Book Culture Aims to Open 2-Floor Store in Court Square Around Thanksgiving

Miniature model of Book Culture’s LIC location, designed by Vamos Architects (photo via Book Culture on Facebook)

Nov. 7, 2017, by Nathaly Pesantez

Book Culture, the Upper West Side-based book store, will likely be opening its Long Island City location in the next two weeks, near Thanksgiving day.

The store, located at 26-09 Jackson Ave., is in the final stages of its set up, according to Althea Lamel, the location’s manager.

Signage outside Book Culture LIC on 26-09 Jackson Ave. (Photo via Book Culture on Facebook)

The Court Square site will hold two floors worth of books, with the ground level holding genres like fiction, non-fiction, best-sellers, and classics. The lower level will be for children’s books, and will also have a play area with toys for parents and kids to use.

The store will also sell accessories and merchandise ranging from candles, scarves, backpacks, and other gift items. Small reading spaces will also make up part of the locale.

Lamel says Book Culture distinguishes itself from similar stores in that it tries to incorporate with the surrounding community.

“Book Culture plays an important part in the communities they exist in,” she said, adding that the three other locations in Manhattan have partnered with neighboring businesses and schools. “We are looking to set that up in Long Island City.”

News of the book store’s fourth location in Long Island City came about in May. “We’ve been playing with the idea of expanding for a while now, Lamel said. “When we were offered to be part of Rockrose, that was the deciding factor to us.”

Book Culture is leasing its space from Rockrose, the real estate development and management company, which brought about the 50-story residential tower, the Hayden, next door to the store.

Justin Elghanayan, the chief executive for Rockrose, told the New York Times that rent would be discounted on the book store until it turned a profit. “We think it’s important for the soul of the neighborhood,” Elghanayan told the Times.

The book store will host a welcome event once the opening date is finalized, which interested patrons can tune in to by signing up to the location’s mailing list. Updates on events for the locale, like story time programming for kids and adults, will also be sent out periodically.

Book Culture will open seven days a week, and will operate from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. Weekend hours have yet to be set, but will likely see later opening times and earlier closing times.

The first Book Culture store opened in 1997 on 112th street the Upper West Side. A second location opened in 2009, just two blocks away, on Broadway. Its Columbus Avenue and 81st Street site opened its doors in 2014.