The Strand Bookstore’s UWS location will be opening in early April. Their website already has three events listed, the earliest being April 15th. The new store will be located at 450 Columbus Avenue, between 81st and 82nd Streets.
Target will open a second Upper West Side location
“At our current rate we should be able to open doors in the first half of April!” Communications Director James Case Odum said in an email to Patch. “Over the next few weeks the focus is repainting the spaces after which we’ll be able to move in new furniture and start stocking shelves.”
The Strand will take the place of Book Culture, which had to close after falling behind in rent payments their rent. After some back and forth with their landlord, investors, and community, the store finally shut down for good. Quinlan Development Group made good on their word to try to keep the space a bookstore. Members of the UWS are excited to welcome The Strand.
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Nancy Wyden, owner of The Stand, told NY City Lens, that she looks forward to getting involved with the UWS community to better understand its needs. She plans to attend community board meetings. One thing that the UWS should be prepared for is that this location will not be buying back used books as the original location does.
As for what the UWS can expect from the bookstore, Wyden tells NY City Lens that they plan to load up with community events and author readings from local authors. The store will offer weekend story time for children, and will also feature local artists. She also said they will have a dedicated section to UWS literature.
“We’re going to have a huge collection that’s curated to the West Side community,” Wyden said at a CB7 meeting.
Another one of the highlights that you can look forward to, is a section paying homage to the nearby American Museum of Natural History, specifically the planetarium.
Upcoming events include:
Matthew Lopez: The Inheritance
Wednesday, April 15th from 7-8pm
This is a story set in NY three decades after the height of the AIDS epidemic. His story grapples with what it means to be a gay man today and what comes next. Learn more.
Dr. Chavi Karkowsky and Amy Klein: High Risk and The Trying Game
Wednesday, April 22nd from 7-8pm
High Risk is about a doctor’s account of the complexities of pregnancy and reproductive life. The book delves in the alarming rise in America’s maternal mortality rate and sterilization issues. The Trying Game is about infertility and all of the ways people experience it. Learn more.
Jennifer Steil: Exile Music
Tuesday, May 5th from 7-8pm
Inspired by true events, this new novel brings to life an untold story of the years before WWII through the lens of the a Jewish family who have a hard, but beautiful story to tell. Learn more.
We will keep you posted on upcoming events, and look forward to the grand opening soon!
