Alabaster Bookshop

William Smith

5 years ago

One of the last great secondhand 4th Avenue bookshops - I was delighted to find it and visit there while in Manhattan last week! Just like many NYC bookshops I remember from the past, it's cramped, small, and not well-alphabetized. But, it is charming, and you can easily find treasures there! I found a signed Joyce Carol Oates first edition for only $25! Glad it's surviving and I'd definitely visit again!

Kali Gerber

5 months ago

The people at Alabaster are always so knowledgeable and helpful. I go regularly and find something interesting each time.

Matt Bernson

3 years ago

A small bookstore with a good selection but sometimes steep prices. Though the racks outside have stuff for $3. The people there are helpful and friendly but also don't mind giving space to browse.

Jennifer Liang

4 years ago

Small cozy and quaint bookstore. Although it’s right next to Strand book store, it has very different vibes in a good way. I had a fun time browsing through the bookshelves. There are old classics, newer releases, and more obscure books. They’re also reasonably if not cheaply priced. Would recommend checking out, especially if you prefer supporting independent booksellers!

Cameron

8 months ago

In a city where so many beloved independent bookshops have vanished, it’s a treasure to know, love & frequent Alabaster —one of the greats, truly! This intimate shop hums with quiet magic. A cozy atmosphere, quiet yet bustling with fellow book lovers, its air perfumed with ink & time. The shelves overflow with rare volumes and hidden gems, inviting you to linger & lose yourself in discovery. I relish the gentle chaos of the books strewn about & piled high — a comprehensive, eclectic collection, carefully curated yet hardly contained. I live nearby so pop in weekly, surprised to always find something new: be it a first edition of a personal favorite in excellent condition or lesser known works by acclaimed authors or something completely new to me! each priced with care and honesty too. I love it here & encourage all to discover its magic too

Ruwan J.

5 years ago

Alabaster Bookshop is a used and rare bookshop, just a couple of blocks away from Union Square Park. this independent bookstore is a breath of fresh air in an area that is clogged with retail chains and layers of redundant businesses. it’s awesome to see a store like this thrive and survive in NYC. the store itself is very smalls. there are books everywhere from floor to ceiling but they are organized in a methodical way. there are deep discounted books to search through if you want to discover reading treasure in the book carts parked outside. the store has variety of major book genres organized by author name from general fiction and nonfiction to horror to sci fi and beyond. most of the books, themselves, are discounted bc they are used. it’s a win-win at Alabaster books bc you get to support a local business and get great fiction or nonfiction at all way lower prices. i am really glad i stopped in this store bc the service was awesome. i was having trouble locating a book and the staffer/owner(?) was really helpful and picked through some books for me. he ended up finding one of the titles i was looking for…it’s the extra effort and thoughtfulness to help as opposed to just point to a section of the store to look in…that i appreciated. and hello’s and thank you’d go a long way. it really is the little things that make a retail transaction an experience as opposed to just a forgettable purchase. highly recommend supporting this store.

Joshua Tedesco

2 years ago

Excellent selection of high quality books for good prices? Strict $10 credit card minimum just FYI.

The Foodie Architect

3 years ago

Such nice small used bookstore. The guy here is very knowledgeable. He knows his books!!! Found some interesting old books here. Super fun to spend time here.

Will Langston

year ago

It really draws you in. The selection is pretty good. They seem to specialize in a few topics and have great depth in those. All my pictures are from outside because it was really crowded. Turns out some family used it as a meetup point and they were just clogging it, but not shopping. Bad form. One of the guys behind the counter was telling the other guy about a girl he was dating who had done some things he didn’t dare say in public. I was glued to it as the other guy slowly drew it all out. Apparently, she stole a vintage art print. Oh well. Rare bookshop freaky hits different, way less salacious than I was hoping for. In fairness, browsing books may have made me miss part of the story.

M M

month ago

Excellent, abundant bookshop particularly abundant in well-preserved 20th century literature. Lots of surprisingly rich, neat little specialized sections as well (e.g. opera, New York). Prices skew high on desirable vintage editions (which are usually in uncommonly good condition), catering more to aficionados. But there's something for everybody here. Far superior in quality and vibes to its famous neighbor. Also tends to have the best background music among NYC bookshops.