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New Yorkers expect a lot from the places they patronize: whether it's a bodega that occasionally turns into a nightclub or a hot dog shop that's really a secret entrance into an exquisite speakeasy (that would be Crif Dogs), New York businesses cannot just be one thing.
That's exactly why a newly opened bookstore in Washington Heights doesn't only sell books: Fountain Bookshop at 605 Fort Washington Ave is also a community space, an ice cream shop and a soda purveyor. Yes, all in one.
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The novel destination is the passion project of one Karah Rempe Pinto, who has lived in Washington Heights for nearly 17 years. She's a pastry chef and the owner of Dutch Baby Bakery, a staple of the neighborhood beloved for its seasonal Southern fare.
When asked about the catalyst behind her latest effort, Pinto recalls contemplating ways she could continue to contribute to the uptown neighborhood that she has called home for nearly two decades.
"I began thinking about what kinds of businesses our neighborhood would benefit from having and what needs weren't being met," Pinto said to Time Out New York. "My first love has always been books and reading. I knew that I had the passion required to fuel the enormous amount of work and problem solving that goes into launching a new business."
Fountain Bookshop is just three doors down from her bakery.
The bookshop is named after Pinto's grandmother, whose maiden name was Fountain. She passed away recently at the age of 99, and Pinto remembers her as being an extremely joyful person who took lots of pride in everything she did.
The moniker is also a nod to one of the most salient features of the store, an old-fashioned soda fountain located next to an ice cream counter in the bookshop. In the near future, Pinto plans to add egg creams, root beer floats, affogato, milkshakes and sundaes to the menu.
Before she was a baker, Pinto was an English teacher, and opening a bookstore was less of a leap than it is a logical continuation of her passions. But more than just a place to buy thrillers and romance novels, Pinto says she wants to help create a "third space" in the neighborhood, a term that refers to destinations outside of the work place and the home where people can engage with the communities, which is something that feels increasingly rare as we retreat into our respective social media silos.
But back to books: Fountain Bookshop currently carries mystery/thriller, romance and sci-fi/fantasy titles, as well as adult, YA and children's fiction in Spanish. Pinto says she's planning on growing the inventory based on community feedback.
Starting next week, for example, the destination will be hosting story times in English and Spanish, in addition to a number of author readings in December.
Needless to say, there is always room for new bookstores in New York—especially if they double as something even more.