BOOK STORES
Rochester has quite a few. An alphabetical list follows below.
Special mention has to go to Barnes & Noble in Pittsford. The second largest Barnes & Noble in the state, B&N in Pittsford has tens of thousands of new volumes, a used section that puts most used books stores to shame, two stories of beautifully designed open space rich with armchairs and divans, and a cafe that's been host to any number of writers, alone or in groups.
But what's made Barnes & Noble Pittsford one of the central movers of the entire Rochester literary community are the efforts of its Community Relations Manager, Penelope Robinson. Under her watch, Barnes & Noble Pittsford has become as much a local literary center as a book store. The store hosts book group meetings and gatherings, book discussions, readings, signings, and everything literary except classes, and all of it free and open to the public.
In many respects it's become not just a place to shop for books -- though it's perhaps the very best place locally to do that -- but a cultural force which has done as much to make writing an integral and respected part of the Rochester community as any other local factor.
Not that there aren't fine smaller book stores. A number of them have banded together on a web site, rochesterbooksellers.com. Two of its members, Brownbag Books and Greenwood Books, recently took first and second place in City's Best of Rochester survey.
Brownbag Books has my personal vote for the best small book store in the city. Quite apart from its perfect location next to all the other great shops on Monroe, and a Starbucks next door where you can sit down right away to pore over your book purchase, the book store reflects the near-perfect taste of its owner, Pete Henderson.
Large book stores may engulf you with an indiscriminate wave of titles, and small book stores end up specializing in particular subjects, but the selections at Brownbag invariably make good reading and good writing in every subject, in reasonably priced editions that are well-cared for and of sound quality. Brownbag Books is the model of what a small book store should be, and a place no local book lover should miss.
Not that specialty book stores should be overlooked, either:
Mood Makers Books, next to Houghton Book Shop in Village Gate, specializes in African American writing and collectibles.
Honeoye Falls' Write Book And Gift Shop, like Writers & Books, not only sells books but features classes and talks by leading local writers in one of the most beautiful settings in the Rochester area.
And a store for all ages that everyone should visit is Hammergirl Anime in Jefferson Plaza by the Rochester Institute of Technology. Hammergirl is not only the spot for japanese animation and collectibles but has one of the best collections of japanese graphic novels, art books and manga in all northern New York.
But if there's one place not to be missed, it's Barnes & Noble Pittsford. There may not be a finer book store in all Upstate New York.
Abacus Bookshop
334 East AveRochester, NY 14604-2610
Phone: (585) 325-7950
Armchair Books
Ridge Hudson Plaza
734 East Ridge Road
Rochester, NY 14621
Barnes & Noble Pittsford
3349 Monroe Ave
Rochester, NY
14618
Phone: (585) 586-6020
Web: Barnes & Noble Pittsford
Barnes & Noble in Webster
Webster Square
1070 Ridge Road
Webster, NY 14580
Phone: 585-872-9710
Web: Barnes & Noble in Webster
Barnes & Noble Greece
330 Greece Ridge Center Drive
Rochester, NY 14626-2819
Phone: (585) 227-4020
http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/
Web: Barnes & Noble Greece
Barnes & Noble at the U of R
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY 14627
Phone: (585) 275-4011
Web: Barnes & Noble at the U of R
Book Market Inc
135 Medley Centre Pkwy
Rochester, NY 14622-2469
Phone: (585) 336-9770
Borders Books & Music
1000 Hylan Dr
Rochester, NY zip code
Phone: (585) 292-5900
Borders Books & Music in Victor
30 Square Drive
Victor, NY 14564
Phone: (585) 421-9230
Brownbag Books
Brownbag Bookshop
678 Monroe Ave
Rochester, NY 14607-3125
Phone: (585) 271-3494
Email: brownbag@frontiernet.net
Web: http://rochesterbooksellers.com/brownbag.htm.
Note: Voted Number #1 by the people of Rochester in City Magazine's Best Of Rochester poll. And rightly so. One of the best small book stores in Rochester, if not the best.
Chichelli-Weiss Books & Antiques
49 Atlantic Ave.
Rochester, NY 14607
Colgate-Rochester Divinity School Bookstore
1100 Goodman St South
Rochester, NY 14620-2530
Phone: (585) 271-3744
Debue's Bookshop
7310 E. Main St.
Lima, NY 14485
Greenwood Books
123 East AveRochester, NY 14604-2529
Phone: (585) 325-2050
Houghton Book Shop
274 N Goodman St
Rochester, NY 14607-1154
Phone: (585) 454-2910
Web: Houghton Book Shop
Hammergirl Anime
370 Jefferson Rd # 76
Rochester, NY 14623-2433
Phone: (585) 475-9330
Web: Hammergirl Anime
Jeff's Books
200 Midtown Plaza
Rochester, NY 14604-2016
Phone: (585) 454-6063
J & S DeSimone Booksellers
274 North Goodman Street
Suite D105
Rochester, NY 14607
Phone: (585) 473-4010
Fax: (585) 473-4011
Email: jansdesimone@yahoo.com
Web: www.abebooks.com/home/jandsdesimonebooksellers/.
Note: located at the ground level of Village Gate Square, across from Salenas Restaurant, J & S DeSimone Booksellers specializes in books on military history, local history, and Americana. All other subjects are represented as well. The bookstore also includes related collectibles including diecast military models, limited edition statuary and busts, limited edition signed lithograph prints, and historical autographs.
J & S DeSimone is perhaps the most interesting and well-stocked book store that emphasizes historical books and related material that I've come across locally. Anyone with an interest in World War Two or the Civil War in particular cannot afford to miss it.
Kavanagh Books
301 E. Main St., #3
Palmyra, NY 14522
Phone: (315) 597-0210
Lift Bridge Book Shop
45 Main St.Brockport, NY 14420-1994
Phone: (585) 637-2260
Lift Bridge Book Shop.
The Millstone Block
9 North Main Street
Fairport, NY 14450
Phone:(585) 377-4710
Web: The Millstone Block.
Mood Makers Books
274 Goodman St North
Rochester, NY 14607-1154
Phone: (585) 271-7010
Mood Makers Books
Psychic's Thyme
1344 University Ave #230
Rochester, NY 14607-1650
Phone: (585) 473-4230
Web: Psychic's Thyme
Rick's Recycled Books
739 Monroe Ave
Rochester, NY 14607-3215
Phone: (585) 442-4920
Riley's Bookshop
301 Westminster Rd
Rochester, NY 14607-3230
Phone: (585) 442-2816
Rochester Textbook Exchange
2995 W Henrietta Rd
Rochester, NY 14623-2521
Phone: (585) 427-0740
Web: Rochester Textbook Exchange
Sean Fagan, Old & Rare Books
6883 Rts. 5&20
Bloomfield, NY 14469
Small World Books
425 North St
Rochester, NY 14605-2576
Phone: (585) 232-6970
Sundance Books
106 Main Street
Geneseo, NY 14454
Phone: 585-243-2250
Web site: www.sundancebooks.com
Waldenbooks
402 Greece Ridge Center Dr
Rochester, NY 14626-2821
Phone: (585) 227-2999
Wise Guys Book Shop
4174 West Walworth Road
Macedon, NY 14502
The Write Book And Gift Shop, Inc.
19 North Main Street
Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
Phone:(585) 624-4560
Web: Write Book And Gift Shop.
Yankee Peddler Bookshop Vol II
274 North Goodman Sreet
Rochester, NY 14607-1154
Phone: (585) 271-5080
Email: byankeep@rochester.rr.com
Web: www.abebooks.com/home/YNKEEPED/
Note: located at the ground level of Village Gate Square, just across from the Bop Shop, Yankee Peddler Bookshop Volume II sells antiquarian books, prints, paintings, and photographica, as well a fine selection of more contemporary books.
The book store, which features over 25,000+ used and antiquarian books, also offers book appraisal services, book rebinding and repair services, and print restoration.