UPDATE: The Strand's UWS location will open at 11am on Wednesday, July 15. The store will be open Tuesday–Sunday from 11am–6pm. Learn more on the bookstore's website.
The reports of print's death have been greatly exaggerated: The Strand Bookstore, the legendary literary emporium, will open a second location on the Upper West Side at 450 Columbus Ave by the end of March 2020.
The Strand is taking over the space formerly occupied by Book Culture, which will continue to operate three locations in New York. The 12-year lease begins next week. The Strand will start renovating the store immediately, and the signature apple-red awning should be up before too long.
Photograph: Courtesy the Strand Bookstore
Take note that this is going to be a mini-Strand, with a main floor clocking in at 3500 square-feet—this will be fairly intimate, with the scale and the character of a neighborhood bookstore. Good news for families: There will be a children's section, with weekend storytime just like at the flagship Strand close to Union Square, which is one of the best storytime for kids locations in New York City. Times for the new locale have yet to be revealed. So, get ready to welcome the Strand when it opens. Browse our newly updated list of the 101 best books for kids of all ages, and make a list of the books you want to get for your kids, and to give away—books make for perfect birthday presents!
The timing couldn't be better. When April showers come to town, this new location of the Strand will give families that want to get out–but don't want to get wet–a new option to add to the list of the best indoor activities for NYC kids. After all, a day at the Strand is rainy day fun for the whole fam.