17 Best Shopping in New York City, New York

One of those rare neighborhood gems that becomes a true community hub, Archestratus started out as a tiny food bookstore. It has now expanded into two storefronts: one with a well-curated selection of cookbooks and culinary writings, and another a cozy café serving Italian-inflected goodies like arancini (rice balls), with shelves packed with local produce, high-end grains, oils, and spices. There are also cooking classes, bake sales for good causes, and lectures, plus a monthly event that sees locals coming together to cook recipes from a specific cookbook, often alongside the author.

For over 10 years this adorable bookshop in Queens has served as a central hub dedicated to supporting local authors and promoting the literary arts. It’s a refreshing alternative to the big-box book stores and online giants, especially with their weekly in-store speaking and author events. While you're browsing bestsellers, indie titles, nonfiction, poetry, and well-curated Staff Picks, consider RSVPing to read a tale of your own at their popular Storytelling Show, a free monthly, open-mike-style reading series.

Readers young and old delight in Manhattan's oldest and largest independent children's bookstore. The friendly, knowledgeable staff can help select gifts for all reading levels. Don't miss the extensive Oz section, plus the collection of old, rare, and collectible children's books and original children's book art.

Operated by a nonprofit that puts all proceeds toward combating AIDS and homelessness, this New York institution has an impressive collection of previously owned books of many genres. Literary, cultural, and benefit events are held here frequently—including StorySLAMS put on by The Moth. There's a full calendar on the website. The café is a popular spot for laptop-toting creatives types. 

Opened in 1983 by the late Nach Waxman, a member of the James Beard Foundation’s Hall of Fame, this is so much more than a cookbook shop, with its vast selection of books on food history and culture, operations and technical manuals, and a "terrific array of great food writing," too. With more than 12,000 books and magazines in stock, it's no wonder that culinary icons like Julia Child and three-star Michelin chefs have been among the charming shop's customers.

A bibliophile's dream, this friendly indie bookstore has a wide selection of books and literary magazines. There's a particularly well-curated poetry section. Author events are held frequently, in person and online. 

Opened in 1927 and still run by the same family, this vast book emporium—home to 2 million volumes, or "18 Miles of Books"—is a symbol of a bygone era, a mecca for serious bibliophiles, and a local institution. The stock includes new and secondhand books, foreign-language titles, and thousands of collector's items—some of which are found in the third-floor rare-book room. The basement has discounted, sometimes barely touched review copies of new books organized by author. If you're looking for souvenirs, there's lots of New York–centric literature as well as T-shirts and totes. Check the Strand's events calendar for virtual and live readings.

One of the city's best book selections is displayed on the tables and counters of this bookshop, which highlights the latest literary fiction and serious nonfiction, classics, quirky gift books, and gorgeously illustrated tomes. The staff's literary knowledge is formidable, so don't be afraid to ask for suggestions.

Even if you don't speak French, this wonderfully hidden bilingual bookstore dedicated exclusively to books in French and English is a true gem, situated inside the 1906, Italian Renaissance–style mansion that's home to the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. Underneath a soothing, star-covered, zodiac-inspired ceiling, Francophile visitors can explore more than 14,000 classic and contemporary titles.

Family-owned since 1925, Argosy is a charmingly old-fashioned place to browse for both bargain and priceless books. The shop keeps a scholarly stock of rare books and autographs. It's also a great place to find good-value maps and prints for gifts.

Author Emma Straub opened this spacious and well-stocked bookstore after neighborhood landmark BookCourt closed, and she even used her predecessor's tall wooden bookshelves in creating the new space. Books Are Magic hosts author events—many with celebrated writers who happen to live in Brooklyn—several days a week. Don't miss the excellent kids' area in the back.

Come to this family-owned bookshop for the outstanding selection of contemporary and classic books across genres. Don't miss the cheeky and serious high-quality greeting cards.

The showroom of this edgy art-book publisher is a vision in concrete and steel. The bright bookshop sells design and photography books, children's titles, Brooklyn-centric gifts, and the latest new fiction and nonfiction books. The space hosts publishing parties, book launches, readings, and discussion groups. There's also a bar and café.

What distinguishes Shakespeare & Co. from so many other bookshops is the ability to print your own literature on-site. That's right: at the official brick and mortar bookstore for Hunter College, students and patrons can walk in and print their own novel, poetry, or manuscript in a matter of minutes. You might as well order a cup of coffee or a pastry from the café while you wait. A 150-page book made by a state-of-the-art 3-D printer costs $17.50, and there's a mere seven million titles from which to choose. Just browse, click, and print. There's also an Upper West Side location.

Currently the only independent bookstore in the Bronx, The Lit. Bar opened in April 2019—on National Indie Bookstore Day by no coincidence—as the realized dream of Noëlle Santos, a Black/Puerto Rican venture activist, and proud Bronx native. Venue for the occasional author talk or book signing, The Lit. Bar is a place with a self-proclaimed "bookstore and chill" vibe—the chill component coming in the form of an on-site wine bar that also serves charcuterie boards, boozy pudding pops, and gourmet popcorn.

Pick up your copy of A People's History of the United States or anything by Noam Chomsky at this three-decade-old diminutive bookshop, which also peddles novels and non-overtly political nonfiction. Or just stop by to discuss what Bernie Sanders has been up to.

Wonderfully crammed to the rafters, this store offers both new and used books, including a rare book collection. Squeeze in among the stacks of art books and fiction titles, or pop outside for the $1 bargains. A short walk away, at  233 West 72nd Street, the sister record shop has an equally impressive collection of vinyl and CDs.