Kiddie Classics
Books of Wonder
18 W. 18th St., nr. Fifth Ave. 212-989-3270
A large store full of new and rare books for younger readers, complete with a cupcake café under continuous siege.
Lefty Tracts
Bluestockings
172 Allen St., nr. Stanton St.; 212-777-6028
Books on activist strategy, situationist anarchy, and radical feminist history? Check. T-shirt reading I HAD AN ABORTION? Check.
Mysteries
Partners & Crime
44 Greenwich Ave., at Charles St.; 212-243-0440
An emporium of mystery books, with helpful, if slightly esoteric suggestions (“Read this Thai/Buddhist Police Procedural!”).
Cookbooks
Kitchen Arts & Letters
1435 Lexington Ave., nr. 93rd St.; 212-876-5550
The city’s most exhaustive selection of new and used food and drink books.
Rare Stuff
Argosy Book Store
116 E. 59th St., nr. Park Ave.; 212-753-4455
Six floors of out-of-print treasure hunting.
African-American Lit
Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center
1942 Amsterdam Ave., nr. 156th St.; 212-862-3680
A beloved Harlem institution, trafficking in black history, fiction, poetry, kid’s books, art, and phenomenal carrot cake.
New York Books
Freebird Books
123 Columbia St., nr. Kane St., Cobble Hill; 718-643-8484
This weekend-only shop gets by on book donations, save for the specially curated New York section.
Photo Books
Dashwood Books
33 Bond St., nr. Lafayette; 212-387-8520
The only indie in the city dedicated solely to photography, offering volumes of new, used, and rare books.