Considered one of the best used bookstores in New York City, Seventh Avenue Books has fallen victim to the truly skyrocketing rents on Seventh Avenue. On July 1, the store is moving out of its location on Seventh Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets and joining its sister-store, Park Slope Kids, on Seventh Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets.

First a little local bookstore history:

When I first moved to Park Slope in 1991, there were three bookstores on Seventh Avenue: the Community Bookstore and two branches of the now defunct Booklink.

And then came Barnes and Noble.

Prior to B&N’s arrival, the then-owners of the Community Bookstore made significant upgrade to the store in the hopes of fighting off the mighty giant. They renovated, created a cafe, offered discounts, started a website, and enlarged their children’s book section.

Booklink, which was a nice local bookstore, eventually succumbed to market pressures and downsized to one location and then down to none. The store is only a memory now except for the occasional Booklink canvas tote bag you see on oldtime Slopers every now and again.   

In 2001, Catherine Bohne took over the Community Bookstore. In the days and weeks after 9/11, the store became a true community center. It was in front of Community Books that Park Slopers donated goods needed at Ground Zero. The window of the bookstore became a message board about 9/11 related activities, newspaper clippings, poems, and personal and political responses to the tragedy. 

I’m not sure if Community books is thriving economically but it is certainly a lively and essential component of this community. And a great place to buy books.

And then in 2002, came a rash of used bookstores. I watched incredulously as not one but three book stores opened on Seventh Avenue: Seventh Avenue Books, Park Slope Books and Park Slope Kids. I for one was shocked and pleased. Not only had we survived the incursion of B&N, we had defied it. Even Shakespeare and Co. could not survive the B&N that went in on the Upper West Side. But in Park Slope, we did it!

We could have a B&N and eat it too. What a neighborhood.

Sadly, it looks like it hasn’t been an easy ride for Seventh Avenue Books. They are consolidating both stores under one roof in an effort to not go under completely. I salute them for their committment to independent bookselling on Seventh Avenue, a true service to a community that purports to be so literary.

"Even though we’ve had many loyal and wonderful  customers, we have been running the store at a considerable loss," writes Tom Simon, the owner of Seventh Avenue Books. He writes on Park Slope Parents. "Nonetheless, selling books in this community is truly a pleaseure: the quality and variety of books being bought and sold is fantastic, and people are uncommonly supportive of independant booksellers."The new store "will be predominantly books for "the grown-ups" with a significant though compacted selection of childrens books. While there won’t be the same amount of room for parents and kids to read together, there will be, more importantly, a wonderful selection of books to choose from."

The bookstore’s motto: A book is new only if you haven’t read it yet, is available on tote bags, a must-have item for all Slopers in this age of mega bookstores and skyrocketing rents.