Second Story Books & Antiques

This is a great coffee shop, mostly for the environment. However, its service is very poor. I ordered a masala chai latte and the cup was not even half full. I asked for more milk (I had ordered soy milk) and they told me to add from the cold milk in the jars to add to your coffee. I find that unacceptable because I AM PAYING for that cup of tea! And especially since whoever made my tea messed up with the amount of milk. And this is not the first time I have terrible service here. Every time there’s a new person in a bad mood at the cashier. Too bad since, if it wasn’t for the service, this would be one of the best coffee shops around Adams Morgan.

I usually go to the Rockville location, which is my favorite. This one is much smaller and the books tend to be more expensive, but I always stop by to look through their selection when I’m in the area. I’ve found some of my favorites here that I couldn’t find anywhere else, including a book of Stanescu’s poems.

I love a used bookstore! They’ve gotten kind of difficult to find these days, so I’ll always make time for one when I see it.
We stopped in to SSB on a Sunday afternoon and had a very pleasant time browsing the selection. It was fairly well organized and clean, and I was impressed by the variety of their stock. There were all genres of books, art prints, rare books behind lock and key, DVDs, VHS tapes and CDs.
I found an out of print art book about Francis Bacon, packed with full color illustrations of many pieces I’ve never seen … for $ 25! It’s on Amazon for $ 128 new, $ 50 used. I also found a book about the art of John Waters, «Change of Life», for $ 20! It’s on Amazon for $ 78, used. There were quite a few other deals that tempted me, but I’m on a budget these days so I resisted.
The guys at the counter were a bit nerdy, but friendly enough.
I will make this a Must Stop the next time I’m in town!

This little bookstore has two distinct identities. Outside on the sidewalk, there are 6 or so shelves of $ 4 books, which occasionally are discounted to $ 2. The selection of these books varies, but there are always some very interesting treasures that you will kick yourself for not buying (e.g. 1^st edition of Rupert Brooke’s letters from America). You can come back each time you’re in Dupont circle and the selection will have completely turned over. On the inside of the store, there are more «curated» used and antique books, most of which are quite overpriced. The selection is diverse, but you won’t find a deal. The sidewalk book browsing experience is even more palatable than at their Rockville Outlet, and makes a nice appetizer before eating out in Dupont Circle.

Love looking at their sidewalk sales. Very tiny inside but they really have some great finds from the neighborhood.

I’m all about supporting independent bookstores but I was disappointed by the staff here. They were entirely unpleasant and unhelpful. The book selection was good enough but they seemed disinterested in me as a customer. I admittedly wasn’t searching for anything expensive or fancy but I certainly did not need to be treated as an inconvenience. I probably will not be back here again as there are plenty of other bookstores to support.

Lovely little bookstore! Has a very nicely curated collection of antique, hard-​to-​find and second-​hand books at pretty great prices!
The collection seems rather carefully picked, with a high density of interesting books and a heavy emphasis on non-​fiction, a nice change from your mainstream bookstore. Wish I could have spent much, much more time here than I did, but in a matter of a mere half hour, picked up some gems in the philosophy section, a Nat Geo title that would have otherwise been too expensive, a graphic novel I’d long been searching for and some rad cookbooks.
If you’re looking to find historical/​early-​edition texts by great authors in the humanities or social sciences, foraging for that elusive out-​of-​copy CD or hungering for some offbeat food for thought, check this place out! There’s also a bunch of books at throwaway prices just outside the store, but alas I had no time. Someday.

This is a small shop but has many deferent kinds of books. Most of them are cheaper than original prices. It’s just like a treasure hunting to shop here. It reminds me of one of my favorite book stores in Paris.

Used bookstores are always fun. We stumbled on a book that we needed for research project we are working on for $ 8. Can’t beat a bargain! Nice size store with good variety. They have a selection of antique books as well.

Very cute bookstore! Has a lot of options and extremely inexpensive. I find it awesome that it sports books super cheap — books that were $ 15-​$ 20 now $ 3-​$ 5! The selection is limited on the politics section but every other section is pretty good. I would definitely say try this bookstore before you try the others in DuPont circle because this is one of the cheaper ones. If you are looking for a specific book, definitely try this place first and then the others because you may get it at a much cheaper price here than anywhere else!

This place specializes in out-​of-​print and secondhand books, which definitely hooks me in. This is a bookstore for bookstore people – cramped, narrow aisles teeming with used books ranging from the yellowed and battered to the recently-​published. Everything is clearly organized by topic, which I love. As another reviewer mentioned, the place also has that beautiful moldy basement-​and-​books smell.
There are some DVDs too, as well as textiles and home décor pieces with a Japanese and pan-​Asian flair. Plan on leaving extra room in your bag or suitcase for your purchases, if you aren’t a D.C. native.

Great for non-​fiction and antique books; somewhat lacking for fiction. Reasonable prices, but there are other nearby used bookstores that are far cheaper.
Cheap sidewalk sale, but good luck finding anything decent. I did see pop/​rock CDs (very recent releases) for $ 1 each.

This is a neat place right off of dupont circle.
They have used books, some at bargain prices ($ 1 – 4) they put in carts in front of the store. They also have some antiques you can check out– mostly books, maps, history related items which are very cool but pricey.
It’s also very quiet inside– no food/​drinks.
It’s def worth a look, esp for people who are interested in history.

This Dupont Circle book store is great for lovers of non-​fiction, especially history. The literature section in the back is seriously lacking, especially if you’re into the classics. You’ll be able to find the occasional Dostoevsky and Dickens, but good luck finding that obscure novel you’ve been looking for. The prices are ok – similar to what you’d find on Amazon if you bought one used. The store’s location 1 block west of Dupont Cirlce is one of its major advantages.

I love a good independent bookstore just as much as the next hipster.
I’ve been going to Second Story books for over 15 years. It’s kind of like an educated thrift store. Call me weird but I kind of like that old book moldy sexy basement smell. Anyway, Second Story Books definitely has that vibe.
Okay as for the books it really is a hit or mess. It’s not terribly organized and you might even find some books on piles. There is no Dewey decimal system here in effect at all! So that’s kind of what makes book hunting fun here. Don’t expect the newest Harry Potter or 50 Shades of Grey.
If you’re an antique book collector you might find a few rare ones. Along with books you might also find some old movie posters, pop and retro art and some slick vinyl. I did score some awesome Grind house and B movie posters back in the day.
Also if you’re a vinyl collector you can get seriously lucky here. I managed to score a lot of really rare vinyl and LPs in great shape. Some new in the box and some even autographed. Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald Duke Ellinginton and a load of Big band without even trying.
What else is cool about this place is the staff will usually leave you alone while you browse. They don’t hover but will also do their best to assist if you ask.

I love a good independent bookstore and the location (Dupont Circle) is excellent, but I’ve never been impressed with the book selection here. All the books seem ancient so it’s NOT the place to find a large, modern selection of travel books or business books.
The one good side of this place is that they often have discounted books outside their store front.

I read about this place from a lot of sources, so my girlfriend and I decided to make this a must-​stop on our Great DC Book Store Tour: Part 1. We were not disappointed.
The Good: An excellent, unique selection. As a history buff, the sheer amount of old books, maps, curios, and other relics of bygone ages got this store its 5 star rating. I felt like an treasure hunter, combing through dusty shelves of tomes to find the proverbial diamond in the rough. For most of the really interesting stuff, you need to have a pretty big budget. Overall, it was a unique bookstore with some pretty great finds. I was looking for «The American Black Chamber» by Herbert Yardley – a 1931 monograph about WWI Espionage. I thought that a place like this would have it. Alas, I did not find what I was looking for, which brings me to the less positive side of this review.
Second Story Books is probably not «favorite bookstore» material for several reasons. First, it is the overall inconsistency of the selection – something that I understand cannot be helped in a used bookstore, but still. Second, the book sections invite perusal, but after a while, searching through the shelves became tedious, as I struggled to understand the organizational scheme. Especially among the locked bookshelves, I had no idea if I was looking at history, geography, biography, fiction, etc., which is especially annoying when looking at a bunch of brown and green and red leather bound books with gold lettering.
I think Second Story is more of a destination bookstore to take out-​of-​towners and relatives to, but I don’t know if I will be returning just yet. Perhaps for Christmas.

An off the beaten path DC gem.
Like all used bookstores, you’re not always guaranteed what you’re looking for but you’ll walk away with something. I love the staff and atmosphere and my favorite is browsing the outside book shelves on my walk to Dupont metro from work. It’s my favorite used book store in DC and I love that they do book trades for books you’ve already read.

I really don’t understand all the hoopla this store gets. I wasn’t all that impressed. Since my move from Texas, I’ve been trying to find a used bookstore that’s comparable to my favorite one back home. So far, no luck.
While this shop does have some rare books, I found that all genres were generally lacking.
Also, they don’t have a public restroom you can use. Seriously! I ended up having to run to the restaurant across the street.
I probably won’t be coming back to this shop anytime soon.

Second Story Books has a sign outside imploring patrons to «love us on Unilocal.» So here’s my two cents…
The brick-​and-​mortar bookseller is a dying business model, and many people like me lament that independent bookstores have been closing at an alarming rate. For stores like this to survive, it will be only because of the relationships built with loyal patrons.
With that being said, I did not appreciate the total disinterest and bad attitude from the sales clerk when I asked if he had a certain book. He acted like I was being a total inconvenience to him despite there being no other customers for him to help, and he showed zero interest in helping me find what I was looking for. No offer to look with me. No offer to look on their computer inventory. No advice. No concern. Nothing. Later when I informed him that my book was not in stock (after searching myself), I got a mumbled «okay» and no eye contact.
I really want to support local independent businesses, but my business should be appreciated more. There is no excuse for making a customer feel unwelcome or unwanted. Are you seriously expecting people to «love us on Unilocal» when you have such a bad attitude?