Greenlight Bookstore Location Revealed!
After much build-up (including a party and much press), the little-bookstore-that-could officially has a home. And what a home it is! The former Nationwide Insurance storefront at 686 Fulton Street at the corner of South Portland Avenue in Fort Greene is 2,000 square feet large with charming old-school windows and tons of street frontage. The…
After much build-up (including a party and much press), the little-bookstore-that-could officially has a home. And what a home it is! The former Nationwide Insurance storefront at 686 Fulton Street at the corner of South Portland Avenue in Fort Greene is 2,000 square feet large with charming old-school windows and tons of street frontage. The owners think they may be able to open as early as September. Shop locally, peeps!
The Big Announcement: Greenlight Is Go! [A Store in Brooklyn] GMAP
Watch it with the comments on the billy bookcases, Heather! 🙂
I think bookstores have about 10-15 years left as viable businesses. With the advent of online shopping and the emergence of the kindle, these places, along with music and video/DVD stores, will be about as relevant as a wheelwright or ice man.
Snark, they’ve been lamenting for at least twenty years. So I have some skepticism.
I have considered it, tina. But the four a week usually includes purchases by husband and child… so it’s not all me. I do read close to that, but some are re-reads, some used, etc. I want a Kindle… but I also love having a library — a very messy dog-eared one that takes over our apartment, but also means there’s always something to read or to lend to someone to read. I think a Kindle would take away some of the fun… if I traveled more though, it’d be a no-brainer.
And mopar’s right, I think about the creating community… (Although I also have to say, if you’re dealing with the toddler set, a good barnes & noble offers all the community you need. That also has something to do with my bias.)
> “I think the publishing industry is actually healthier than it was”
If you think that, you obviously do not know anybody in the industry. I know a lot of publishing folks, and they all lament the slow (or not so slow) death of the industry.
Book Court is a perfect example of a great local bookstore that survives in a B&N world–love the vibe and the staff selections. I hope Greenlight is as good.
Heather, if you really buy that many books, consider a Kindle. I read a lot and think it’s the best–you can haul the equivalent of a small library’s worth of books (and periodicals) with you anywhere, and I no longer feel guilty about the tons of paper used to give away/recycle.
That said, I still love bookstores to get a feel for what I might like to buy on the Kindle, and to buy books with art/photos that don’t work in electronic format or aren’t available.
mopar, yes, unusual periodicals are huge.
BTW, where the hell can I get the monthly Brooklyn Rail? I never see it anywhere anymore.
Anyone can order any book they want used online, the more obscure the better, so a bookstore has to offer something you can’t get online, such as a browsable, curated selection and community.
Looks beautiful. Usually independents have smaller inventories, so less of what I want than B&N, etc. Exception is bookstores with a special focus, such as Bluestocking, Book Culture, and Biography Bookshop.
If they focus on creating community (cafe, couches, readings, children’s) and carefully curate the selection (for quality and importance) in subjects the locals want to browse, plus offer unusual periodicals, maybe the shop will become a popular Brooklyn destination.