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
Yeah… uh. Yeah — no. Look, like I said don’t hate me. I realize I have the dissenting opinion here. It’s one of my touchy subjects, okay? Right up there with too many bathrooms and people who drive their cars to the Park Slope co-op. I love books. I am not quite a philistine. I am even fairly well-read. In all genres. I think a book store will do wonders for the “tone” of the neighborhood. I will probably shop there from time to time. I hope they do well, as I said before.
I do, however, think that hating the bookstore corporate chains, who are probably responsible for the publishing industry today being as healthy as it is, is a bit ass-backwards.
And I’d rather know my bookstore clerk could feed her family than have the luxury of working for peanuts.
Well I’m certainly glad! I felt so terrible when the young couple finally had to close Indigo Books (I think that is where Narai Spa/Nails is now).
Mont Rose, you are correct.
Heather, maybe this new store will have comfy seating and coffee/food…I’ll bet it will. A community-based bookstore will probably interact MUCH more with the neighborhood than a “box”/”mall” bookstore would.
“Salary for independent bookstore clerk — $8/hour.
Salary for Barnes & Noble or Borders’ clerk — $12, plus benefits even for part-time.”
And so what is the motivation to be an independent bookstore clerk?
Because you actually love books, and you want to share that.
The fact that the staff are there because they love books is exactly why shopping at Greenlight will be a more satisfying experience than shopping at a place where the clerks are simply there to punch a clock.
Not only all that, but B&N only does “trade” paperbacks, not mass market even though sometimes things are available in both styles. It’s one reason I trek the couple of miles to Book Court.
Selection at Barnes and Noble, etc.: mainstream, bestsellers, books you can find anywhere, generally not browser-friendly or terribly interesting
Selection at independent bookstores: eclectic, intelligent, you generally stumble across something you had no idea you would be so interested in
I am really excited that we are finally getting a bookstore in the neighborhood, and I am really happy it’s not a dime-a-dozen chain store.
Salary for independent bookstore clerk — $8/hour.
Salary for Barnes & Noble or Borders’ clerk — $12, plus benefits even for part-time.
Those salaries are total guesses, but I’m pretty sure it’s fairly accurate.
Again, I’m just saying… eh, never mind. Yay! Buy locally! Or rather, not exactly local since books are made in other places, but I think RR Donnelley is in New Jersey —
Great news! I’m canceling my Amazon account. And burning my Borders card. And Barnes and Noble.
Please don’t hate me for wishing it was a Barnes and Noble with nice couches, an expansive children’s selection, clean bathrooms, and a cafe. It’s not that I dislike local bookstores — well, perhaps I do a little. Okay, more than a little. I do, however, buy about 4 books a week new, so the publishing industry at least should thank me.
That is, however, a lovely location for a bookshop. I hope they do well.
About time the hood got a book store. You would think all people did in FG was eat and drink.