http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/entertainment/gossip/4899079.htm In Archer City, Texas. Population of 2,000. Half a million volumes. Owned and operated by Larry McMurtry.
Powell's City of Books, Portland, Oregon. Once, when I briefly had to live in Eastern Washington with my mother, I finished off a day of job-hunting in Portland (four hours away) one December day in 1992 by calling my mother and saying "Yeah, I'll be on my way home in about 15 minutes -- I'm just going to stop at this bookstore first." I finally got out of there four hours later and made another call to my mom: "Oops, I'll be home a little later than I thought."
I love the Strand when I know exactly what I want. It's a horrible place to browse, though. I miss Coliseum Books on 57th & B'Way. The best indie bookstore I've ever been to is the Library Ltd in Clayton, MO. Knowledgable staff, good selection, not corporate.
I can browse the Strand for hours because I know the general areas I want to poke around in, but during the summertime (especially) the problem is that it's insufferably hot, not to mention pretty damn crowded.
I remember on a business trip once visiting a bookstore located down an alley in downtown Evanston, IL. Very cool bookstore with a lot of themed sections with many wonderful antiques for decoration. Wish I remembered the name of the place, but will make sure to pay a second visit if I ever have the opportunity to make a return trip to the area.
How 'bout Shakespeare & Co ? Kilometer Zero, Paris. Would it be ranked as a novelty bookstore or a genuine one ?
Sportspages, Charing Cross Road, London Book Soup, Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood See Hear, E 7th St, NYC
Elliott Bay Book Company 101 S. Main St., Seattle A wonderful selection of used and new books. http://www.elliottbaybook.com
Powell's it is. The first time I visited Portland someone suggested that I go to Powell's. ('It's pretty neat,' I recall them saying.) I went in around 6 in the evening and had began to wander about. The next thing I knew they were announcing closing time. Four hours had passed, and I had been utterly oblivious. (I still may be in some other respects.) An amazing place, well worth a thousand visits.
I loooove these places. Went to Sportspages for the first time on my last trip to London and spent way too much money on soccer books! Shakespeare & Company in Paris is also a favorite. Spent many a fine hour at these bookstores. Never made it to The Strand, haven't ever spent a lot of time in NYC. It's on the list.
For the Washington, DC environs Used: Second Story Books, Idle Time Books New: Olsson's, Kramerbooks & Afterwords (gotta love a bookstore with a restaurant/bar attached), and I suppose Borders is ok. RIP: Mystery Books Big Middle Finger: Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble As far as the rest of the world and all, Waterstones, Ottakars in the UK are ok, Powells and the Strand are on another plane. There's also two good used book stores in Lawrence, KS and Chapel Hill, NC that I can't remember the name of.
that place is better known for it's "cheap" accomodations for hostelers than it is for selling books.
Best stores I've ever been to myself: The Strand Elliott Bay The Coliseum--RIP Tattered Cover (LoDo, not Cherry Creek) Book Soup Avenue Victor Hugo in Boston Dawn Treader in Ann Arbor ...and, before it went public and became a monstrosity, the original Borders on State Street in Ann Arbor was as fine a place to browse as any.
Ichabod's 2 S Broadway Denver, CO Since I live 1,000 miles away, I get most of my books at www.alibris.com. I have bought from Powel's via mail order--I'm sure I'd check it out if ever in Portland.
i'm on board with powell's. i panicked my portland, OR, hosts when i missed the bus back to their place that i said i'd catch. i was lost (blissfully), amid the color-coded sections of powell's. hats off, too, to foyles, at charing cross road in london. and our own ruminator books (formerly 'hungry mind') in st paul is no slouch.
Ichabod's is very cool. I used to live right down the street from there. Thought they were going out of business; there was some sort of scandal recently about them receiving stolen property.
Very much agree with you on Dawn Treader and early Borders (now almost indistinguishable from Barnes and Noble). Toss in David's Books in Ann Arbor, also. Shaman Drum is another one worth honorable mention.
Granted I haven't been to a ton of bookstores outside of Oregon but it's hard to imagine a place better than Powells. It's virtually impossible to go there and not leave with at least a couple of books. They have over one million new and used books in the downtown Portland location alone! I love killing the better part of a day just wandering around and seeing what I find.