New York City has no shortage of bookstores. From the well-known names of Shakespeare & Co. and the Strand Book Store, to the hole-in-the-wall shops you find by chance on your walk to class, there are plenty of places for students to satisfy their book cravings. Yet the sheer number of options to choose from can make picking a place a challenge in itself. For students with marginalized identities, finding titles and authors that focus on and speak to their unique experiences can be an arduous process of combing through shelves and searching for the books that have historically been buried or simply unpublished. Here is a list of identity-based bookstores throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn that are spaces for marginalized groups to connect with stories specifically catered to them.
Sister’s Uptown Bookstore
1942 Amsterdam Ave.
It’s hard to say whether NYU students will naturally find themselves on West 156th Street, but if you ever do, Sister’s Uptown Bookstore and Cultural Center in Washington Heights is the bookstore to visit. Following the store’s motto “Knowledge is the Key” written on its storefront, owner Janifer Wilson envisioned the shop as “a community resource center for the exchange of information and ideas.” In the purple-colored, woody interior of the store, customers can buy a range of titles on African American history, such as the Black Power movement or the repercussions of white feminism. Readers can find the works of both current and older Black literaries, like Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou, and engage in community events, which range from storytelling sessions to musical performances by local artists.
1804 Books
320 W. 37th St.
If you have time to kill before your train leaves from Penn Station, consider stopping by The People’s Forum for its very small but comprehensive selection of books about socialism, revolution, racism and imperialism. The People’s Forum is a community center that is dedicated to political education, and 1804 Books reflects this commitment. Its collection of critical analysis on systems of oppression features the historical works of radical revolutionaries of color, such as Claudia Jones, Ghassan Kanafani and Kwame Nkrumah. The selection is diverse in geographic focus, including but not limited to literature from Africa, Latin America, the United States and Palestine. The store offers a limited selection of children’s books and also has a lending library, where you can check out books at no cost that contend with the issues of social injustice and political organizing. It is an open and multipurpose space set with a cafe, public seating and art gallery.
Bluestockings Cooperative
116 Suffolk St.
To explore the city’s only “queer, trans AND sex worker run bookstore” in the Lower East Side, you’ll need to wear a face mask to make the store accessible for immunocompromised people. Bluestockings is a feminist bookstore, activist hub and communal space that is completely owned and operated by its workers. Upon entering, a sign posted on the wall, “Reasons to Not Steal From Us,” lists as the fourth reason that “our NICHE, RADICAL, GAY stuff does NOT resell well.” Opposite the counter covered with zines and flyers designed by the local community, a wall of shelves features an expansive collection of used and new books that showcase stories on queerness, including its historical manifestations in New York City. The store also carries works on Marxism, feminism and abolition movements. Customers can read the books that catch their eye in the seating area found at the back of the store while sipping on a cup of coffee from the cafe priced at only a dollar. It’s worth going and supporting a space that both embodies and actively distributes the concepts of community, care and mutual aid.
Yu & Me Books
44 Mulberry St.
Yu & Me Books will become a regular stop on your day trips to Chinatown after your first visit. The bookstore is the first in the city to be owned by an Asian American woman. Its founder and owner, Lucy Yu, created the shop to spotlight books by and for people of color, with an emphasis on immigrant stories, all of which she carefully selects herself. The two-floor bookstore — with a cafe serving coffee, beer and wine on the main level — is perfect for when you have no specific book in mind. If you are struggling to find a book, check the counter of employee suggestions — I was able to find one of my favorite books of all time this way. In addition, make sure to check their Instagram at the start of each month to take note of the various book launches, author meet-and-greets and other events the store plans on hosting, which are free and require no prior registration.
Cafe con Libros
724 Prospect Place
The strong smell of coffee that pervades the small square footage of Cafe con Libros fosters a homey ambience for its customers. The intersectional feminist bookstore and cafe is Afro-Latine owned and located in Crown Heights. Cafe con Libros does showcase more mainstream authors, such as Sally Rooney and Madeline Miller, but the shelves are clearly labeled and divided to highlight specific identities, with a significant section dedicated to Latine writers. There are a variety of genres to choose from, including romance, young adult, science fiction and fantasy, but queer people or people of color remain at the center of all of these stories.
Contact Julia Kim at [email protected].