Shop Girl
Biography Bookshop, West Village
The Biography Bookshop is my favorite kind of bookstore. The best stores in New York are usually tucked away into unobtrusive corners, and I found Biography while I was wandering back from an afternoon soaking up the sun by the Hudson River. Nestled onto the corner of Bleecker Street and 11th Street, the store is like a mini-Strand, without the crowds and traffic and with better air conditioning.
And like the Strand, the sidewalk tables are loaded with discounted books - but these aren’t obscure books that nobody wanted. On the contrary, I’ve found beautifully bound modern classics and volumes of poetry, all new copies, on these tables. Last spring, one could pick up the entire Narnia series in paperback for substantially less than list price.
Inside on its hardwood shelves and built-in bookcases, Biography carries much more than biographies, and all at 20% off list price. The selection includes such goodies as a comprehensive section on New York City history, travel, pets, crafts, fashion, and more. The fiction section is one of the best and most comprehensive I’ve ever seen, with carefully selected editions, and I lost my fiancé to the poetry, theater, and film shelves, hearing only his periodic coos of joy.
The store invites browsing and paging through books, and it’s open late for night owls. Hungry bibliophiles, take note - the Magnolia Bakery is just across the street, so you can enjoy your new book while munching on a confection. That’s my idea of heaven.
Biography Bookshop
400 Bleecker Street at West 11th Street
New York, NY
(212) 807-8655
Subway: 1 or A/C/E to 14th Street
