Philly bookstores?
 

Can any members make a few suggestions for good used bookstores in
Philadelphia? I'd be coming in by train, just for the day, so they'd
have to be in the center city--say, between the Rosenbach and Lord &
Taylor's.

Thanks in advance.

Philly bookstores?
 

"J" wrote in message
...
Can any members make a few suggestions for good used bookstores in
Philadelphia? I'd be coming in by train, just for the day, so they'd
have to be in the center city--say, between the Rosenbach and Lord &
Taylor's.

Thanks in advance.

------------------------

J,

If you've got the money to spend, you can always go to Bauman Rare Books
(www.baumanrarebooks.com). An outstanding shop -- but you won't find
reading copies here. These are true collectibles with price tags to match.
It's the type of store where they have to buzz you in.

For browsing (and I mean all day long), try The Book Trader. I think it's
on 2nd Street though, and that may be out of your downtown range.

Andycat

Philly bookstores?
 

J wrote:
Can any members make a few suggestions for good used bookstores in
Philadelphia? I'd be coming in by train, just for the day, so they'd
have to be in the center city--say, between the Rosenbach and Lord &
Taylor's.

Thanks in advance.

I assume you've checked
http://www.geocities.com/evelynleeper/na-east.htm#philadelphia.

Note that Whodunit? is now a general used bookstore, though still with
an emphasis on mysteries.

--
Evelyn C. Leeper
A great many people think they are thinking when they are
only rearranging their prejudices. -William James

Philly bookstores?
 

On May 29, 4:28*pm, "Evelyn C. Leeper" wrote:

I assume you've checked
http://www.geocities.com/evelynleeper/na-east.htm#philadelphia.


Checked it? I copied it, for possible use! But I note that it dates
from January, which--alas--is very old in bookstore years. So I
welcome any further comments from Philadelphians. For example, if Book
Trader is worth my time, I'll walk. g

Philly bookstores?
 

On May 29, 4:28 pm, "Evelyn C. Leeper" wrote:

I assume you've checked
http://www.geocities.com/evelynleeper/na-east.htm#philadelphia.


I note that Philadelphia Rare Book & Manuscript is not on the Leeper
list:

http://www.prbm.com

And didn't Factotum on South Street close YEARS ago? I frequented
that shop when I was in college--25 years ago. I also bought at their
going out of business sale--sometime in the 1990s.


William M. Klimon

Philly bookstores?
 

On Jun 2, 6:21�pm, "William M. Klimon" wrote:

I note that Philadelphia Rare Book & Manuscript is not on the Leeper
list:

http://www.prbm.com

I checked their website, and they seem to discourage drop-ins and
browsing. So I think they're not for this trip (which *might* turn
into an overnighter).

And didn't Factotum on South Street close YEARS ago? �I frequented
that shop when I was in college--25 years ago. �I also bought at their
going out of business sale--sometime in the 1990s.

Neither Google nor AOL Yellow pages turns up a phone listing for them
anywhere in the city.

Any and all input is welcome...

Philly bookstores?
 

On May 29, 5:31 pm, J wrote:
On May 29, 4:28 pm, "Evelyn C. Leeper" wrote:

I assume you've checked
http://www.geocities.com/evelynleeper/na-east.htm#philadelphia.

Checked it? I copied it, for possible use!

& hopefully after your book buying orgy in Philly you'll be able to
update some it too!

GeekGirl

Philly bookstores?
 

On Jun 5, 11:11�am, wrote:

hopefully after your book buying orgy in Philly you'll be able to
update some it too!

GeekGirl


Well, I can already tell you that the Borders listing is wrong--
they're no longer on Walnut Street.

Philadelphia - Avenue of Arts
1 S. Broad
Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.568.7400

Philadelphia - Chestnut Hill
8701 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118 215.248.1213

Philadelphia - The Gallery
9th & Market Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.922.3647

Philadelphia - Liberty Place
1625 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103 215.557.8443

Philly bookstores?
 

I must say, Philadelphia provided slim pickings for a second-hand book
browser this weekend. The Rosenbachs would be appalled to see how few
nice shops remain in their city...not that New York City is so much
better these days. The only place I found anything I needed was Book
Trader.

The Rosenbach Library was a highlight of my trip. (I'd never been
there before.) The Poe residence was a bit of a disappointment: the
only survivor of the five Philadelphia houses he lived in, it has
fallen into the hands of the Parks Service. Not knowing how to restore
it--there are almost no documents of its furnishings or appearance--
they have stripped it down to the plaster, and leave it empty. At
least it's there...

I've sent my other update notes to Evelyn for her use.

Philly bookstores?
 

J wrote:
I must say, Philadelphia provided slim pickings for a second-hand book
browser this weekend. The Rosenbachs would be appalled to see how few
nice shops remain in their city...not that New York City is so much
better these days. The only place I found anything I needed was Book
Trader.

The Rosenbach Library was a highlight of my trip. (I'd never been
there before.) The Poe residence was a bit of a disappointment: the
only survivor of the five Philadelphia houses he lived in, it has
fallen into the hands of the Parks Service. Not knowing how to restore
it--there are almost no documents of its furnishings or appearance--
they have stripped it down to the plaster, and leave it empty. At
least it's there...

I've sent my other update notes to Evelyn for her use.

For which she (I) thanks you.

Alas, most big cities provide slim pickings these days--rents go up,
sales go down, and if the stores survive at all, they survive as
Internet stores.

Toronto is headed that way. Of course, one of the main places we
visited (Jamie Fraser) had additional problems: the streetcars that run
down the street his shop is on shook the building so much that he came
in one day to discover that the shelves had toppled over! (Luckily, he
was able to recover without too much damage.)

--
Evelyn C. Leeper
A great many people think they are thinking when they are
only rearranging their prejudices. -William James