4. Unnameable Books (600 Vanderbilt Ave.):

If the weird, seemingly oxymoronic name of this Prospect Heights book shop doesn’t get your attention, its enormous inventory certainly will. A little dingy and slightly unorganized, this used bookstore feels more like a hoarder’s apartment–but in a way that makes you feel cozy and mysterious all at once. A major player in the small zine scene, I first visited Unnameable last year as a part of Boog City Festival, a kitschy, kind of bootleg celebration of poetry, music, and boutique literary journals. Events here are either held downstairs in the basement or in the small, gravel-filled back yard. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why Unnameable sticks with you, but it does. Maybe it’s the sensation that any book you pick up will reveal another, equally intriguing title hidden beneath it, or maybe it’s just the fact that Ample Hills Creamery is right across the street. Regardless, it’s worth a visit; wear your favorite worn-in jeans, scuffed-up Chucks, and a grungy hoodie, and you’ll feel right at home.