Unnameable Books — Local services in New York

I’ve been going here frequently since I moved to the neighborhood. I went back today the first time since they relocated across the street, was looking for something specific, but the layout of the store has changed so I wanted to look around.

I picked up a random book from the new fiction section, put my coffee down on the wooden counter next to me so I can browse quickly. Just as I opened the book, a middle aged woman with black cat-eye framed glasses strode towards me from the back of the store and asked monotonously : “Are you ready to check out?”. I soon recognized that the wooden counter is actually the cashier’s table, so I immediately picked up the coffee. This is within 2 minutes I’ve been in the store, so I said I was still looking. The woman then said irritably: “Can you not bend the book like that?” I was quite taken back, because I was simply holding it like anyone who would hold a small paperback book with one hand, thumb on the bottom and four fingers on the spine. But I apologized and replied: “Sorry but is there a place to put my coffee down, I don’t want to spill coffee around.” She then came at me, almost scolding, “I don’t want you to spill coffee around either, but THIS (the counter) is not a good place.”

I’ve never had a issue coming here with a coffee, or holding a book with one hand. But if the store had a issue with that, they could have a table like many other stores do for people with coffee. I have nothing bad to say about the bookstore per se, but I’m pretty repelled by this experience with this particular staff, like some other reviewers have mentioned too. I hate Amazon, but at least it will save me from being scolded for violating the rules of prestigious independent...

I walked in looking for a specific book. I didn't know the name of the author and the title escaped mind. I knew only that it had a lime green cover and was rather thin in page count. I asked one of the bookmongers to guide me to the shelf where this book might be. I needed a copy for a very important project I had recently started. The deadline being that same evening. I was desperate you see. The staff took turns helping me. We must have gone through all the books in the store when I noticed the sun setting. Piles of hardcovers and dusty old paperback were shorn from the shelves and polluted the large red Persian rug at the center of the establishment. Alas, nothing. Then, from out of the dark gate of the front door, the proprietor walked in. A figure whose head was shrouded in a dark heavy woolen hoodie, asked me what I was looking for. I drew a blank. I had completely forgotten why I was there. With one quick grand gesture the owner reached up to the top of a creaky bookshelf and produced a volume with a lime green cover engrained in splendid gold leaf and said "This is what you are looking for isn't it? The...

5 stars but beware of one awful awful associate.

Hate to give a small business a bad rating because of one person so will just put 5 stars since I have going to unnameable books for a while now and have gotten so many books from them.

Unfortunately I will no longer be going back due to an extremely awful experience I had with one individual.

She was extremely snappy, annoyed and aggressively made it obviously that she did not want anyone in there. It was my birthday the day prior and I wanted to show my out of town friend this neat little place I frequent but needless to say, the experience was awful.

I will not go in to details since it’s irrelevant and I’m sure she was having the most awful day to behave like this- however, as a grown adult, she needs to be mindful how her actions and attitudes affect other people.

As mentioned, overall the people there are usually friendly, helpful and overall extremely nice except for this one experience with this one particular middle...