"They like to feel like they're in a place where books matter"

August 26, 2024 5:51 AM

The Tiny New York Town Where Bookstores Rule (CBS News, NYT, previously)
posted by box (13 comments total)

i've been to Hay-on-Wye & Hobart! one thing not mentioned in the articles is proximity to rivers. in Hobart, there's an especially a charming view (if you look up from the books a moment)
posted by HearHere at 6:20 AM on August 26 [1 favorite]

Thank you for identifying where I should retire.
posted by JanetLand at 7:37 AM on August 26 [9 favorites]

It seems that somehow this town does not have a *romance* book store, and that feels like a real omission that I should definitely correct just as soon as I have a lot of money.

And a green card.
posted by jacquilynne at 10:48 AM on August 26 [5 favorites]

Next stop, Willoughby!
posted by fairmettle at 11:07 AM on August 26 [2 favorites]

One question before I add this to my travel list, is there a SFF bookstore?
posted by Ber at 11:31 AM on August 26 [2 favorites]

Oh, the dream - how lovely. Makes me think of the amazing niche bookstores I’ve been to, like Bonnie Slotnick’s collection of cookbooks on East 4th St in NYC. It’s like browsing in a tiny museum, being immersed in a thousand exquisite little curatorial choices.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:47 AM on August 26 [3 favorites]

roadtrip!
posted by supermedusa at 12:03 PM on August 26 [2 favorites]

And the route there can involve several rail trails.
posted by ocschwar at 12:18 PM on August 26

Y'all, I've spent time near Hobart a couple of times and, though there are many buildings where there are bookstores, it does not at all feel like a bookstore wonderland. First, many of the bookstores are only seasonally open - when we went to Hobart the first time, none of them were open. The second time, later in summer, only two of them were, and one was the children's lending library and didn't have much on offer.

I also have to say that this is fairly western New York, fairly rural, and was the highest concentration of Trump Flags I've seen in the northeast (outside of LBI in New Jersey, IDK what the hell is going on there). I did love the area! Lots of people are great, there are tons of farms and interesting places to eat! But a bookstore wonderland it is NOT ;_;.

I also think there's some more road-trip friendly locales in Upstate NY and NJ! I want to particularly point folks to Old Forge and their Old Forge Hardware store - this huge store has a bookstore, baking goods, puzzles, decoration, sewing, clothing, almost everything, and is a fun place to walk around. I also love Saugerties/Woodstock/Kingston, which have tons to offer and are geographically close to each other.
posted by Drowsy Philosopher at 12:20 PM on August 26 [7 favorites]

... but the infrastructure is there, is my chosen Hobart takeaway
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:00 PM on August 26 [1 favorite]

And there's also Montolieu in the South of France. Lovely place!
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 2:14 PM on August 26

Drowsy Philosopher, that is disappointing.

Agreed, Ber.
posted by doctornemo at 2:23 PM on August 26

While touring Alaska's Kenai Peninsula about 10 years ago I was surprised to find fairly large used bookstores in almost every village. I suppose people get through lots of books during the long dark winters.
posted by monotreme at 6:38 PM on August 26 [4 favorites]