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For founder and owner Lonna Dawson, the vision for the cafe has always expanded beyond selling books and simple coffee to a multicultural community home away from home. Photo by Bridgette Leahy<\/p>\nTucked in the northeast Bronx right off the Wakefield station, Nefer Bookcaf\u00e9, located at 694 East 241st Street,\u00a0 is redefining what a community sanctuary looks like. Nefer has proved to be more than a place to browse books or grab a quick cup of coffee; the cafe offers a gathering space where history, literature, and conversation intertwine, inviting visitors to slow down and connect.<\/p>\n
For founder and owner Lonna Dawson, the vision has always expanded beyond selling books and simple coffee to a multicultural community home away from home.\n<\/p>\n
\u200b\u201dWe believe book stores should be places where people don\u2019t just buy books\u2014they leave more curious, more connected and more themselves than when they walked in,\u201d Dawson told the Bronx Times.<\/p>\n
Nefer\u2019s philosophy is integrated into everyday life. On any given day, customers might discover a book that reflects a piece of themselves, strike up a conversation with strangers, or watch the younger crowd of children see themselves reflected in stories that celebrate their identities.<\/p>\n
According to Dawson, those moments are exactly what the space was designed to foster.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks like someone discovering a book that helps them name something they\u2019ve been feeling, strangers becoming friends over coffee and conversation, a child seeing themselves reflected in a story, or a customer lingering because they finally found a place that doesn\u2019t rush them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For founder and owner Lonna Dawson, the vision for the cafe has always expanded beyond selling books and simple coffee to a multicultural community home away from home. Photo by Bridgette Leahy<\/p>\n
Dawson believes the atmosphere comes from the bookstore\u2019s foundation of curiosity, wonder, and genuine care for people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe care about the messages people receive every day about who matters, what matters, and what\u2019s worthy of their attention,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen someone tells us they feel safe enough to be themselves, to ask questions, to think deeply, or simply to rest, it is the absolute best part of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
This safety aspect goes back to Dawson\u2019s seventh-grade years with her teacher, Ms. Nefer, hence the name of the beloved cafe.\n<\/p>\n
As independent bookstores across the country continue to evolve, she sees places like Nefer serving another essential purpose: becoming a \u201cthird space\u201d\u2014a place outside of home and work where people can gather and build meaningful connections.<\/p>\n
For Dawson, that sense of belonging \u200bis exactly what makes these community spaces so important in an increasingly hyperconnected world.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThose everyday moments of connection reduce isolation, strengthen community, and remind us that we belong,\u201d Dawson said.\n<\/p>\n
Much of this community-focused atmosphere derives from a wide range of their bestselling books.\n<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cSpecifically, a wide range of genres, but our customers are really students of history and healing,\u201d Dawson said. \u201cThe biggest seller is nonfiction\u2014books that help people better understand the world, themselves, and one another.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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As independent bookstores across the country continue to evolve, Nefer aims to serve another purpose: becoming a \u201cthird space\u201d\u2014a place outside of home and work where people can gather and build meaningful connections. Photo by Bridgette Leahy<\/p>\n
\u201cThe New Saints\u201d by Lama Rod Owens, for example, is always on their shelves. It opens with a word readers would never expect from a spiritual leader, and from there, Rod gives language to what so many people are feeling but can\u2019t name.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another best-selling book, \u201cA Black Girl and Her Braids\u201d by Jaylene Clark Owens, is a pure affirmation. Owens visited Nefer to read from the book, see children connect, and make an unforgettable connection.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt reminds me of the book about cornrows I loved as a child,\u201d Dawson said. \u201cHer rhythm, humor, and celebration of the ways Black girls and women wear their hair make it a joyful read.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cListen Like You Mean It\u201d by Ximena Vengoechea was recommended by a regular customer.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good introduction to deep, empathetic listening\u2014a skill that can transform relationships and communities,\u201d Dawson said. \u201cAt Nefer, we believe better conversations can help build a better inner and outer world, and this book is a great place to begin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, in five years, Dawson hopes Nefer is known as one of the cultural anchors of the Bronx \u2013a place people trust to preserve stories, spark new ideas and bring neighbors together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dawson hopes to help shape a borough where wonder is a part of everyday life, and where people leave believing more deeply in themselves, each other and what\u2019s possible for the Bronx.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tucked in the northeast Bronx right off the Wakefield station, Nefer Bookcaf\u00e9, located at 694 East 241st Street,\u00a0…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":312684,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[118239,118240,2884,76204,118241,128,118242,118243,118244,118245,118246,9,24,63,118247,129,131,130,118248,15037],"class_list":["post-312683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-bronx","tag-694-east-241st-street","tag-a-black-girl-and-her-braids","tag-bookstore","tag-bookstores","tag-bookstores-in-the-bronx","tag-bronx","tag-jaylene-clark-owens","tag-lama-rod-owens","tag-lonna-dawson","tag-nefer","tag-nefer-bookcafe","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-bookstore","tag-the-bronx","tag-the-bronx-headlines","tag-the-bronx-news","tag-the-new-saints","tag-wakefield"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=312683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/312683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/312684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=312683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=312683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=312683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}