

“… The permanence of place and the mobility of capital are always in tension and places are constantly having to adapt to conditions beyond their boundaries,” states Tim Cresswell in chapter three of his book Place called “A Global Sense of Place.” Cresswell argues that this tension has driven the importance of a place’s identity into near obscurity, which is why chain bookstores and other businesses have become so popular and successful. The Strand has managed to keep its own unique brand and identity despite this. It did, however, begin to use technology soon after Nancy had become co-owner of the store. As so many other bookstores have developed an online presence, it was important that The Strand did, too, in order to keep up with competition.

Nancy introduced the online format for The Strand so that the store is able to continue establishing relationships with customers and its community, as well. Not only does the online format allow customers who feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed in the store setting to continue to buy books with more ease, it also provides the bookstore with a way to communicate an abundance of information about the store with its clientele. People in the community are able to rent out the bookstore for events and check the website to see what is already scheduled. In this way, the bookstore has become more than just a bookstore to its community. The online format has definitely helped to keep the store in business, as well. In 2006, around 22% of the store’s revenue was from online orders and in 2007 the percentage increased to around 27%. As online shopping has only become more and more prominent in the years since then and technology has only improved, it would be an agreeable assumption that the revenue from online purchases has only increased further.

Throughout its history, The Strand has been not only a bookstore but a cultural center where the always diverse city population could come and enjoy exploring through its many shelves, attend readings or book signings, and make purchases or sell their old books. No matter how the dynamics and population of the city had changed, the bookstore was there for its customers and ready to adapt to their needs. Today, the bookstore continues to be that place for the city’s inhabitants, and with the development of its online presence, for those outside of the city boundaries, too.

 

Sources

Text

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004. Print.

Deahl, Rachel. “At 80, the Strand Feels as Young as Ever.” Publishers Weekly 254.22 (2007): 25. ProQuest. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.

Nawotka, Edward. “Eight More Miles Of Books.” Publishers Weekly 249.41 (2002): 25. Business Source Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.

Rosen, Judith. “Passing The Torch.” Publishers Weekly 253.1 (2006): 20-21. Business Source Complete. Web. 12 Feb. 2015.

Tebbel, John. “A Brief Hisory of American Bookselling.” A History of Book Publishing in the United States. New York: R.R. Bowker, 1972. 7. Print.

Woodman, James S. “Stranded by Construction, Book Store Will Close Its Doors.” Downtown Express. Community Media LLC, 27 June 2008. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.

Websites

www.strandbooks.com

http://www.nyc.gov

Images

http://www.strandbooks.com/about-strand_event-photos/

http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Nancy+Bass+Wyden/Fred+Bass

http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_269/strandedbyconstruction.html

http://nymag.com/fashion/lookbook/34712/index2.html

https://nyhistorywalks.wordpress.com/tag/strand-books/

http://blibiomania.blogspot.com/2014/08/sebo-em-nova-iorque-second-hand-books.html

http://erinontherun.com/2014/09/

J. Levine Books & Judaica: Diversity and Community

storeMy very first introduction into the world of buying and selling books began early in my childhood while working for my father’s auctioneer company.  There, along with the rest of their personal property, my family and I would organize someone’s personal library  into boxes that would then be sold to the highest bidder.  These Saturday auctions that I’ve grown up with, served as a bookstore for me, allowing me to add each week to my personal collection.  While this is a fairly nontraditional sort of place for the literary lover to consume their favorite product, it offered me the same experience I would have received from either a chain or independent store.  While this “bookstore” had no permanent address to which I could return to week after week, my father had regulars, a sort of “groupies,” that would show up at each sale with their bidder number in one hand and coffee in the other.

Like the public auction, J. Levine Books & Judaica is neither the Barnes & Nobel nor typical independent most immediately think of when imagining the American bookstore.  Located in the NoMad neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, it fits in perfectly between the other culturally diverse restaurants and retailers surrounding it.  Found on West 30th Street, J. Levine shares the road with other commercial buildings, including a Marine Import Inc., an African-American retailer, and an Oriental rug showroom, Shalom Brothers.  Also, just down the street is the publisher Book Sales, specializing in supplying books to wholesalers.

Shalom Brothers, Oriental Rug Showroom

The neighborhood of NoMad is located in the Manhattan Community District Five, bordered by Central Park to the north, 14th Street to the south, 8th Avenue to the west, and Lexington Avenue to the east.

With a total population of 51,673 people in 1.6 square miles, 67.7% of this number consists of White Non-Hispanic residents, although this figure has decreased by nearly ten percent from 2000.  With a median age of 37, the average income of $163,601 and only 9.1% of the population receiving income support, further highlights the vibrant and thriving atmosphere of the neighborhood, as shown in the varied shopping and literature scene it offers.

While the community has a rich history, the present day diverse and intriguing features found within it appeal to many of its tourists and residents.  Manhattan District Five includes Times Square, and the iconic Empire State and Flatiron buildings.  For this reason, the community, and specifically the neighborhood of NoMad, boast diverse eateries and eclectic entertainment spots.  The Museum of Mathematics and the Museum of Sex are both found within the NoMad neighborhood, sites that, thanks to their unique appeal, are visited by both tourists and locals alike.  Located three blocks from J. Levine Books, Dhaba Indian Cuisine and the Cannibal offer cuisine for the culturally intrigued palate.  Specializing in Indian and Belgian food respectively, these restaurants offer a diverse option to the oyster bars and plethora of coffee shops sprinkled throughout the neighborhood.  Lebanese, Mediterranean, and Southeast Asian menus can all also be perused at other local eateries, allowing one to, literally, dive face first into a new culture without even leaving New York.

The Museum of Sex

NoMad also offers a varied religious scene, containing a mosque, Episcopal Church, and non-denominational church within its geographical boundaries.  Additionally, two miles away from J. Levine, in the neighboring Lower East Side, stands the Angel Orensanz Center, the fourth oldest synagogue building in America, now converted into an art gallery.  Although it no longer offers the traditional weekly religious services for the Jewish community, Bat Mitzvahs and weddings are still held here.

AR-Rehman Foundation, Mosque

In his essay on defining place, Tim Cresswell shows how places with even “bare essentials have history,” whether it is obvious or not (Cresswell 2).  However, people will make their mark on the place, adding their own personal style and flair, transforming space into a place, one that is now unique and recognizable (Cresswell 2).  The NoMad neighborhood has done just this, incorporating stores and restaurants that reflect a thirst for diversity, and which obviously appeal to a large number of tourists and residents.  J. Levine offers their customers a chance to shop for community, a place where they can form “social bonds based on the affective ties and mutual support” while appreciating a past “steeped in tradition” (Miller 119).  No matter the geographical location of a bookstore, the book buyer is able to recognize its cultural function through the place it creates and the community it evokes.

J. Levine Books & Judaica as it currently stands today

 

Sources

Images

J. Levine Books & Judaica photo <http://www.levinejudaica.com/catalog/index.php>

Maps

Google Maps:  Shalom Brothers, Geography of J. Levine Books & Judaica, The Museum of Sex, AR-Rehman Foundation, J. Levine Books & Judaica

Websites

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/neigh_info/socio_demo/mn05_socio_demo.pdf

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/neigh_info/profile/mn05_profile.pdf

https://cityraven.com/neighborhoods/nomad

http://experiencenomad.com/nomad-new-york/

Text

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004.

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.

 

 

 

18 Miles of Books: Something for Everyone

The Strand Bookstore, with its unmistakable red awning, has its main location at 828 Broadway (& 12th Street) in New York City. Nestled in between the borders of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village and East Village (the territory which the store’s location favors) the Strand is home to “18 Miles of New, Used, and Rare” books, as well as to many New Yorkers. According to the 2010 Census, the East Village alone has approximately 24,527 housing units among which their population of roughly 43,755 people live, the majority of them aged from 25-34 years old, and that’s only a portion of the Strand’s potential customers. The Strand has had this location as its home since 1957, when Fred Bass, the son of the store’s original owner Ben, moved the store just around the corner from its original location on Fourth Avenue. The Strand itself has been in business since 1927 and is known as the “Sole survivor of Book Row.”

 

With its long-standing history, the Strand has been a home to book lovers of all types for around 88 years now. The store carries a little bit of everything for everyone, catering to the diverse interests for those living in or visiting the diverse city of New York. According to Tim Cresswell, the Lower East Side of Manhattan, which East Village is part of, “has been known as a place of successive immigrant groups- Irish, Jewish, German, Italian, Eastern European, Haitian, Puerto Rican, Chinese.” The majority of the East Village’s population, around 42,536 people, identify as one race, while only around 1,219 people identify as two or more races. With approximately 31,859 identifying as Caucasian, East Village is now known to be a predominantly white area. At a significantly lower number, approximately 6,419 people identify as Asian, followed by Hispanic/Latino at around 5,195 and Black/African American at around 2,719. While these are only the top three largest groups, the area is not as diverse as one might have originally thought. Though in the past few years there may have been some changes in these numbers, as they have evolved throughout history, it is not likely that the overall demographics of the area have changed too drastically. While race is not the determining factor of interests or literary preferences, it is, in some cases, one of the many influences that determine the diverse interests of an individual. This is why it’s important for a bookstore in the city to carry a little bit of everything, even outside of books.

The Strand carries other goods such as coffee mugs, totes, and even onesies, though this merchandise tends to remain relevant to literature or to the store. In this regard, the Strand stands firm in its footing as a location for book lovers which many other bookstores throughout history have been unable to do successfully. “Bookstores, in fact, were really the first drugstores, as we know them now,” writes John Tebbel in the first chapter of his book, A History of Book Publishing in the United States. It has proved difficult for bookstores to survive only selling books, especially in locations which require the bookstore to pay a high rent. Luckily for the Strand, a densely populated area is likely to have many readers with many different interests. Plus, when the surrounding area is taken into consideration, it is clear to see certain connections throughout the community which allow the store to thrive, as well as some which may not.

New York University and The Cooper Union, both in relatively close proximity to the Strand, are home to thousands of bright-eyed students craving knowledge. Without a doubt, the relationship between the schools and the Strand is a symbiotic one. The students bring business; The Strand houses a plethora of knowledge-filled books, ready to be cracked open. On the other hand, Barnes and Noble is just a tad farther and university students may feel more comfortable in the familiar, standardized setting that it has to offer. According to Laura J. Miller, author of Reluctant Capitalists, Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, chain bookstores such as Barnes and Noble or Waldenbooks “communicated that they were informal places welcome to all by standardizing the interiors from one outlet to another.”

Though the Strand may offer a multitude of books for many different people, some may still find it intimidating due to its atmosphere and size, and may instead choose to go the extra distance to Barnes and Noble. “Because of a continuing association of books with education and an attendant stratification system,” writes Miller, “any bookstore is vulnerable to being perceived as an elite enterprise.” It is possible that some may shy away from the Strand then, with its determination to claim its identity as a store for lovers of literature. Or, some may simply stick to perusing the discount racks outside where they feel more comfortable. Regardless, the Strand seems to have remained an integral part of the community and probably won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Customers can peruse the many aisles at their leisure or stop by for one of the many events being held. They can even request to host one of their own. While in the area, they can check out Second Hand Rose Music to go along with their new (or used) books and grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants in the area, offering a vast range of food types from Asian to Mexican and everything in between. The Strand, despite any competition, is a home within a home for book lovers of all types, and is probably more welcoming than those who are intimidated by it believe it to be.

 

Sources

Images/Maps

http://www.google.com/maps

Text

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2004. Print.

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: U of Chicago, 2006. Print.

Tebbel, John. “A Brief Hisory of American Bookselling.” A History of Book Publishing in the United States. New York: R.R. Bowker, 1972. 7. Print.

Websites

http://www.strandbooks.com

http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/union-square-park

Strand Bookstore – Present Place and People

Taking over half a city block and with over three and half floors and two point five million books in the store (in addition to another quarter million books in a warehouse in Brooklyn), Strand’s slogan of “18 miles of books” sounds less like hyperbole and more a statement of fact. Founded almost 80 years ago in 1927, Strand Bookstore has become a landmark of East Village even as it sits at the intersection of every major neighborhood in New York City. South of Union Square, north of New York University and Cooper Union, west of the Lower East Side, and east of (you guessed it) West Village, Strand’s success is evident when you take into account that the whole bookstore has 240 employees, more than some chain businesses.

Originally situated on Fourth Avenue or “Book Row” as it was known, Fred Bass moved Strand to its current location in the heartland of New Yorker culture. After the Beats made East Village their home, it has since attracted a certain amount of artists, musicians, and other counter-culture figures, and while some of those landmarks are gone, i.e. CGBG, the East Village is a place that takes pride in its culture.

But wherever there is a “quaint” little neighborhood or town, there are always people willing to buy into that culture without living it. What I mean of course is gentrification. New, wealthy people move to a place that unique and different, but end up homogenizing that place as a result of larger business moving in as well to capitalize on that new money. Or, one of these “yuppies” might end up buying a historic building and tearing it down to build a mansion as David Schwimmer did in 2012 (not cool, Ross.) As one local resident put it, “All the new people are yuppie transients. If I see David Schwimmer on the street, I’ll be sure to give him my two cents!” But it’s not just celebrities moving in, it’s the college educated. Around forty percent of East Village’s residents have a bachelor’s degree minimum. Simultaneously almost thirty percent of people in the East Village haven’t graduated high school. And with a median income in 2011 of $65,000, the neighborhood is attracting more money than NYC as whole with the median income in the city being only $49,000. Additionally, thirty-five percent of East Villagers are from outside of New York State, compared with NYC overall’s ten percent of people from out-of-state.

40830

Has the Village really been gentrified though? On the map you can see that places like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are only a few blocks away from small cafes like The Bean. Within three blocks of each other is a Chipotle and Hotel Tortuga, a vegetarian Mexican restaurant. On the same city block as the Strand is a Forbidden Planet comic store, one of the largest comic book chains in the world. The conflict of gentrification is very real in the East Village and how long before another bookstore tries to muscle in on its territory?

But what does this mean for the Strand? Surely a wealthy, educated yuppie population would be good for any business right? Perhaps, but that depends on what you want out of any neighborhood. Strand might get more business, but they could end up being like any other chain bookstore. If the people surrounding Strand don’t see it as a ‘place’ of pride but rather as just another bookstore, something is lost.
As Cresswell says about place, “When we look at the world as world of places we see different things. We see worlds of meaning and experience. Sometimes this way of seeing can seem to be an act of resistance against a rationalization of the world, a way of seeing that has more space than place. To think of an area of the world as a rich and complicated interplay of people and the environment.” The Strand’s popularity may be self-sustaining because so many non-New Yorkers know about it and visit it because it’s “the Strand” but then it only becomes something distant to the locals. Why should the locals be invested if the Strand doesn’t make a stand on the gentrification of the East Village? If the Strand makes to be a ‘place’ in the neighborhood, it has to give something back to the Village.

MCHALESThen&Now
Before and after gentrification

 

 

Sources:

 

Maps:

Google Maps: 828 Broadway Street

Images:

Google Streetview: Strand Bookstore

James and Karla Murray: <http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Utk5rgonVnA/UzAk9emWzCI/AAAAAAAAXG8/bPclgST6iv8/s1600/MCHALESThen&Now.jpg>

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/East-Village-New-York-NY.html

Text:

Cresswell, Tim. “Defining Place.” Place: A Short Introduction. Wiley-Blackwell, 2004. Book

The Ultimate Book Lover’s Dream

New York City. The Big Apple. One of the greatest cultural centers the world. A person might dream of walking down the streets of Manhattan, looking for celebrities, or dining in one of the cities best restaurants. They might walk around and look at some of the great cultural relics of our history, such as the Statue of Liberty. If you walk down to the Broadway, you might take in a show or simply look around at the multitudes of bright, flashing signs. But there is more to the Broadway area than just tap dancing and Shakespearean monologues. Its a store that can only be described as 18 miles of a book lovers wet dream.

Strand

The Strand bookstore, located on the corner of Broadway and East 12th Street, is 18 mile long bookstore in Greenwich Village. The Strand contains  “2.5 million used, new, and rare books, covering topics as far-ranging as occult to philosophy to finance.” Browse the used books collection or take an elevator up to the rare books room, where you can find signed copies of classic books like Ulysses. Chat with some of the many book enthusiasts that you will meet wandering the aisles of the store. Or simply talk to the owner of the store, Fred Bass, who has been working there since he was thirteen, before he inherited the store from his father. It’s exactly what Laura Miller described in her book Reluctant Capitalists, in that it is a place for readers and writers to meet as a community, to learn and to grow.

With the 12th and Broadway bus stop right next to the store, it isn’t difficult to travel to this populous and popular area. The Strand stands on what was formerly known at “Book Row,” founded there in 1927, it eventually moved from 4th street to its current location, and it is the last original bookstore from Book Row to stand there. Nows its only bookstore competition is Forbidden Planet, a comic book shop right down the block. Surrounding the Strand is a variety of restaurants, including The Bean coffee shop right across the street from the Strand, where many people like to go and read their new purchases. Also surrounding the store is a Pret a Manger, Pie by the Pound, and various grocery stores such as Daily and Grocery and Trader Joes.

Walk around the area for a few blocks, and you will see that the area is a popular academic one. New York University’s main campus is just a walk down to Broadway and Bound Street. Walk north up to East 16th Street and you will come across Washington Irving High school. Walk one block up to East 17th street, and you will find New York Film Academy. Right nest to NYU is Washington Square Park, and right nest to the New York Film Academy is Union Square Park. Of course, it wouldn’t be New York if there wasn’t several theaters in the area. Unsurprisingly the area is becoming very touristy with all these attractions drawing in visitors from around the world.

As it resides in Greenwich, the area around Strand has always considered an artists true bohemia, with some of the worlds great artists and writers living there. However, when one looks around now, it becomes apparent the the neighborhood has become increasingly gentrified.

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Despite the diversity that New York is so known for, The Greenwich Village area that surrounds the Strand is predominantly white. 79% of the area is white, followed by people of Asian descent at 9%. Unsurprisingly, the bookstore is surrounded by coffee shops and restaurants, as well as the white persons ultimate grocery store, Trader Joes. Nearby is the main New York University campus, whose students get the majority of their textbooks from the store.

The neighborhood is one of the most affluent in New York. The “median household income in Greenwich Village for 2005-2009 was $101,568 – more than 50 percent higher than the median for Manhattan, more than double the median for New York City as a whole, and more than double the median for the U.S.” As such, though the neighborhood seems to still enjoy its bohemian reputation, the Strand is surrounded by some of the wealthiest people in New York City.

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With a total population of around 22,785 people in Greenwich Villages, and almost equally male and female populations, and a median age of 32, though there is a slightly larger amount of women who live in the area then men do. A dense 78, 821 people live in this area of Greenwich village per square mile, making it one of the most populated neighborhoods in New York.

As for people who you will find around the store, there are two main groups: traveling book lovers and NYU students. NYU students get most of their textbooks from The Strand, and seeing how the bookstore is a mecca for book lovers, one will usually find an abundance of tourists in the store. Because owning Stand merchandise is a popular thing to show how much of a book lover you are, tourists will usually walk out of there not only with plenty of books, but with the famous strand onesie or a tote bag. As such, this mix of students, tourists and some of the wealthiest people in the world make the area surrounding the Strand one of the most mixed and interesting neighborhoods in New York City. Even with this shift in culture, the Strand remains one of the true gathering spots for the cities artists, writers and readers who can come together and share their love of books.

 

 

Sources:

Charts:

Greenwich Village Statistics, Race Graph: http://www.washingtonsquareparkblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/greenwich-village-profile-2011-05-161.pdf

Greenwich Village Statistics, Median Household Income Graph:  http://www.washingtonsquareparkblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/greenwich-village-profile-2011-05-161.pdf

Images:

The Strand Bookstore: http://www.strandbooks.com/index.cfm 

Maps:

Google Maps: The Strand Bookstore

Text:

Print. Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.

Strand History: http://www.strandbooks.com/strand-history

City Data: http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Greenwich-Village-New-York-NY.html

The Economy of Greenwich Village: A Profile: http://www.washingtonsquareparkblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/greenwich-village-profile-2011-05-161.pdf