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At a Glance
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0% ambiance
“In 2007 it has lost almost all of its appeal, and is simply not a very fun place to hang out and sift through dusty, mediocre books.”
100% drinks
“nice place to spend a Saturday afternoon with a cup of coffee and the time to relax.”
80% menu variety
“Strand Book Store is filled with a great variety of different books at pretty cheap prices, you can get a great bargin on some old books.”
100% overall
“Strand Bookstore is a great place to not only find books but also surround yourself with people different than you'll find anywhere else in”
100% return potential
“The only thing that bothers me about this bookstore is how unorganized it is : dusty books are stacked on top of each other, some books are not in alphabetical order/not in their best condition, and it's hard to navigate through the store, it's like a puz”
44% service
“rude service, rude workers, lousy store”
100% value
“certainly didnt expect to make more than a few bucks on my books, which were used but in great condition, and i probably would have turned around and spent it in the store purchasing some new books.”
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Strand Bookstore
From The Owner of Strand Bookstore
What Our Expert Scouts Say
Tips for Strand Bookstore
September 07, 2012
Hipster central. Good finds but getting way too tacky for my taste, selection is always a toss-up. Funky book store in NYU area.
0
Heart
July 09, 2011
Ultimate Greenwich Village Used Bookstore Scenester Destinat. The Strand Bookstore has been around for decades, primarily selling (and buying- at a super low price, so don
0
Heart
June 11, 2011
Miles of Books. I love books, love to read and Strands is a Bookstore with a wide range of selections. You don't have to be a book worm to like this store. They sell it all. Books for Everyone, no matter your interest. They have the popular books. They have the books that no-one else carries. The hard to find books, new or used. For the most part, the used books they sell are in great reading condition. They have $1 racks, if you happen to have a thesis to write on something old, you can get ideas and information from these books without spending much money on something you will only use that one time. I love coming here and spending time browsing. They have a good collection of educational books for teachers, parents and children. If I ever decide to home school my child I know I can count on Strands for the academic material that I will need. I picked up a large US map, about 42"x50" that has an adhesive to stick on the wall. It allows my little one to fill in with an erasable marker the name of the states, its capital and each states abbreviation. It is also easy to peel off. I saw other educational stick on that are priced right and I plan on returning to purchase. Strands always have competitive prices to other major bookstores. It truly is a place to get lost in and fall in Love...
0
Heart
May 15, 2011
Strand! Strand! Strand!.
Bored with the same old selection you see on the tables in Barnes & Nobles? Don’t get me wrong I love my Barnes & Nobles but this place is exceptional. You’ll find a completely different selection here. Or you’ll find what you’re looking for but half of what you would pay elsewhere. There is a reason why this store is filled with people and books on a Friday night. It has an extremely unique arrangement of books. They have everything from new releases to the out of print materials. If you haven’t gone here yet you are completely missing out!
Miles of books cramped on shelves shouldn’t intimidate you. There are three floors with tons of titles, genres, and categories. A personal favorite is the children’s section where you’ll find classics and out of prints. They have a large selection of books about New York City just for kids. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or someone who just cares about children’s lit, it is quite an amazing assortment. In addition, they even hold events here and filled up a calendar with them.
Even if you aren’t in the NYC area, you can go online and purchase books too. If you are in this area you should check it out. Try selling your books back, buying a book for a buck, or see an event there. While this may not be your typical bookstore, it is definitely grand. I think everyone should try out Strand!
0
Heart
July 11, 2008
awful, overrated book store with lousy service.
Like several other reviewers here, I joined Citysearch specifically to bash The Strand. The place is a total triumph of advertising over product. Anyone in a dumb Strand T-shirt (or hoodie, or hat, or shorts) will tell you that this is a great independent book store, but the fact of the matter is that it's got a very unimpressive selection that's presided over by some of the rudest people I've ever encountered in retail. I guarantee that whatever you can find at The Strand you can find cheaper on the Amazon Marketplace, shipping included.
The people who work at The Strand comport themselves as if they were the high priests of a sacred temple, but the truth of the matter is that they're in customer service. And if they can't provide pleasant service and a good, low-priced selection of books, what's the point?
0
Heart
July 07, 2008
Dirty place, cheap price.
I've always bought my books at Strands, just because they are dollars cheaper than other bookstores I've encountered in New York. Unlike the others, I have yet to encounter the rudeness of their employees, probably because I have never bothered to sell my used books here, and after reading the numerous review, have no intention to. The only thing that bothers me about this bookstore is how unorganized it is : dusty books are stacked on top of each other, some books are not in alphabetical order/not in their best condition, and it's hard to navigate through the store, it's like a puzzle within itself (you go left, and then right, and then left again, and it would take you an hour to go back to the entrance. I'm exaggerating, but you get my point).
For me, their prices kind of make up for everything, even though I personally wouldn't spend more than 30 minutes there!
0
Heart
January 24, 2008
Strand Books. We ordered a new book from Strand through Amazon and found it to have red ink on the bottom and to be in generally dingy condition.
0
Heart
October 10, 2007
Love the selection and prefer the Fulton Street location. I lived within easy walking distance of the East Village location for a few years and never needed an excuse to go there. However, I've always found the employees at that store to be very unpleasant. In recent years I've been patronizing the Fulton Street location and I like it MUCH better. For one thing, there's plenty of space to maneuver and it's hardly ever crowded. And although I wouldn't accuse the staff of being effusively friendly, they're a lot more pleasant than at the main location. The selection at Fulton Street is very good, too.
0
Heart
October 07, 2007
Will it ever go out of business?. I completely concur with the other reviewers here about the RUDENESS and ATTITUDE of the staff at the Strand. Ask them a simple, polite question about their store and they bite your head off. The Strand in the 1990s was a necessary evil for me before the internet. In 2007 it has lost almost all of its appeal, and is simply not a very fun place to hang out and sift through dusty, mediocre books. The worst part is their book buying policy -- incredibly low offers. Five excellent books will but one of their old tomes. The only reason I don't give it one star is that a store with this many books is bound to have something of interest. It's not the books' fault!
0
Heart
September 11, 2007
An NYC legend. Um, how could you hate the strand? It's huge and has a great selection of used and hard-to-find books at great prices. The staff actually knows something about literature, unlike the employees of many huge chain bookstores. There's a reason it's constantly packed with people.
0
Heart
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