A Review of The Open Door Bookstore

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128 Jay Street, Schenectady, NY

I’ll say this about The Open Door Bookstore—it sets the bar very high. From the first moment I walked inside, I realized that this is the kind of bookshop I’d call a “standard bearer,” especially for independent bookshops that specialize in new books. You walk in see all those displays of bestsellers, hardcovers, pristine paperbacks, and you smell that smell, of ink, paper, and binding, walk the clean orderly aisles. This is where you can spend an afternoon and lose yourself looking for that lucky book or two (or six?) that you plan to take home.

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A Review of The Book Hound

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16 E Main Street, Amsterdam, NY

I don’t visit the small city of Amsterdam very often, but if I ever do find myself there on the banks of the Mohawk River, The Book Hound is one place I’d certainly visit again. Although the shop did have the feel of a place that didn’t get heavy traffic, it did have plenty of surprises waiting within.

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A Review of Mysteries on Main Street

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144 W Main Street, Johnstown, NY

Driving away from the ice-churned Mohawk River and into the rolling foothills of the lower Adirondacks, I came upon Johnstown and its tightly clustered homes and quaintly urban downtown. That’s where you’ll find Mysteries on Main Street, but don’t judge this book(shop) by its cover, as the name may lead you to believe you’re entering a store specializing in mysteries. It doesn’t, but not to its detriment, as it has a nicely diverse offering.

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A Review of The Whitney Book Corner

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600 Union Street, Schenectady, NY

The Whitney Book Corner resides at the intersection of Clinton and Union near downtown Schenectady, NY, not far from a string of pubs, restaurants, and cafes and a short walk from Jay Street and the renowned Proctor’s Theater. The flags out front were whipping in the February breeze when I arrived, and after a quick peek through the wide windows I knew I was in for an enjoyable book hunting experience.  

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A Review of W Somers Bookseller

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841 Union Street, Schenectady, NY

The bookshops in Schenectady each have a distinct and individual feel to them, hitting a different sweet spot across the spectrum of what a bookstore can be—new, old, musty and dusty, cozy and clean, on and on. The moment I came across W Somers Bookseller on Union Street, I knew it would fall into the musty and dusty realm, but for what it lacked in brightness and order, it made up for in volume and diversity.

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