Open List Home > New York, NY > shopping > Strand Book Store
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The overwhelming eight miles of narrow aisles is crowded with not-yet-shelved volumes and fellow booklovers to stumble over. If you call the book search department and give them all the bibliographic...
citysearch.com - expert review - 11/07/2006
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5.0 of 5 stars.
On a sunny, lazy Sunday afternoon I found: - 1 Betty Crocker Cookbook - the same one that was given to my parents for a wedding gift in 1970 and has been the oracle for MANY a family dinner, potluck,…
yelp.com - user review - 09/21/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I've been to bookstores all over the planet, and The Strand is by far better than all the others. Powells in Portland comes really close, but it lacks the claustrophobic New Yorkness of The Strand.…
yelp.com - user review - 09/20/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Well I LOVE bargain books. I was looking up used book stores for my bf, and we went here. He didn't find the specific thing he was after but we got many things we didn't know we had to have until we…
yelp.com - user review - 09/19/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
So fun to browse; you're bound to find something (or a few somethings) you've got to have. An obscene amount of cheap, fabulous books? Count me in. They also have cool tote bags. i've been eyeing the…
yelp.com - user review - 09/10/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
So dangerous, there's some strange juju in there... I get sucked into the store everytime I pass by and everytime I go in money is sucked out of my pockets... It wouldn't be such a problem if I didn't…
yelp.com - user review - 09/09/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Mmm... books and books and books. There are actually a lot of negative things about this store, now that I think about it, but I still like it so much I have to give it four stars. I always buy a load…
yelp.com - user review - 09/09/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
What a glorious waste of time.
yelp.com - user review - 09/09/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
What do I love more then the Strand? Screw the books, just watch the people go thru the books looking for the next great find. I have spend many hundreds of dollars on books there, after I got caught…
yelp.com - user review - 09/07/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
You know, you've really never done me any favors. I hate your lighting, your workers are surly and pedantic and say things like "he was so surly and pedantic," and your "system" makes no fucking…
yelp.com - user review - 09/06/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I never leave here empty handed. I think the keyword here is accessible--accessible to poor students like me who can buy a children's hardback Babar book in French for $4.99. Really great art section…
yelp.com - user review - 09/04/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
If you like to read and LOVE books, this place will feel like home. They've got just about anything you'd ever want to read, and a bunch of stuff you never knew you'd like or want until you stepped…
yelp.com - user review - 08/25/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
As a transplant from Seattle, I asked all my NYC folks "where does one go to find a big used book store (however, not a used bookstore)?" Several of them pointed me in the direction of The Strand. One…
yelp.com - user review - 08/23/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Too many reviews to go into it again, but I will release this bit of trivia. The store was greatly expanded sometime in 2006 or maybe even 2005 perhaps. With the re-opening came new bags, everyone in…
yelp.com - user review - 08/21/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What a tremendous book store. They have everything from the 48 cent used book bin that you have to rifle through to a $35,000 set of antique books. It is remarkably well organized but not so much so…
yelp.com - user review - 08/13/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The Strand has been able to provide me with every book I've ever gone in there looking for, no matter how obscure. To give you an example, there was a "Time Life" series of books on *the Unexplained*…
yelp.com - user review - 08/12/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
the strand is sensory overload. invariably i will walk in the main floor, and fondle several books without really looking at them, or even reading the covers, and wander aimlessly for at least 5-10…
yelp.com - user review - 08/11/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Sooo amazing! For a bookworm like me, this is heaven. Especially with their discount prices. Ahhh I bought up all the Moleskines I needed for awhile, even next year's planner!
yelp.com - user review - 08/10/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I don't know where to start. And if I do, I'm not sure I'll know where to end. That's sort of how you feel when you stop by this MONSTROUS bookstore at the northeast corner of 12th and Broadway. The $1…
yelp.com - user review - 08/04/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Strand is one of my favorite places to stop when I come into New York. I especially love their $1 book shelves outside and have found many great bargains there. I could spend forever perusing the…
yelp.com - user review - 08/03/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Yea, I shop here a lot. If you are a regular you'll notice that you can save few bucks on the new releases, but old titles priced very much like Barnes and Noble. in fact some books in Barnes and…
yelp.com - user review - 07/31/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
erm, maybe i've been temporarily blinded every time i've walked in this place (which is possible with all the dust) but i've never noticed general prices being any lower than any other bookstore. they…
yelp.com - user review - 07/21/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I have a love-hate relationship with the Strand. I dread going inside because it invariably means I will be spending money. I LOVE browsing their cookbook selection because they always have great…
yelp.com - user review - 07/21/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I love love love the Strand. But do I have to hear about ONE MORE cool place that is losing its lease?? (annex downtown is closing!) Come on, NY. This is shameful. In 10 years, this city will be…
yelp.com - user review - 07/21/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Dearest Strand, At some point in time we had a most blissful relationship. I loved you like I never knew I could love a bookstore. You with your long, extensive 18 miles of books. You with your…
yelp.com - user review - 07/21/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Though it has been awhile since I last entered Strand, I can't say enough great things. 1. I bumped into Paul Giamatti here and proceeded to act like a 14 year old school girl after he apologized for…
yelp.com - user review - 07/20/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Who doesn't love the strand? Massive book store, good prices. Some of the upper shelf books could be a bit more accessible.
yelp.com - user review - 07/18/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Strand is way too overwhelming for me. I get taken in here a lot and I just don't think I'm enough of a book lover to be into a large unwieldy store of books. I have stopped in on occasion when I…
yelp.com - user review - 07/15/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I only come to Strand to buy fashion photography/coffee table books so I've never really rifled through the fiction section. I will say that I love the selection they have-I've found out of print…
yelp.com - user review - 07/15/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
Before I rip into Strand, let me say that I am fully aware that I may not be enough of an intellectual or book lover to appreciate the store. Now, with that out of the way, let the ripping begin. What…
yelp.com - user review - 07/14/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Best. Bookstore. Ever. I have so many good memories of long afternoons lost in the chaotic stacks of used books in here -- its "out of control, unorganized" nature that a negative review mentioned is…
yelp.com - user review - 07/14/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Strand is a NYC icon, and the largest bookstore (chain or otherwise) that I've been in, in recent memory. Besides books, they sell tote bags and other merchandise with their logo on it. But hey,…
yelp.com - user review - 07/14/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
My only regret is that I didn't budget enough time to spend here. Really, if you're in New York and you read *at all* you should spend at least an hour here.
yelp.com - user review - 07/09/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
A must for book lovers! All kinds of books for great prices. Also have a collection of rare books for book collectors. You can find all kinds of books here from the current popular books to children…
yelp.com - user review - 07/09/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
It's like The Strand can read my mind. I go in looking for something somewhat specific... a certain kind of poetry, a particular author or two, a concept I want to explore...and on the shelves I find…
yelp.com - user review - 07/09/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I was extremely overwhelmed from the time I walked in until the time I left. I loved every minute of it.
yelp.com - user review - 07/09/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is ridiculous. Split into 3 levels, there is pretty much all the genres you're looking for. However, if you're looking for a specific book, don't get your panties or boxers in a bunch if…
yelp.com - user review - 07/05/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
It's a little cramped but what do you expect from a bookstore with 18 miles of books packed in it. The low prices make up for that though. Also, the employees I encountered there were quite helpful.
yelp.com - user review - 07/04/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Used books at cheaper prices = Perfect for the broke college student, The frugal spender, or the elderly book lover. You can even buy books online and then pick them up at the store without having to…
yelp.com - user review - 07/01/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
It's a book store so I like it no matter what. I would never purchase a used book to add to my collection because of the black marker they put on the pages.The store probably does that so you can't…
yelp.com - user review - 06/29/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The Strand - a bibliophiles wet dream. Sure, the people who work there can be rude and obnoxious. Yes, there are many aged, misfit books who will never leave their shelves. But if you love the printed…
yelp.com - user review - 06/28/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Always make a pit stop here to soak in the massive nounage and verbiage. Not so much for what they have, it's what the place is, it has that musty sort of Grandfather who maybe likes brandy before…
yelp.com - user review - 06/28/2008
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1.0 of 5 stars.
The cashiers are like emo zombies. Not a pleasant smile or greeting. If you count them yelling "NEXT!" as a greeting.
yelp.com - user review - 06/21/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
I was sent here to get hardcore porn mag collections from the '60s and '70s (non-traditional workplace ftw). I had no shame in asking, and they had no problem helping me find it without raising a…
yelp.com - user review - 06/17/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Not that this place needs another review but here I go anyway...this place is the best bookstore in the world! I think most of the books are used but none of them are in bad condition, the prices are…
yelp.com - user review - 06/14/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
There are some places that no matter how many times you go there, you are never comfortable. Then there are those places where, as soon as you step into them for the very first time, they feel like…
yelp.com - user review - 06/13/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is SF's Green Apple Books on steroids complete with an HGTV makeover. Carts of used books priced at 89 cents each! I could have spent hours in here. Hours that I didn't have. Instead, we were…
yelp.com - user review - 06/11/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Oh..Hi Strand. I'd like to take a look inside you to see what sort of treasures you hold within your gigantic self. Oh, I have to give all my belongings to the faux security guard? Ok...cool.…
yelp.com - user review - 06/02/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I like it when my Chuck Taylors are a little raggedly and worn. It gives them character. That's kind of like how it is here at the Strand. You can spend an entire day here and not burn a bullet hold…
yelp.com - user review - 06/01/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I finally got to go here after dreaming of it for about fifteen years of my life, and I was not disappointed. I could spend a whole freakin' day here. The bathroom was disgusting and two of the three…
yelp.com - user review - 05/26/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
18 MILES of books? Heaven. My two qualms are that many of the older shelves -- and their aging wares -- don't appear very well-kept. And the prices aren't eye-popping. Imagine having to brush cobwebs…
yelp.com - user review - 05/15/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Books. Books. Books. I don't know the main floor, I always get lost in the throngs. But the basement - its all about serendipity - nice prices on publishers review copies. Its a treat to find a new…
yelp.com - user review - 05/14/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The Strand is big, loud, and filled with irritating people. It is really too big in that they have many lousy, unsaleable books on the shelves. You can find the occasional gem, but be prepared to…
yelp.com - user review - 05/13/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Love this store, great bargains, hard to find books. The only prob I have with Strand is the staff.
yelp.com - user review - 05/12/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Oh, the Strand. Cramped, chaotic, and wonderful, it is a New York institution. Don't forget the bargain racks and the wonderful service that lets you sell back your books, even if the clerks are…
yelp.com - user review - 05/08/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is one of my favorite places in the city. I spend hours in here, and spend way too much money every time. My favorite spot is the reviewed books in the basement. I love this place.
yelp.com - user review - 05/07/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
The Strand should have an addiction support group. I'll start it up in the Self Help section.
yelp.com - user review - 05/07/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
There's something to be said about the experience of going through the shelves and physically browsing versus buying it online. The tangibility of the experience is rewarding in and of itself. The…
yelp.com - user review - 05/05/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
After coming to Strand, I will never think of bookstores the same way again. Walking into this place is like wandering into a quirky professor's brain -- you just have to give yourself up to the…
yelp.com - user review - 05/02/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
When I think of bookstores and NYC, Strand comes to mind first. Cheap, wonderful selection, very much book focused (unlike other bookstores that carry greeting cards, toys, and book lights) - a true…
yelp.com - user review - 04/27/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I love the smell of books. A lot. Like, if anyone knows a Nose (a perfume maker) can make me a perfume that smells like books, I might die happy.
yelp.com - user review - 04/24/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I'm jealous that I don't actually live in New York and can't visit this bookstore all the time. Then again, that's probably for the best. The last time I was in New York, I visited Strand for the…
yelp.com - user review - 04/22/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
If you've ever wondered how macaulay culkin felt in Pagemaster, you must experience Strand. A huge store literally filled with books, giving you just enough room to navigate in between tables and…
yelp.com - user review - 04/21/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
2.5, really. First of all, what is with people calling it "The Strand" and "Strands?" It's Strand. Strandstrandstrand.
yelp.com - user review - 04/19/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Strand has its' good side and its' down side. The store is so packed with books and bargains (and yes there is a restroom also), that you feel like you are buried in books. 1. MOST fabulous selection…
yelp.com - user review - 04/12/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I thought I had died and gone to my own personal super dork heaven (that's right Yelpers, I have super powers). I love books. I love to read and I love any place that not only encourages people to…
yelp.com - user review - 04/07/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Used bookstore HEAVEN. I love Green Apple but it pales in comparison to this store! I spent a whole hour here with my friend and I swear, I could've kept going if it hadn't been time for it to…
yelp.com - user review - 04/05/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Love love love this store. Cheap books, 3-4 floor book store, great atmosphere. I would go here weekly, then DAILY when I lived in NY this summer and it was only a 20 min walk from my apartment. A…
yelp.com - user review - 03/26/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
Books for a buck outside! Four floors worth of dead trees!
yelp.com - user review - 03/22/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
The Strand is aggravatingly difficult to navigate during the day when it's crowded, but in the hour or two before it closes, it's a great place to go and browse around. But what's up with the bag…
yelp.com - user review - 03/21/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Strand. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways... 1) Miles and miles of books, books, books
yelp.com - user review - 03/18/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This has to be the best bookstore in the world (and I have been to many bookstores in my days). The only one that comes close is Powell's in Portland, which is kind of a distance from the Big Apple.…
yelp.com - user review - 03/15/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
One of my favorite book store in NYC. Man this place is like the Disney World of books. Especially for hard cover pricey fine art books. They have a huge selections of discounted hard cover straight…
yelp.com - user review - 03/14/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
As I'm quickly running out of books to read, I'm starting to really miss Strand. I used to stop by here every so often, each time picking up a book or two of whatever category I was in mood for...and…
yelp.com - user review - 03/11/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This is the best private bookstore I have ever been to. It breaks my heart to say that since I have been to a many great bookstores in LA, SF and Berkeley. It's like the bookstore you see on TV shows…
yelp.com - user review - 03/11/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
It calls itself the largest bookstore, but if so, that's only in volume of books. Powell's Bookstore in Portland, OR has pretty close to as many books and is a block long and three stories high.…
yelp.com - user review - 03/10/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I wish there was a place like Strand Books in Chicago. I really do. The weather outside was a nasty, foggy, rainy, and cold mess. I figured wandering around aisle upon aisle of fabulous books would…
yelp.com - user review - 03/08/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
For true book lovers that aren't just looking for a weekend read, but truly get off on the smell of old, yellowed pages. For people who get goosebumps when stroking the spines of books. Who revel in…
yelp.com - user review - 03/08/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
My jaw instantly dropped when I stepped into this bee hive of books. It was buzzing with people, it's walls lined with endless shelves of volume after paperback, after novel, after hard cover. Thanks…
yelp.com - user review - 03/02/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Quantity vs. Quality is the real question here. The Strand is without question a NYC landmark institution...but unfortunately, you get a lot of the baggage that comes along with that. First off, why…
yelp.com - user review - 03/02/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
I could seriously spend all afternoon just browsing the 18 miles of books at the Strand book store. The Strand is bound to have what you are looking for--and at a great price, too. Its mounds of 50%…
yelp.com - user review - 03/02/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
i love the strand! the $1 book stands are great for browsing and finding random books you probably don't need, or for cheap gifts! i always buy christmas presents at the strand because it's so much…
yelp.com - user review - 03/01/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I can't believe I never wrote a review about the Strand! I LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOVE independent bookstores! If I ever win the lotto, my dream is to open my OWN independent bookstore and stock it with books…
yelp.com - user review - 03/01/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
- perfect for hard finds - smells of old books and dust (may want to take a Benedryl before venturing in)
yelp.com - user review - 02/26/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
This place is the Green Apple Books of the east coast! I loved it in there ... it was literally wall-to-wall with new and used books... it was also wall-to-wall crowded in there with idiots who didn't…
yelp.com - user review - 02/26/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
Love love love this place. Whenever I'm bored and just ambling around my 'hood, I pop in here and never, NEVER leave without getting something. At the prices you find here it's basically impossible to…
yelp.com - user review - 02/20/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
What can I say? This place is a NY institution for a reason. LOVE this place! It is a MUST-do in NYC. One thing I have to say is that unless you have hours to spend, or know EXACTLY what you're…
yelp.com - user review - 02/20/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If I had the extra cash, I could easily blow more than $10,000 in here in a couple of hours. I browsed for about half an hour before I realized that if I didn't get my ass to the register RIGHT NOW,…
yelp.com - user review - 02/20/2008
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2.0 of 5 stars.
I recently ordered a book online from them, enticed by the obviously low price and its mere availability -- it's mainly printed in London and hard to get here. "Hooray for the Strand!" I thought.
yelp.com - user review - 02/11/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
There's nothing I love more than shelves upon shelves of wonderful books, and the Strand rocks it. Only once in the ten years that I've been coming here have they not had a title that I was seeking,…
yelp.com - user review - 02/10/2008
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3.0 of 5 stars.
Over the years, I've bought so many books here. I'm never looking for them, but they're all there on the display table with their tantalizingly low prices. The majority turned out to be interesting…
yelp.com - user review - 02/08/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
This is the bookstore to end all bookstores. Of course, if you're a casual shopper of books, then maybe you belong at Barnes and Nobles. For all book aficionados who dream of finding first editions…
yelp.com - user review - 01/28/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
A very nice bookstore with a wide array of cheap-ish books. Most books seem to be in the $5-$10 range, and at least 50% off their new price. There are a few $1 book racks outside too. I wouldn't…
yelp.com - user review - 01/24/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
I was in this store last night and without paying attention I was there for an hour and half, just wandering. Just exploring, finding so many books my little arms hurt from carrying them all. I had…
yelp.com - user review - 01/16/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
OH GOD THIS PLACE IS AMAZING. Literally miles of bookshelves, with everything from rare/collectible books and collections taken from estates to thick glossy art books and children's literature, old…
yelp.com - user review - 01/07/2008
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5.0 of 5 stars.
If there was a Strand bookstore here on the West Coast, I'd live in it. Seriously.
yelp.com - user review - 01/06/2008
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4.0 of 5 stars.
So here's the game plan with Strand. Buy all the books you want to own somewhere else. Then, go to Strand and see if they carry the same book at a better price. If so, return first book and buy it at…
yelp.com - user review - 01/05/2008
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