8. Westsider Books, 2246 Broadway
Westsider Rare and Used Books is the kind of bookstore that you stumble across once and wonder how you got so lucky. Located on Broadway on the Upper West Side, its width is far from indicative of the scope of its collection. The tiny space is packed from floor to high ceiling with books. Your only difficulty finding your next read may be reaching up high enough to grab it. The fiction selection seems neverending: pull out one tightly wedged paperback, and you’ll discover you’ve uncovered a whole underlying layer of books. If fiction is not your thing, there’s also an upstairs loft packed with nonfiction, including art and photography books. Hopefully, these hidden finds can continue to ignite more bibliophiles and illuminate subject areas that are too often forgotten in more mainstream shops. There’s a gold mine of unique bookstores under New York’s surface with character and quirk to match.