A Bookshop Crawl – East Coast of the United States

I truly believe that bookshops are perfect spots to get to know the place you are visiting. That’s why, whenever I travel, among the plans to visit museums, I always add bookshops (no matter if I speak the local language or not). I love looking at the different ways bookshops promote books and reading – you can learn a lot about the bookshop visitors (and locals) from it! So when I decided to spend a couple of weeks on the East Coast of the US, I knew my plans will have to include at least a couple of bookshops. Below are the ones I was lucky to visit and learn about in my bookshop crawl.

Salem – Wicked Good Books

Located a short walk from the Salem Witch Village and Witch Museum, Wicked Good Books uses the spooky history of the famed town to attract visitors. The readers are greeted to the shop by the Staff Picks section and a stuffed crow on top of one of the shelves. While it is a perfect place to find your next eerie read, the bookshop also stocks non-mystic titles and local souvenirs.

Especially enjoyed: Local Author section stocked with traditionally and self-published books by writers from the local area.

New Haven – The Yale Bookstore (Barnes & Noble)

An official college store for this Ivy League school, The Yale Bookstore stocks anything from fiction, non-fiction and kids books, to textbooks and university-themed apparel and gifts. The bookshop is spread out across multiple floors, so I would suggest arranging enough time if you want to wander through all of it.

Especially enjoyed: a separate section for large-print books – something I haven’t seen enough in the UK bookshops!

Boston – Little Free Library

Not actually a bookshop, but this free library stand in Boston’s Financial District really caught my eye. It made the otherwise busy street look just a little homier AND it was actually full of books. Doubtless, I absolutely had to go back there the next day to leave the book I finished on my journey there.

Especially enjoyed: many hurrying tourists stopping to browse the shelves and take pictures.

New York City – The Met Fifth Avenue Bookstore

Situated inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Met Bookstore feels like a gallery in itself. Vibrant and shiny, the bookshop stocks a wide variety of art books, most of which relate to the current exhibitions within the museum, together with some souvenirs and gift items.

Especially enjoyed: seating withing the shop is available for when you want to browse through the books in peace.

New York City – Strand Bookstore

One of the most famous bookshops in New York City, Strand is a mecca for readers. With eighteen miles of books across three floors, even fussy shoppers will find something to keep them browsing. I went there twice and spent an overall of four hours perusing their new and second-hand books, unique stationary and gifts.

Especially enjoyed: finding many exciting never-before-seen titles on the promotional tables.

Savannah – E. Shaver, Bookseller

The oldest bookshop in Savannah, E. Shaver is one of the coziest shops I’ve seen in a while. The rooms are filled with fiction, non-fiction, local-interest titles and some souvenirs, and there is plenty of space to sit down and look through your to-buy lists. Not to mention the super helpful and friendly booksellers.

Especially enjoyed: I was first greeted by two cats napping in one of the window displays.

What are your favourite bookshops on the East Coast? Share them with us on Instagram or Twitter with a #BookshopCrawl.

If you’re interested in UK-based bookshop crawls, read our blog post about one in London here.