Book Culture — Local services in New York

They have a good collection of books, toys, accessories (such as backpacks) and small items. It's all "sophisticated" brands, You won't find Disney here or Mattel here. Which also means that it's not cheap - most things are a little pricier then Amazon. But than again, it's a local store that's a neighborhood feature, not a faceless conglomerate with unchecked power. There offer story time during weekends in various languages, mostly held by people from the neighborhood that wish to share their culture and find a community for their children. There's a kids' play room that's fantastic and is very popular especially over the winter, and it's absolutely OK to spend the afternoon reading books without making a purchase. The staff is knowledgeable and patient and most of the time seems unbothered. It is not, sadly, wheelchair accessible. There was also conflict with the employer about two years ago when employees organized into a Union. The neighborhood got on their hind legs and it seems to have resolved, but keep an eye for...

Great non-commercial bookstore stocked with new and used books that can satisfy a plethora of interests…I am always surprised to find some of the titles that I come across there. It’s a vastly different experience than going to a large chain like B&N (which for what they are carry a great selection of computer science and wine & beverage titles, which is my typical hunting topics) or even The Strand (which I also love equally as much as Book Culture). Book culture has surprising depth when it comes to certain topics, the likes of which I rarely find elsewhere. For topics related to certain subjects the publication date isn’t necessarily a guiding feature, so mathematics and certain physical sciences that have classic texts for reference they carry a more esoteric selection than more mainstream books stores. It’s fantastic what I’ve...

I go there pretty regularly; they're usually stocked with the books I want, and I really enjoy browsing through the displays they put out as well as the non-book giftable items they sell.

But their buy-back staff are 2 out of 3 times awful. The one that's usually there - with dark brown hair and never smiles - is unpleasant to deal with because he lacks any warmth or life-like qualities. The one with glasses and brown hair is actually friendly and helpful. And then there's the blondish one with the earrings - just awful. Instead of saying something like 'we're not interested in buying these books,' he says,

"I don't need these"

while handing my books back to me without even looking at me and walks away the second I touch the books with my hand.

So disappointed when I'm a loyal customer. I'm only looking for basic...