McNally Jackson Books Downtown Brooklyn — Local services in New York

I live in California where we do have independent bookstores. In fact, many, many years ago, I worked for a time in one of them. Now, my two daughters have taken up residence in New York. During my visits to them there, I make it a point to browse the stacks at McNally Jackson Books (Prince Street and Williamsburg stores), and if I do not leave with a book, I always leave with a selection of their unique collection of greeting cards.

We are a family of bibliophiles, so for birthdays, Christmas and other occasions, I have ordered books from McNally Jackson for my girls. More recently, I have started to order my own books there, and they are promptly shipped to me on the opposite coast along with an email from the proprietors thanking me for my purchase and assuring me that my support of the store matters. Who can resist such a positive message today?

Then, one of my orders went missing. It took a few phone calls and some expert sleuthing on the part of one clerk named K(C)at--and a very cool one at that--before my book was discovered. The book is now in transit, after being hand-delivered to the local post office in Brooklyn and shipped Priority Mail to me. This is a full service bookstore where you have the opportunity to talk to real people who understand books and reading still matter as do the people who still want...

I love books almost more than anything else, and this new(ish?) spot didn’t disappoint. Two floors of high, densely packed shelves with a ton of nuance and neighborhood vibes in addition to the latest titles you expect on the new release tables.

The staff picks were helpful and friendly, and many of the suggestions were both known faves and unknowns, with an emphasis on smart, student-y, and timely. I was almost overwhelmed browsing upstairs, and admired the fact that the genre rooms had many subfields full of the expected and unexpected. I look forward to returning alone and getting lost.

There was a used and rare room on the second floor, a stationary and elegant pen zone, kids stuff, and some magazines. The staff were visible, roving, and helpful.

If you’re in downtown Brooklyn and looking for something new for yourself or a good find to get someone else, find your way into the mall (Target and the Alamo Drafthouse are there), and pole around inside. This is a powerful riposte to the age of Amazon…

Like everything else now around here, masks are still expected inside…stuff one in your pocket before you go until...

I’m incredulous that this is a ‘mall bookstore’ because it so successfully creates the same ‘feel’ as a warm, sequestered, independent bookshop. I love all McNally Jackson bookstores, but this one is firmly cemented as one of my top 3 NYC bookstores. They have a wide selection of books from all around the world, with dedicated sections for books, zines, and magazines from small, independent publishing houses with unique, and often quirky, publications. All the staff recommendations are detailed and carefully curated. The store itself has plenty of delightful nooks for the ardent bibliophile to nestle into, exploring the no-doubt rapidly growing pile of books one accumulates while getting lost in these shelves. The children’s section is a particular delight, with ‘little reading rooms’ that are sure to be the envy of both children and adults alike. This is a beautiful, beautiful bookstore, and sure to fascinate any...