192 Books

I always try to make time to visit 192 books while I’m in Chelsea. They have the perfect blend of new literature, international literature, art and philosophy/​critical theory. The staff is lovely and I get the sense they’re having fun.

Independent bookstores are a gift– and 192 deserves a giant bow on the package. It’s always a delight to enter this tiny space and feel the thrill of discovery — - because there is ALWAYS a new book in my bag when I leave. The author readings are amazing— you are in an intimate setting within a few feet of the literary voices we long to hear. Make 192 Books part of your life. You’ll be richer for the experience.

I love the small, intimate vibe of this place. I come here almost every month and just browse. The employees are fantastic, the selection is extensive (despite the size) and it just feels like your small town neighborhood bookstore.

I love supporting a local book shop, and this place is sunny and cute. I didn’t ask for help but could tell there was some great knowledge being offered by the staff. The challenge I have is that I don’t read a ton — and need recommendations and reviews — or «if you loved X you’ll love Y». And this store doesn’t offer that from what I could tell. So I felt a bit lost, knowing I wanted to buy something for my next flight but not sure what. It was a busy Sunday, so could have asked… wish there were little «staff comments» on the shelves like in Books Inc in SF.
Lovely store, though, and nice selection. Will be back.

We happened on 192 the best way, serendipitously from the end of the high linebackvto our hotel. Very nice space with a clearly selective stock. Make it part of your high line walk.

The ladies in the store were clearly mad about books. I was given some great recommendations and will shop there again.
The store is small compared to a Barnes and Noble but it’s the intimate nature of this place that appeals.
Look forward to attending a reading there sometime.

I can appreciate the comment another reviewer posted about having a crush on the store. I saw someone come in and ask about a particular children’s book. The proprietress was knowledgeable and quickly came up with a selection. While some here might bemoan the limited stock, to me it speaks of a carefully selected inventory about which the staff know a great deal. It’s a little mole hole, yes, but a charming, inviting, neighborhood one. It reminds me of the London Library: I would not go there to find the entire expanse of the humanities, but it’s certainly a place where one can pass an hour or so and pursue one’s interests, the collection having been whittled down to a manageable degree. And the stock seems to turn over because of the support the store receives. A spectacular Polidori in the window vanished overnight. I went back for it and. .. gone!

It’s very nice inside and the staff is friendly, but it’s very tiny inside. They can’t have more than a few hundred books. I don’t really think it’s worth the trip to Chelsea but it’s definitely worth stopping in if you are nearby.

Great thanks, found my favorite book. Favorable environment here is really a pleasure. I like it here, will come here. Like home ! Thank you !

This is like walking into a church of books, but not in a stuffy way. The store is gleaming glass windows which look out onto the quaint bustle of Chelsea, and the books are displayed artfully yet in a way that invites you in to hold them. The staff is swell, even offering me a tissue from a triple sneeze I unexpectedly subjected them to. The inventory of art books is great, and there are comfortable places to plop down and try a book out. If I wanted to get someone a hard to find book as a gift, I’d try this place first.

I stumbled onto this wonderful bookstore by accident. My friend and I didn’t want to leave it! There’s a stunning curation of books in this place, I just couldn’t get enough. Independent bookstores are few and far in between these days. I encourage all book lovers to visit and support this gem!

Great book store for small size, they host readings, a must if you are book shopper on the west side.

As we were exiting Printed Matter yesterday, we noticed this bookstore beckoning us from across the street. Seriously; it looks like everyone’s dream of a small/​cozy bookstore from the outside, and the interior doesn’t disappoint. They have an impressive selection of photography, art & design books, plus some illustrated children’s books and also a good literature section. The man working there was very pleasant, too. It was almost closing time and yet we weren’t made to feel rushed.

I am posting my first ever Unilocal review to speak on behalf of this bookstore, and mostly, I am doing so because I want to publicly celebrate the two shop attendants who helped me at 192 Books last week. Whoever they were, they were wonderful.
The story, essentially, is that I really wanted this sortofobscure book, and I wanted it before I left that day on vacation. I called around to several independent bookstores in the city, and only 192 had it. I asked them to hold it for me, saying I would be in to get it later.
Due to some train delays, «later» turned out to be 5 minutes after the store had closed. I popped in anyhow, asking if it was possible still to make a purchase. The shop attendants told me they had already closed down the registers. I’m sure I looked disappointed in the face. I backed out of the store with my several silly vacation bags and started heading down the street.
Three minutes later, one of the attendants ran up to me, saying if I wanted to come back, they would sell me the book anyhow and reconcile the transaction the next morning. I felt embarrassed to be returning and keeping them late, but they assured me that the book I was getting was a good one and that I very much needed it on vacation. I was about to be way bummed out, but instead, these two people made my day.
And lo & behold, the book WAS a good one, and it helped to make my vacation a vacation, and I am enormously grateful to 192 Books & its employees, and I can’t wait to return for a more extensive perusal of its shelves.

Quaint little shop.
I’ll break it down like this; Printed Matter, which is across the street from 192 Books, is sort of like the younger, hipper cousin. You see your cousin and kick back a brew. After your visit with Printed Matter is over, you go over to the other side and see how your elderly aunt is doing. You know, the quiet one who reads and serves you tea in her classic china. Sometimes fine wine. It depends on Aunt 192’s mood.
Not to discount the Aunt though. Aunt 192 still has some neat stuff, its just more quieter. Both Printed Matter and 192 Books have excellent selections. Plus if you hang around 192 long enough, you just might catch a book reading or two.

I sort of have a crush on this store.
We’ve walked by a few dozen times en route to random places and today, we finally stopped in. What a gem!
Every single book in this tiny store is good — the fiction section is stocked with quality books, and the art books, oh, the art books! Someone is doing a brilliant job making sure that this little place is filled with amazing books.
And aside from the smart selection, the place is just adorable — they have just the right amount of chairs, good music, and so, so much sunlight.
192, I wish I had found you sooner– my year in NYC is coming to an end– but I can promise I’ll be back. There’s no one else in NYC quite as foxy as you.

A nice indie bookstore whose selections reflect the taste of the owner. So when you step inside, you step into their world, and I like that. You don’t go in there with a specific book in mind (though they’d likely have any decent current fiction etc.) but with the hopes of discovering something new. Knowledgeable and courteous staff, and a great events list. This is where I buy books.

There are some downsides to 192: the selection isn’t perfect, the prices are pretty high, and the hours can be weird.
That being said, it’s probably my favorite book shop in the city, The way its arranged gives the feeling of browsing someone’s collection, and then being able to take home their books! What’s more, they have a really nice diversity of selection. There are a wide range of books in every genre, and it really promotes idiosyncratic browsing.
It’s an added bonus that it’s the official bookstore of the NYPL, so shopping there is doing some good for an awesome public institution.
Highly recommended.

The best place to hear an author read.
So cozy and intimate.

This is probably the cutest bookstore I have ever been to. I haven’t been back in awhile, but I really should. I just happened upon it because I work a few blocks from here and went to see an art gallery nearby after work. I’m not going to pretend like I was familiar with any of the books or subjects on display at this bookstore.
It seems like that is the intrigue tho of this bookstore and they put a lot of work into curating each book selection for this store. I loved perusing through all of the photography and design books. For all the lovers of the arts, you should make this a stop in your gallery hopping afternoons!