Who needs a bookstore?

I'd love having a bookstore nearby, but realistically I think somewhere on the PH/PS border would be a more viable location if the rent were workable (which it might not be). I suspect that there are some PS people for whom Washington, and even Vanderbilt, seem too far away. Not condoning that line of thought, just saying that crossing Flatbush may increase the walking distance in someone's mind.

That said, Vanderbilt has seen some lovely new businesses open recently that probably appeal to the same clientele (the laptop mafia?).

I'd love to see a bookstore that combined a quirky selection (ooh, comic books/graphic literature!) with a cafe and a reasonably well-lit, non-sneeze-inducing ambience. Too often it seems like you have a choice between B&N or something kind of dank and unorganized.

Hey,

As long as you have good cellphone reception- so I can call in 311 on my shiny new Motorola Razor phone when I notice young houligans on the street who are up to no good

apollonia666 wrote: [quote=EmilyM]I'd love having a bookstore nearby, but realistically I think somewhere on the PH/PS border would be a more viable location if the rent were workable (which it might not be). I suspect that there are some PS people for whom Washington, and even Vanderbilt, seem too far away. Not condoning that line of thought, just saying that crossing Flatbush may increase the walking distance in someone's mind.

True, but I figure Park Slope already has a lot of bookstores, while there are hardly any over on this side of Flatbush. And I do think this area's ready for more stuff like this!

Good point. I was thinking terms of demand, not of supply. Obviously both are important.

check out 4th ave. that's the new black as far as retail space goes

why not go talk to owners of mule cafe and cherry tree to see what the going rent is like for them?

and plus you'd get the foot traffic of people coming home from the atlantic/pacific train stops

i know of one restaurant on st.mark's + 6th ave that pays only $2,000/monthly for a prime corner spot

there are bargains out there

A bookstore/cafe in PH would be so great if you could find an affordable space. Vanderbilt or Washington are prime. And I agree with Homeowner - gear it towards the interests of the neighborhood. Why not poetry slams and readings? Readings for kids? Live music once in awhile? Good luck. Hope you can make it work!

djuoh wrote: [quote=apollonia666]Washington is ripe for new businesses and the rents are cheap. And I'd love having a bookstore that close!

The rents are not cheap and the sizes of the available spaces might be a tad small for a bookstore

I should clarify what I meant: how cheap they are is relative. I do remember some discussion a while back when someone was talking about maybe opening up a shop, and several business owners said that retail space rentals on Washington were MUCH cheaper than on Vandy or Flatbush.

Agreed that there aren't many large spaces -- but then again, lots of bookstores are in small spaces! I assume the potential bookstore owner will have some sense of what size he wants his place to be, how much he can reasonably afford to pay, and that he'll do some thorough research on any areas he's interested in.

I'd like to see a bookstore in PH but wonder if the neighborhood will support it.

There used to be a bookstore in Fort Greene (http://www.indigocafe.com/about/oldstore.html) that closed a few years ago now. It was a nice space, but it never seemed very busy. I think closer to the Slope would be a better idea.

I don't know anything about retail rents in the area or the economics of anything, but I'm just saying if you opened up a bookstore with a cafe in PH, I'd probably be there a lot. I'm not saying that's necessarily a good thing, but hey, I'm ridiculously handsome and I'll bring in clientele. Hopefully hot girl clientele. Probably not though. But still, I'll eat/drink a lot at your cafe and probably buy a lot of books.

Also, have you considered any of the storefronts on Underhill? Again, I'm only saying it because I pass all these empty stores on Underhill all the time and always think, man, it'd be cool if that place was someplace for me to hang out. I add, though, that in not too long a whole ton of people with lots of money will be moving in at St. John's and Plaza, so the stretch of stores between St. John's and Sterling on Underhill are quite ready to be gentrified.

Subject: Book Store Marketing

Mos Def used to own a book store that was located where Flatbush Farms is now and then moved to Washington. It never really got off the ground although they had some good readings... it was a mix of progressive political books, and kids books if I remember correctly. If I opened a book store I would definitely trt and split my market four ways and carry the uberpopular "thug romance" books, kids books, a populist fiction section, and an art/graphic novel section. I will refrain from describing the folks who who make up these four markets... but you get the idea

Breuckelen wrote: we need a porn shop on washington ave

There's one on Washington and Atlantic. It's nasty as hell, but that might be what you're looking for.

I'd put it on underhill - on the library end. Lot's of traffic, plus spill off from the library...which never has anything in stock.

DeeDee wrote: There is going to be a Borders book store in the Williamsburg Savings Bank ground floor. Personally, I don't think an independent bookstore in Prospect Heights would do well financially. Even though people say they would love to hang out at such a place it seems that most folks actually purchase their books online or get them from the Brooklyn Public Library. I think another cafe on Vanderbilt would actually probably be a better bet business-wise.

Don't you already have a bunch of coffee shops and hangout places on vanderbilt?

Washington avenue needs one badly we have crappy bodega coffee and the new york post

I agree that opening a small bookstore in this day and age seems risky. National chains are becoming more common in Brooklyn and online sites like Amazon (for new books) and half.com or abebooks.com (for used) lure yet other customers away. Most of the successful independents, such as those few remaining in Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, continue to thrive because they've been around for a long time. They have a loyal customer base and, most likely, long-term leases.

Plus, how much money would the average PH resident spend on books? I mean, let's not kid ourselves, people. The simple fact is we're a fairly boorish, uncultured bunch. I'm sure that most folks on this board spend ten times more money on beer than on books.

If you think I'm being negative, look at the archives and compare the number of posts about books and culture to those about bars, liquor stores, and getting drunk. I rest my case!