Books are making a comeback in San Francisco’s Union Square, a neighborhood that once overflowed with them.
The Best Bookstore, an independent shop founded by authors and tech writers Paul Bradley Carr and Sarah Lacy, is scheduled to open Friday, Nov. 28, at 226 Powell St.
The new business debuts through San Francisco’s Vacant to Vibrant program and adds to a recent wave of activity in an area that has spent years grappling with high storefront vacancies, reduced tourism and shifting retail patterns.
“I have so many happy memories from when I first moved to San Francisco in 2007 and spent hours wandering through Borders on Union Square and Alexander’s a few blocks away,” Carr said in a statement. “There is an incredible tradition and history of independent bookstores in San Francisco that define each neighborhood. We are so excited to represent the new, local retailer-driven rebirth of Union Square.”
The opening comes as Union Square shows early signs of stabilization, with several brands like Uniqlo and Gap considering or planning returns to the area.
Pedestrians pass by former retail spaces on the 200 block of Powell St. in a file photo from May 4, 2023. A new independent bookstore and boutique are set to open in downtown San Francisco, adding momentum to the neighborhood’s recovery. (Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle)
Retail vacancy fell slightly in the city’s once-booming shopping district in the third quarter to 22.7%Â – its first decline since 2022Â – and foot traffic rose 3% year-over-year, according to data from Cushman & Wakefield and the Union Square Alliance.
Brokers also report that tourism activity has increased. Local officials point to Vacant to Vibrant as one factor in the momentum.
The initiative, led by Mayor Daniel Lurie, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development and nonprofit SF New Deal, has activated 26 storefronts across Union Square, the Financial District and Market Street since launching in 2023.
More than half of those pop-ups have transitioned into long-term leases.
Meanwhile, another Vacant to Vibrant business joins downtown this week. Fibers of Being, a queer-owned boutique known for expressive, identity-affirming apparel, opens its second location Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 645 Market St.
It will be the program’s first storefront directly on the Market Street corridor.
“Expanding into downtown with Vacant to Vibrant is a powerful moment for Fibers of Being,” founder Elizabeth Stewart said in a statement. “Our mission has always been to create a welcoming, expressive space for all people through fashion, and bringing that vision to Market Street means showing up with pride in the heart of the city.”
Tourists ride the cable cars along the Powell Street line in San Francisco in a file photo from Mar. 26, 2018. A new independent bookstore and boutique are set to open in downtown San Francisco, adding momentum to the neighborhood’s recovery. (Michael Macor/The Chronicle)
Arts and community leaders say the recent activity reflects a broader shift.
Alongside small businesses, the district has seen new openings from brands such as Nintendo, Pop Mart, Dandelion Chocolate and Nooworks, alongside larger projects – including the redevelopment of the former Uniqlo space and ongoing planning around Macy’s property.
With two new storefronts arriving ahead of Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, city officials and organizers say they hope the additions will sustain the district’s slow but measurable recovery
“Vacant to Vibrant is energizing properties in Yerba Buena and providing opportunities for small businesses and artists,” Scott Rowitz, executive director of the Yerba Buena Partnership, said in a statement. “It’s exciting that Fibers of Being is the first to utilize space along Market Street to further populate a critical economic corridor.”
This article originally published at A bookstore is finally coming back to San Francisco’s Union Square.