2008 Woodie Awards
Westside Books
Uptown Girl
Suzy Kenly
Issue date: 9/29/04 Section: Features
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"Do you have a way to look up books?" A woman asked the man sitting at the front of the store. "A computer or some kind of inventory?"
He smiled and said quietly, "Just ask me."
She was looking for a Faith of something Heretic something, an obscure book that probably could only be found in the darkest corner of the no name bookstore. The man crinkled his face thoughtfully, stood up, and proceeded to walk down one of the narrow aisles. His eyes started darting from book to book as he scanned the selection.
After a moment, he said, "I'm sorry. I'm afraid we sold our last copy last week."
The woman thanked him and pulled the door open. A little bell rang softly as she stepped out onto the sidewalk on Broadway between 81st and 80th street. The sun streamed into the dim store. Then the door slammed shut, with the distant tinkling of the bell, closing Westside Books in a tomb of peaceful secrecy.
The Upper West Side is one of New York's finest neighborhoods. The wealthy upper class habituates it. On Broadway, there are all of the chain stores a resident of New York cannot live without: various GAPs, Banana Republics, Victoria Secrets, shoes, shoes, and more SHOES. Most importantly, there is a Starbucks, the company that engulfed New York like a tornado in Kansas. This is the only place where you can get a tall Peppermint Mocha for the bargain price of $4.07. Hey, it's reasonable!
While much of New York has been subject to the constant growth of these multi-million dollar corporations, it still has plenty of the privately owned stores, the "shop around the corner" types. The kind of store you can only find in New York, and New Yorkers are truly proud of it, too.
Most pedestrians walk right past the little enclave known as Westside Books. Sunken into the row of buildings, this is not surprising. The only sign that catches people's attention proclaims, "Books for $1!"
There is nothing to draw a customer to the store. On the green awnings, all it says is BOOKS. 'Westside Books' is in faded paint in a semi-circle design on the only window, and when one peers into the window, books obstruct their vision.
He smiled and said quietly, "Just ask me."
She was looking for a Faith of something Heretic something, an obscure book that probably could only be found in the darkest corner of the no name bookstore. The man crinkled his face thoughtfully, stood up, and proceeded to walk down one of the narrow aisles. His eyes started darting from book to book as he scanned the selection.
After a moment, he said, "I'm sorry. I'm afraid we sold our last copy last week."
The woman thanked him and pulled the door open. A little bell rang softly as she stepped out onto the sidewalk on Broadway between 81st and 80th street. The sun streamed into the dim store. Then the door slammed shut, with the distant tinkling of the bell, closing Westside Books in a tomb of peaceful secrecy.
The Upper West Side is one of New York's finest neighborhoods. The wealthy upper class habituates it. On Broadway, there are all of the chain stores a resident of New York cannot live without: various GAPs, Banana Republics, Victoria Secrets, shoes, shoes, and more SHOES. Most importantly, there is a Starbucks, the company that engulfed New York like a tornado in Kansas. This is the only place where you can get a tall Peppermint Mocha for the bargain price of $4.07. Hey, it's reasonable!
While much of New York has been subject to the constant growth of these multi-million dollar corporations, it still has plenty of the privately owned stores, the "shop around the corner" types. The kind of store you can only find in New York, and New Yorkers are truly proud of it, too.
Most pedestrians walk right past the little enclave known as Westside Books. Sunken into the row of buildings, this is not surprising. The only sign that catches people's attention proclaims, "Books for $1!"
There is nothing to draw a customer to the store. On the green awnings, all it says is BOOKS. 'Westside Books' is in faded paint in a semi-circle design on the only window, and when one peers into the window, books obstruct their vision.