The Midtown Scholar Bookstore — Restaurant in Harrisburg

My husband and I saw a brochure for this bookstore on our visit to Hershey last year. As a librarian, I was thrilled to learn of such a large and beautiful store. Today, we drove the two hours to Harrisburg just to visit the store. We planned to make a day of it; browsing books, enjoying the cafe, and then touring the area. We were extremely disappointed to find the brochure was incredibly inaccurate.

The bookstore is in a terrible location. It did not feel at all safe or welcoming, especially in comparison to the other "tourist" destinations advertised in similar brochures. People in front of the store were requesting money and rides, yelling obscenities across the street, etc. Our idea of touring the area was quickly shot down.

We entered the store to find it much smaller than the brochure suggested. What had appeared to be an open and cheery space in the photos was actually very cramped and dark, with tables blocking most of the walking space. The "cafe" menu was very limited (basically just coffee and a few very sad looking muffins), which also ruined our plans of enjoying a snack at the location. There also appeared to be very few options for food in the immediate area. We ended up driving almost an hour away for our meal.

The inventory was not at all as impressive as the brochure claimed. Many of the shelves were completely empty, most of the books were in poor condition, and the organization made it difficult to locate anything. The photos online and in the brochure are misleading. The space is not nearly as "immense" as it portrays and -even with the empty shelves and very few browsers- it felt very claustrophobic. It was evident effort was made in the children's area to display materials, but the selection was again quite sparse. So much for our plans of spending hours casually browsing. I had hoped to at least find some interesting purchases, but I found the prices to be rather high for non-rare merchandise with torn dust jackets.

This bookstore advertises itself as a tourist destination, claiming to house the largest used book collection from New York City to Chicago. The creatively drawn map of the store leads one to believe the space is roomy, comfortable and inviting as well as well organized. In fact, Midtown Scholar is none of these things. I applaud them for their creative advertising, which caused me to waste half a tank of gas and leave hungry and disappointed.

While Midtown Scholar may be a wonderful "local bookstore" it is certainly not worth the drive...

My recent visit to Harrisburg led me to the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, and what an extraordinary discovery it was! Recommended by a new acquaintance, this bookstore far exceeded any expectations I had. As a lover of books, I'm always drawn to independent bookstores, but the Midtown Scholar truly stands out. Stepping inside is like entering a literary labyrinth. This isn't just a bookstore; it's a sprawling, multi-level haven brimming with both new and used books. The sheer scale is impressive, with a captivating array of stacks and rooms that invite endless exploration. I particularly enjoyed the dedicated pop culture room, which boasted an impressive collection of graphic novels, from popular titles to timeless classics like The Sandman. The children's section was also delightful, and while the section markers could be a bit clearer, the joy of stumbling upon hidden gems on various tables throughout the store was part of the charm. The heart of the Midtown Scholar pulsates with an eclectic mix of literature, spanning classic works, well-loved used books, and current titles that spark curiosity and encourage new perspectives. I easily spent three hours lost among the shelves, and truthfully, I could have stayed much longer. This wasn't just a shopping trip; it was an immersive experience that reignited my passion for reading. Beyond the incredible selection, the atmosphere at the Midtown Scholar is truly special. The bookstore attracts a wonderfully diverse crowd of people from all walks of life—from elegantly dressed individuals to those casually Browse, each person engrossed in their own literary pursuit. The energy was vibrant and welcoming. I'm already planning my next visit, eager to dedicate an entire day to delving deeper into its vast collection and adding more treasures to my personal library. The Midtown Scholar is more than just a bookstore; it's a testament to the enduring power of books and a truly amazing place to get lost in the...

BUYER BEWARE: I had a terrible experience ordering a couple of rare art books online through The Midtown Scholar Bookstore. I will never deal with this company again. They cancelled one of my orders and explained that it had to do with an inventory mistake on their end. They had the same extremely rare book for six times the price on their site shortly thereafter. I contacted "customer support" about this issue as well as to locate my non-cancelled order and three separate customer representatives responded that I had waited too long to track my order and that they couldn't help me in any way. One of them did not have a clue about my order history at all. None of them expressed concern or sympathy for leaving me hanging. Their language surmounted to taking no responsibility, was full of legalize, and was frankly, rude. I ended up having to pay USPS $9 to do a forensic tracking search in order to locate the book order that had not been cancelled by them. I would expect more honest, good faith, and friendly customer service/support from what appears to be a 'mom and pop' independent book seller. A 'mom and pop' independent book seller would never be able to get away with deceiving their customers and blowing them off because of concern for their reputation. Thus, I am writing this review to warn potential future customers about how I was treated. You'd have better luck with customer service at Amazon or a big box store, which says a lot. And they would probably not deceive you in order to get more money for an art book. P.S. After a cursory search while posting reviews, I discovered that their practice of cancelling orders and jacking up the price appears to happen quite a bit....