As a Tandon student, I’m always looking for a reason to stay in the Brooklyn area. Although it’s known for its coffee shops, music scene and brownstones, the borough also holds some of the best bookstores in New York: They’re spaces for you to interact with authors, seek out staff recommendations and let your curiosity wander towards new titles. Bookstores are also inherently communal and collaborative — a good one serves as a multipurpose third space, where you’re welcome, and even expected, to take your time. Here are my top four recommendations as a Tandon senior who’s finally ready to stop gatekeeping the borough’s best.
Books Are Magic
122 Montague St., Brooklyn Heights
When I first visited Books Are Magic, there were children laughing and playing tag as one of the booksellers straightened their stack of precariously balanced books. Owned by Emma Straub, The New York Times bestselling author of “This Time Tomorrow,” this bookstore is home to both a lively, somewhat chaotic atmosphere and a dependable fanbase. Each section of the store has ample recommendations, with labels such as “Year Round Pride,” “Anti Tyranny” and “I Read Black Authors.” Most shelves also carry handwritten notes from the store’s booksellers with reviews and favorite themes in each book. Just under a 15-minute walk from NYU’s Brooklyn campus, Books Are Magic hosts “Meet the Author” events at 7 p.m. most weeknights, where local authors of all genres host signings and read excerpts from recent releases. I usually come here to wait out the cold after visiting the Brooklyn Heights Promenade — plus, there’s a student discount and free bookmarks.
McNally Jackson Books
445 Albee Square, Downtown Brooklyn
Although this independent book chain has five New York City locations, the Downtown Brooklyn branch is somewhat hidden, deep inside City Point and full of bustling Brooklynites. McNally Jackson Books is the first bookstore I stepped foot in when I came to New York, so it carries some nostalgia for me. An eight-minute walk from campus, it’s a great escape on busy days and the ideal place to hunt for one of your Advanced Seminar readings. I still remember my first time seeing McNally Jackson’s massive, two-story book wall — the upper level of the two-story bookstore has a few places to sit and crack open a book, if you can get to a chair fast enough.
Greenlight Bookstore
686 Fulton St., Fort Greene
Though Greenlight Bookstore is a bit of a deeper trek into Brooklyn than the others, its wide variety of books makes the venture well worth it. Located on the corner of Fulton Avenue and South Portland Avenue, the store features a “New York Reads” section with books set in New York or written by local authors. My favorite part of Greenlight is its warm ambiance with floating orbs, soft lighting and twisting corridors all throughout the store.
POWERHOUSE Arena
28 Adams St., Dumbo
Tucked right beneath the Manhattan Bridge sits POWERHOUSE Arena — a small bookstore filled with plenty of natural lighting thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows. Defined by its large white pillars adorned with bold graffiti art, the store has a dark platform with a cocktail bar, where the POWERHOUSE team hosts author reading sessions and various mixers. This bookstore is located about 15 minutes north of campus — the perfect distance for a scenic stroll.
Contact Antonia Ang at [email protected].