Book Row Explained

Book Row was a district in New York City from the 1890s to the 1960s composed of six city blocks which, at its peak, contained over three dozen bookstores.^{[1] [2] [3]} Many – if not most – of the places were used bookstores. In its heyday, Book Row spanned the stretch of Fourth Avenue between Union Square and Astor Place.^{[4] [5]} Other names for it included "Booksellers' Row" and "Second-Hand Row."^{[6] [7]}

By the 1960s, skyrocketing rents had forced most of the bookstores to move or close.^{[8] [9]} Apartments replaced most of the former storefronts.^[10] Another factor contributing to Book Row's decline was the retirements and/or deaths of the stores' original owners.^{[11] [12]} By 1984, just two stores remained on Fourth Avenue. The only bookstore from Book Row that survives today is the Strand Bookstore, which moved away in 1957 due to major rent increases.^{[13] [14]}

Bookstores

• Argosy Book Store
• Atlantis
• Biblo & Tannen
• J.R. Brussel Book Shop
• Louis Schucman Bookseller
• Ortelius
• Pelican Book Shop
• The Strand Bookstore
• Weiser Antiquarian Books
• University Place Book Shop

References

Bibliography

• Book: McDade, Travis. Thieves of Book Row: New York's Most Notorious Rare Book Ring and the Man Who Stopped It. Oxford University Press. 2013. 978-0-19-992266-6. New York. registration.

Notes and References

1. News: Book Row Is Gone, But Used Bookshops Aren't. March 13, 1988. The New York Times. March 2, 2018. en-US. 0362-4331.
2. News: The Bibliomaniacs of Book Row. Nilsson. Jeff. April 23, 2011. The Saturday Evening Post. June 25, 2019.
3. News: A Brief History Of The Strand, As The Legendary Bookstore Turns 90. Fishbein. Rebecca. June 8, 2017. Gothamist. June 25, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306013900/http://gothamist.com/2017/06/08/history_of_the_strand.php. March 6, 2019. dead.
4. News: Why are New York's bookstores disappearing?. Conroy. J. Oliver. March 4, 2019. The Guardian. June 25, 2019.
5. Is the Strand a Landmark?. Hauser. Micah. February 25, 2019. The New Yorker. June 25, 2019.
6. 91 . 1350 . Booksellers' Row, New York. April 28, 1917. . 17.
7. News: Pay Cut Starts City's 1st Strike In a Book Store. April 1, 1933. New York Herald Tribune. 6.
8. McDade, p. 179.
9. News: Dealers on Book Row Fear Rent Rises Will End an Era. Phillips, McCandlish. McCandlish Phillips. September 30, 1969. The New York Times. June 25, 2019.
10. News: Old Bookstores: A Chapter Ends. Nielsen. John. May 31, 1981. The New York Times. June 25, 2019.
11. News: Survivors of Book Row. Shepard. Richard F.. April 27, 1984. The New York Times. June 25, 2019.
12. News: Vestige of Book Row: Ex-Owner on Sidewalk. Shepard. Richard F.. May 9, 1989. The New York Times. June 25, 2019. Other booksellers grew old and vanished..
13. News: 4th Avenue: The History of NYC's Lost "Book Row". Geier. Stephanie. August 26, 2015. Untapped Cities. March 2, 2018. en-US.
14. Web site: The Strand and Book Row: A History. DeKok. Elizabeth. February 15, 2015. Unpacking the Bookstore. June 25, 2019.