31. Strand Books

One of New York City’s most famous bookshops, the Strand Bookstore is home to 18 miles of books on multiple levels and even outdoors. The Strand was originally opened by Ben Bass in 1927 on Fourth Avenue’s “Book Row,” which covered six city blocks, and was the home to forty-eight bookstores at one time. Ben’s son, Fred, moved the store to its current location on Broadway and 12th Street in 1957. Today, Fred and his daughter Nancy run the store, and carry more than 2.5 million new, used and rare books in addition to a variety of literary gifts. The shop also has a rich events calendar.  Strand Bookstore is located at 828 Broadway at 12th Street.