Uptown Manhattan Bookstores

Applause Books
Address: 211 W 71st west of Broadway
Phone Number: 212-496-7511
FAX: 212-721-2856
They specialize in film and theatre; some books that can be found nowhere else.

Asian Rare Books
Address: 175 W. 93 Street(16-D) New York, N.Y. 10025
Phone Number: 316 5334. Old & rare books about all ASIA.

Bank Street College Bookstore
Address: 2879 Broadway
Phone Number: 212-678-1654
FAX: 212-316-7026
Education and academic; also children's books. They take phone orders and ship worldwide. "Equal to the West Side Barnes & Noble on hardcover picture books, better on softcover; probably smaller stock on chapter books, almost no series."

The Book Ark
Address: 173 W 81st at Amsterdam Ave
Phone Number: 212-787-3914
Email: bookark@earthlink.net
Used hardcovers and paperbacks, in all subjects, including foreign titles. Academic titles, especially philosophy, in both English and other major European languages are a particular strength. Also has LPs and CDs.

The Corner Bookstore
Address: 1313 Madison Ave at 93rd
Phone Number: 212-831-3554
They specialize in children's books and travel books, but they also have a film connection: not only is this the bookstore where Nick Nolte found the "Renata Halpern" children's book in THE PRINCE OF TIDES, it's also just one block south of the red brick fortress/castle facade featured in THE FISHER KING.

East West Books:
Address: 78 5th Ave
Phone Number: 212-243-5994
Stocks books on Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism, Indian Religions; also New Age, self-improvement, health and healing. Cards, jewelry, audio tapes, incense. Good-sized stock.

Funny Business
Address: 660b Amsterdam
Phone Number: 212-799-9477
Comic books. Smallish.

Gryphon Bookshop
Address I: 2246 Broadway btwn 80th & 81st
Address II: 233 W72nd
Phone Number: 212-362-0706
They have a nice selection of used books, and will do active searches. Enormous literature and history sections. Has charm. The recently expanded new store is on Broadway and is new and shiny; the old store used to be around the corner (at 246 W 80th off Broadway) but is apparently closed now. The Gryphon is probably one of the world centers for Wizard of Oz books. "This place was crammed with books, but there were so many people crammed in there too (not to mention the German shepherd tied to the staircase) that I didn't feel encouraged to stick around and browse." The Annex in/near the old store supposedly sells everything there for 50% off the marked price. "OK, but too expensive." They also have LPs.

Ideal Book Store
Address: 1125 Amsterdam at 115th
Phone Number: 212-662-1909
Almost exclusively a humanities and social sciences bookstore. "Ideal has the best philosophy collection in New York, and that includes the Strand. They also have a very extensive collection of Judaica. The books are used but the proprietor is a stickler for only shelving books in the best possible condition. I recently went looking for a biography of and primary works by Simone Weil and Ideal had everything I needed where most places--again, including the Strand, which I love-had very little.".

International Center of Photography Bookstore
Address: 1133 Ave of Americas
Phone Number: 212-860-1767
Photography books.

The Judaica Experience
Address: 226 W 72nd
Phone/FAX: 212-724-2424
A very good collection of Judaica and good children's books and tapes. They sell primarily gifts, books, and tapes. The owners are very helpful and attentive. Their prices seemed to match or was cheaper (for gifts) than West Side Judaica, and they will wrap and ship via UPS.

Kitchen Arts & Letters, Inc.
Address: 1435 Lexington Ave at 93rd
Phone Number: 212-876-5550
Quoting from their brochure: "the country's largest store devoted completely to books on food and wine. With well over 7000 cooking titles and access to thousands of out-of-print titles through our free search service..." From a reader: "While the sale prices at Jessica's Biscuit beat these peoples' full-list prices, this probably is a good place to keep in mind for unusual and hard to find cookery books. Sounds like a fun place to browse, in any case..."

The Last Word
Address: 118th and Amsterdam
Phone Number: 212-864-0013
They buy and sell used books and have some first editions, collected works, etc. Good place to look for out of print books and inexpensive books on subjects that you would like to know about but don't want to spend money on. Recently renovated and reopened under new management. "Strong to very strong literature/fiction and literary criticism section. Strong in philosophy, religion, and international history. Significant African-American, women, and Judaica studies sections along with poetry and plays. Small, but select, children's books. Okay in foreign language, film/theatre, art, psychology, music, and reference (though they have several good encyclopedia sets). Weak in business & economics, computers, cookbooks, sports, U.S. history, political science, biography, and photography.

Lenox Hill Bookstore
Address: 1018 Lexington

Libreria Moria
Address: 628 W 207
Phone Number: 212-304-2197
Spanish-language books.

Metropolitan Museum of Art Museum Store
Address:5th Ave & 82nd
Phone Number: 212-570-3726
They have neat art books, posters, engagement calendars, videos, etc.

The Military Bookman
Address: 29 E 93rd btwn 5th & Madison Aves
Phone Number: 212-348-1280
Specializing in used military books. Their selection is excellent, but they are usually a bit pricey. It's the sort of place that military buffs all know about, but call only as a last resort. They issue a catalog (about 3 times a year), and otherwise engage in mail order. (One poster reports that they contacted him recently about a book he had told them he was looking for at least three years ago, so they keep track of these things.) They just started taking credit card orders, and presumably will now do phone orders.

Murder Ink
Address: 2486 Broadway btwn 92nd & 93rd
Phone Number: 212-362-8905
Email: bill@panix.com
As you might suspect, it specializes in mysteries and has a very good collection (as did The Mysterious Bookstore). Founded in 1972, they have a framed letter from "Ellery Queen" wishing them well on their opening. The store and the stock are now arranged alphabetically for almost all books (they used to be in subcategories, e.g., "Mysteries with Priests"). The many shelves are labelled at the top "Mystery A-Z." There is a section of True Crime and an alcove with out of prints. A display of new hardback releases and one shelf of Edgar winners rounds out the categories. "If the person I talked to is any sample, the in-store, meet-the-customer people know mysteries."

Paperback Discounter Filmfest Video
Address: 580 Amsterdam
Phone Number: 917-441-8881
There are lots of used and otherwise discounted paperbacks, but the collection, which is eclectic and interesting, is-by those very attributes--not very reliable. (They also rent videotapes, and if you look mainly at the signs in the window you'll notice an ad for VCR repair that might distract you from the display of paperbacks in the window.)

Papyrus Books Inc.
Address: 2915 Broadway at 114th
Phone Number: 212-222-3350
A fairly large collection of left-wing books and magazines (on film, literature, etc., as well as politics). "Papyrus Books is absolutely great. They specialize in political philosophy, but have a pretty good history section downstairs and carry some computer stuff, too. Most of all, every person who works there seems knowledgeable about books-e.g., no one asks you for an ISBN number instead of a title or author, as is liable to happen at B&N etc. I've even had the desk-person at Papyrus tell me that if I didn't have the $3.50 right at that moment, I should just drop back in and pay it later." Another says, "I'm not sure if they're worth a special trip, but check them out if you're in the neighborhood."

Paraclete Book Center
Address: 146 E 74th btwn Lexington & 3rd Aves
Phone Number: 212-535-4050
A medium-sized religious bookstore, if one's religion coincides with the New Testament.

Posman Books
Address I: 1 university place
Phone Number: 212-533-2665
Address II: 70 5th Ave
Phone Number: 212-633-2525
Address III: 9 Grand Central Terminal Banderbilt and 42nd
Phone Number: 212-533-2665
A very good bookstore with many of Barnard's textbooks, plus a generally strong selection and helpful staff. Surprising Russian-language section in the back. Formerly Barnard Book Forum.

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Shop
Address: 1071 5th Ave btwn 88th & 89th
Phone Number: 212-423-3500
Modern art.

Teachers College Bookstore
Address: 1224 Amsterdam at 120th
Phone Number: 212-678-3992 / 212-678-3920
Children's books (first phone number) and classroom materials and teachers' books (second phone number).

Ursus Books Ltd.
Address: 981 Madison btwn 76th & 77th
Phone Number: 212-772-8787
New and out-of-print art books and catalogues. "A repository of the truly fine and the outrageously hard-to-find in books on the work of artists (corpus). There are some few brilliant elucidations on approaching the materia with which art is forged. The collection on personae and period has real depth and breadth--evermore an accomplishment for such a select vinyard, but the champagne-like elan everywhere dripping is as rarified in its occurance as it is in its expense."

West Side Judaica
Address: 2412 Broadway btwn 88th & 89th
Phone Number: 212-362-7846
From a quick perusal, a store of substance, but also one with a sense of humor as their seasonal menorah display in the window includes one that has Claymation-like dreidels playing jazz.