Midtown Manhattan is known for many things: packed sidewalks, Broadway theaters, the commercial cacophony that is Times Square. It is, as a rule, a neighborhood I try to steer clear of unless I am seeing a show, or being paid to be in our newsroom.<\/p>\n
But this bustling corridor at the sweaty heart of New York City is also home to a surprising number of great bookstores. These literary oases offer a respite from the clamor of the streets \u2014 places to escape the madding crowds for a browse, maybe pick up a sweet treat and recharge before you plunge back into the fray, with your next great read in hand.<\/p>\n
Whether you\u2019re a tourist visiting New York or a local looking for a lunch-break escape, we\u2019ve put together a mini walking tour that shows off the neighborhood at its bookish best. You could make a day of it and visit all seven spots in an afternoon, or keep this as a running to-do list to check off this summer. (And if you\u2019re craving more literary adventures, I\u2019ve got good news! Midtown is just the beginning: We have itineraries for other New York neighborhoods coming your way soon.)<\/p>\n
Estimated walking time: 40 minutes, 1.7 miles<\/p>\n
1 McNally Jackson (Rockefeller Center)<\/p>\n
An independent stalwart with something for everyone.<\/p>\n
Founded in 2004, McNally Jackson is one of the pillars of New York\u2019s independent bookstore scene. From its original storefront in NoLIta (now shuttered, and replaced by a SoHo flagship a few blocks away), the store has expanded across the boroughs to its current five locations, including this roomy outpost at Rockefeller Center, which opened in 2022.<\/p>\n
With a wide selection of genres \u2014 including an annex full of children\u2019s books \u2014 McNally Jackson has something for the whole family, whether you want the latest best seller or are on the hunt for a classic or an overlooked gem. The stores are known for their unusual filing system: Fiction (on the second floor) is divided by the authors\u2019 country or region of origin, with additional, more traditional genre-themed sections for fans of romance, fantasy, mysteries and more.<\/p>\n
Sitting by a transit hub at the top of Midtown, it\u2019s a great first port of call to get your bearings before embarking on your literary quest. Pick up a tote bag to hold all the great finds you\u2019ll uncover on the stops to come! (If you take a peek above the register, you\u2019ll see cardboard cutouts of Walt Whitman, Toni Morrison and Marcel Proust modeling your options.)<\/p>\n
1 Rockefeller Plaza, 212-925-2134, mcnallyjackson.com<\/a> 2 Bookoff<\/p>\n Go treasure-hunting in their extensive used book section.<\/p>\n A cardboard cutout of the cheerily bulbous cartoon figure YomuYomu<\/a> welcomes you to Bookoff, an American outpost of a popular Japanese used bookstore chain (the mascot\u2019s name comes from the verb \u201cyomu,\u201d which means \u201cto read\u201d). This jam-packed resale emporium holds everything from collectible figurines to gaming consoles, CDs and DVDs to cassette tapes and vinyl. But most of the literary offerings are up on the second floor, in the huge used book section.<\/p>\n You could easily while away several hours digging through Bookoff\u2019s shelves. Prices are as low as $1, and you can find some great treasures, especially on the racks of (now sadly discontinued<\/a>) mass market paperbacks.<\/p>\n And when you\u2019re done reading, you can always come back! Bookoff buys used books and other media, too.<\/p>\n 49 West 45th Street, 212-685-1410, bookoffusa.com<\/a> 3 Kinokuniya<\/p>\n Japanese books and snacks with a view of Bryant Park.<\/p>\n Another American location of a Japanese bookseller, this store boasts three stories of books and bookish goodies (plus the most adorable tiny shopping baskets I\u2019ve ever seen).<\/p>\n The first floor has a wide selection of fiction, nonfiction, children\u2019s books and cookbooks, with a particular (but not exclusive) emphasis on Japanese culture and writers, such as the mystery author Yukito Ayatsuji and Toshikazu Kawaguchi, a beloved purveyor of the comforting East Asian subgenre known as \u201chealing fiction.\u201d In the basement, you\u2019ll find Japanese language books, paper craft supplies and oodles of merch; Studio Ghibli gets its own section, guarded by a giant stuffed Totoro. And the second floor is largely devoted to manga.<\/p>\n Before you leave, make sure you check out the column of staff favorites, located on the first floor, which embody the store\u2019s mission statement: \u201cRead books. Meet people.\u201d<\/p>\n 1073 6th Avenue, 212-869-1700, usa.kinokuniya.com<\/a> The best part of Kinokuniya is actually not the great selection of books: It\u2019s the in-store cafe, located on the second floor, which offers a delicious array of Japanese goodies. Grab an onigiri or a fruit sandwich and an iced milk tea and enjoy them with a view of Bryant Park.<\/p>\n 1073 6th Avenue, 2nd Floor, 212-764-6785, tomiznyc.com<\/a><\/p>\n Open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.<\/p>\n 4 Midtown Comics<\/p>\n A nerd\u2019s paradise hidden in plain sight.<\/p>\n Blink and you might miss this mecca of fandom, whose purple awning is wedged between an empanada counter and a sandwich shop. But up the Spider-Man-bedecked stairs lies a two-story treasure trove of comics and graphic novels.<\/p>\n The first floor has a wide array of new releases, as well as a selection of magazines, children\u2019s books and novels (mainly fantasy, sci-fi and horror, in keeping with the nerdy theme). Superman stands guard by the stairs, which lead to back issues and a colorful apparel and action figure section.<\/p>\n 200 West 40th Street, 212-302-8192, midtowncomics.com<\/a> 5 The Drama Book Shop<\/p>\n A distinguished theatrical gem steps from Broadway.<\/p>\n The 109-year-old Drama Book Shop nearly had to leave the stage in 2019 after being hit with the horrible one-two punch of a burst pipe and a steep rent increase. Luckily, four men (all associated with the hit musical \u201cHamilton\u201d) stepped in to give the store a second act<\/a>: the show\u2019s composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda; its director, Thomas Kail; its lead producer, Jeffrey Seller; and the owner of its Broadway home, James L. Nederlander.<\/p>\n The store\u2019s new iteration \u2014 designed by David Korins, the \u201cHamilton\u201d set designer \u2014 opened in 2021, one block south of the original location. The warmly lit, wood-paneled space is full of handsome leather banquets and cozy corners where someone might be scribbling the next great American musical. Just steps from Broadway, the whole store is a homage to that business we call show, with a wide selection of plays and librettos as well as books on craft and design and a biography section with potential source material. (It is also the only store on this list to have been honored with a Tony Award<\/a>.)<\/p>\n The most striking feature is the serpentine book sculpture that winds from the front table into the rafters; there\u2019s also a charming, miniature crochet version in a display case by the register. And if you\u2019re in need of a pick-me-up, the coffee bar offers pastries and drinks, some of which are Broadway-themed (see: the Carolee Carmello, a salted caramel and toasted marshmallow latte as brassy as the broad herself).<\/p>\n 266 West 39th Street, 212-944-0595, dramabookshop.com<\/a> 6 Bryant Park Outdoor Reading Room<\/p>\n Curl up with a great book under the trees.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve wound your way through the streets. You\u2019ve stocked up on books. Now all you need is somewhere great to read them. If the weather is accommodating, your best option is Bryant Park, where you can pull up a metal chair in the shade of the London Plane trees and rest your feet from all that browsing.<\/p>\n There\u2019s even a section of the park specifically dedicated to the written word: Head to the 42nd Street side to find the Bryant Park Reading Room, which from April to October offers plenty of umbrellas, seating and reading material in case you forgot \u2014 or just aren\u2019t in the mood for \u2014 your own. Their racks have books for all ages, along with newspapers and magazines, all of which you\u2019re free to borrow while in the designated area.<\/p>\n The Reading Room also hosts story hours, writing workshops, puzzle meet-ups and other literary confabs throughout the summer and into early fall.<\/p>\n 42nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues, 212-768-4242, bryantpark.org<\/a> 7 The New York Public Library<\/p>\n Escape the heat, and get your holiday shopping done early.<\/p>\n Too hot, rainy or oppressively humid to read outside? You\u2019re in luck: The flagship branch of the New York Public Library is right next door. Say hello to its leonine guards, Patience and Fortitude, as you head up the stone steps.<\/p>\n Once inside, you can browse the exhibits; this summer, as America celebrates its 250th birthday<\/a>, they include letters by Samuel Adams and Alexander Hamilton and a copy of the Declaration of Independence printed in 1776<\/a>. You can snag a spot in one of the reading rooms, many of which \u2014 including the Rose Main Reading Room, one of the most stunning places in New York City to find yourself with a book and an hour to kill \u2014 are open to the public.<\/p>\n And if your bookstore itch hasn\u2019t been fully scratched, head to the huge shop on the first floor, which is full of books (many of them, appropriately, New York-themed) and literary trinkets. It\u2019s a great spot to pick up some gifts for your loved ones, or for yourself, while supporting the N.Y.P.L.<\/p>\n 476 5th Avenue, 917-275-6975, nypl.org<\/a> If it\u2019s happy hour by the time you end your crawl, head to the 14th floor of the Library Hotel to toast a bookish day well spent. Alongside upscale pub fare, the rooftop bar\u2019s menu includes many appropriately punny cocktails, including the habanero-infused Spicy Romance, a hellfire-colored Dante\u2019s Inferno and Tequila Mockingbird, a ginger-spiked spin on a margarita.<\/p>\n 299 Madison Avenue, 14th Floor, 212-204-5498, bookmarkslounge.com<\/a>
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
No restroom available<\/p>\n
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
No restroom available<\/p>\n
Open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Restroom available on the first floor<\/p>\n
Open Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
No restroom available<\/p>\n
Open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Restroom available<\/p>\n
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Restroom available (They\u2019re some of the best public ones in the city<\/a>!)<\/p>\n
Open Monday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Sunday.
Restroom available<\/p>\n
Open daily from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. (kitchen closes at 9:30 p.m.)
Restroom available<\/p>\n