4 Must Visit Bookstores to Browse Near DUMBO
When I think of bookstores, my thoughts don’t usually go to chain bookstores that are fully stocked with brand new bestsellers. Instead, I think of creaky blonde wooden floors and the nostalgic aroma of antique pages. These beautiful bookstores usually feature some form of warm, natural light that floods from tall windows or large entryways by which a reader escapes reality for one that will take them on an adventure with each turn of the page.
Brooklyn has its fair share of bookstores, and the chances are that you will find precisely what you’re looking for with just an autumn afternoon, a coffee in hand, and determination.
If you’re in the DUMBO Brooklyn area, here are four bookstores you need to check out!
The PowerHouse Arena, 28 Adams St., Brooklyn
The PowerHouse Arena / Dumbo NYC
Powerhouse Arena was founded in 2006 by the world-known publisher, powerHouse Books. Birthing a “laboratory for creative thought,” this venue serves Brooklyn as a gallery, a boutique, bookstore, and a performance and event space.
The Powerhouse Arena features a hand-picked array of design and photography books, as well as first-class non-fiction, illustrated, lifestyle, and bound books highlighting the greatest city in the world: New York City.
Suppose you are in the market for trinkets and one-of-a-kind gifts. In that case, The Powerhouse Arena also boasts on its in-store boutique, which offers game kits, locally designed apparel and jewelry, and unique stationery.
You won’t regret an afternoon of browsing in this DUMBO treasure.
Freebird Books & Goods, 123 Columbia St., Brooklyn
Freebird Books & Goods / Forgotten New York
Freebird Books offers the charm of a used bookstore, which specializes in New York history and its rich culture. Not only does it provide timeless accounts of the city which it calls home, but this bookstore is invested in the Brooklyn community and also hosts an in-house volunteer collective called Books through Bars which provides books to those who are incarcerated.
This quaint bookstore doesn’t buy used books but instead offers store credit for genres and specialty pieces that Freebird is looking for. Because of this alone, you can be assured that you will find meticulously curated selections that booklovers can only dream of.
Freebird Books is only open on Saturdays and Sundays and is a short, scenic stroll from Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Adanne Bookshop, 53 Bridge St., Brooklyn
Adanne Bookshop / Instagram
Adanne Bookshop is a beautifully curated establishment that features books, apothecary, and other accessories that celebrate African American culture. Birthed from a dream and a desire to educate others about the need for social change, former English teacher, Darlene Okpo, named her store after her mother.
Throughout her teaching career, Darlene noticed that her students often struggled with relating to the characters and circumstances in their assigned reading, which became another motivation for opening her essential shop. As a result, the books she chose for her collection centered around significant struggles and topics for the conversations surrounding education, real estate, and financial literacy, along with black fiction and non-fiction for children, teens, and adults.
But Adanne doesn’t just stop at books. It offers tote bags, shirts, and accessories that will help empower you to keep the conversation going.
Barnes & Noble, 106 Court St., Brooklyn
Barnes and Noble / Downtown Brooklyn
While Barnes & Noble is not much of a novelty, it does bring a bit of comfort as you become reacquainted once you walk through the double doors. No matter what city you live in, you are bound to find this chain bookstore closely available to you. And the borough of Brooklyn is no different.
With such an extensive network of book titles, in-house Starbucks cafés, and novelty gifts and trinkets, no matter what you are on the search for, B&N will most likely deliver. And with the accessibility of online ordering, online pick-up, and in-store shopping, this bookstore is a perfect option for any and everyone!
With so many opportunities to engage with a book in New York City and with an array of bookstores at our fingertips, the only decision we should need to make is whether or not to dig into a fiction adventure, an enlightening memoir or grow our skills with a new how-to book.
Where will your next literal encounter take you?
If you desire to live steps from one of Brooklyn’s enchanting and rare bookshops, contact me today, and I will help you to find your next apartment to cozy up in.
