Did you know that yesterday, April 28th was Independent Bookstore Day? Me either until my bookworm of a husband found out online and kept raving about it. If you were following along on my Instagram, then you got to see some sneak peeks of the event.
I’m not sure if this is a “nationally recognized” holiday, but Chicago celebrates it hardcore. This year, there were about 25 participating indie bookstores throughout the Chicagoland area. With an entire passport program and all, spend $25 at the first shop and receive your passport and first stamp. After that, you can visit each shop without purchase (if you can resist) to receive the rest of your stamps. After 10 stamps you get 10% off for the entire year at any of the participating bookstores, 15 stamps and you get 15% off – hot dog!
Mitch and I spent the entire day navigating the city to collect our stamps, and I’m here to shed light on our journey and share the features of these local independent bookstores.
Chicago Independent Bookstore Crawl
After finding out which local bookstores were participating, Mitch and I spent the morning figuring out which places we wanted to go to and which would be somewhat easily obtainable to visit, and then plotted them on a custom Google map to guide ourselves. You could say we got pretty serious about it all. 😉
We visited 11 independent bookstores in seven different Chicago neighborhoods and walked away with seven books, three bookmarks, one mug and some other little freebies. But, most importantly, we got our 10% indie bookstore card that lasts the entire year – winner winner, chicken dinner! More on that later.
Stop One: RoscoeBooks
Roscoe Village
We decided to drive directly north of our home to Roscoe Village to hit up the aptly named RoscoeBooks.
This super kid-friendly book shop is great for families. There’s tons of books for adults, but a fantastic kids’ selection and kid’s area as well. We showed up just in time for their “story time,” so there were a bunch of tiny humans running about.
With this being our first stop, we needed to make a purchase to receive our passport and first stamp. We ended up walking away with two books for me, Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl and Nice is Just a Place in France: How to Win at Basically Everything, and a mug for Mitch. And because we spent $50, we ended up getting to select a “mystery” book (which were all advanced reading copies) for free! Mitch had a heyday with this.
Stop Two: The Book Cellar
Lincoln Square
Driving just ten more minutes north on Western Ave., we made The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square our second stop. We had actually been to this place during our visit to Chicago last summer, so we knew we were going to enjoy it.
This bookstore features a coffee and wine bar, and was absolutely poppin’! They had festive drinks at the cafe for the special day and even a photo booth to celebrate. But, between the hustle and bustle, you are able to find solitude within the bookshelves. Whether you are coming here for the books, wine or coffee, this is a great atmosphere to hang out in.
Stop Three: Women & Children First
Andersonville
Next up, we drove ten more minutes north east to Andersonville. I recently raved about this amazing Swedish-rooted and LGBTQ friendly neighborhood and the feminist independent bookstore, Women & Children First was just as amazing.
Side note: I forgot to take a photo of the outside, so here is a crappy one I found off Google – oops.
This place was not what I was expecting, but in a good way! I’m not sure why, but I didn’t expect the good vibes that I did upon walking into the place. We were instantly greeted with the nicest human ever, people were everywhere and there were tons of books that we had never seen before (and the books weren’t just feminist, political, human rights, etc. – although this was the main theme of course!). They also had really fun swag, apparel and accessories to compliment the books as well.
The place was much larger that I anticipated and there were very niche sections of books, free matcha cookies + coffee and a large community board. This place really rang true to the local Andersonville feels. Mitch and I will definitely be returning here, because we felt right at home!
Stop Four: Open Books Warehouse and Bookstore
Pilsen
Next up, we decided to head for Pilsen, a neighborhood we’ve heard so much of but had yet to venture out to. Our first stop in the area was Open Books Warehouse and Bookstore. True to its name, it was indeed a warehouse full of books.
With such a minimal look on the outside, you never would expect what you get when you step through the door. Step inside and be amazed by the vastness of space, books abound, and the ultimate book scent (Mitch’s favorite). Not only was it Independent Bookstore Day and the Chicago Bookstore Crawl Challenge, but it was also their “garage sale special” – $3 hardcovers, $2 paperbacks, and fill up a box with as many books as you can for $40 total, so it was buzzing!
There was also some event going on with a circle of people passing around a microphone talking to one another. They were speaking Spanish, so I have no idea what was happening, but it looked fun!
Not only is this probably the largest selection of used books, but this independent book shop is also a non-profit. Having donated almost 500,000 books and over 117,000 hours toward student writing and reading programs, this place makes a huge impact on the community through book grant programs, community events, and literacy partnerships. Way cooler than just a bookstore!
Stop Five: Pilsen Community Books
Pilsen
We strolled a few blocks down the street to find our next destination: Pilsen Community Books. Now, this place had been on my list to visit for a while. Their Instagram boasts beautiful shots and I was definitely not let down.
With floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, cute chalkboard signs labeling the sections and a vintage vibe, this indie bookstore had something magical to it. With a mix of of new and used books, everything was wonderfully organized, there were great prices, and the folks behind the counter were super nice.
I loved how everything was neatly organized (compared to the previous shop) and there were little unique finds along the way. They even had an entire Chicago section and Mitch ended up taking home the book The Devil in the White City, which our friend recommended.
Mitch and I both loved this place and highly recommend it – I know we will definitely be back!
Stop Six: The Dial Bookshop
The Loop/Downtown
After Pilsen, we drove back home to drop off the car and our loot gather so far to take the train for the rest of the excursion. Heading to the Loop on the blue line from Wicker Park, we made The Dial Bookshop our next destination.
Located on the second floor of the Fine Arts building on Michigan Avenue across from Grant Park, we wandered into a historic spot with more floor-to-ceiling goodness (turns out they are the same owners!). A bit smaller than our previous stop, this place had gorgeous natural light flooding in and a nice view of Grant Park downtown. A cozy little stop near my office that can serve as a nice mid-day break.
If you’re traveling through Chicago and are likely in the downtown area, I’d check this local new and used bookstore out!
Stop Seven: Sandmeyer’s Bookstore
Printer’s Row/South Loop/Downtown
Remaining downtown, we walked 10 minutes around the block to Printer’s Row for Sandmeyer’s Bookstore, our seventh stop. This is a really cute area and if we weren’t so tied to an agenda we would have continued exploring the area.
This bookstore had a lofty, yet warm feel. They also had lots of great stationary, tote bags and other fun accessories for the fellow book lover. We ended up walking away with two more books for Mitch and another free book since we spent over $10.
The elder lady running the counter even gave us a great discount on one of the books as it was pretty beat up and this was a new (not used) bookstore. A little customer service goes such a long way!
Stop Eight: The Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co.
Wicker Park
Taking the blue line north from downtown, we landed in our own “hood” of Wicker Park to knock out three more stops. First up was The Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co. A mouthful of a name, but a cute, fun little shop on the inside.
More than just a bookstore, this local shop is the storefront of 826CHI, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students aged 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Inside you will find books from young published authors that are in high school, if not younger, and narratives from real life examples from the children.
Amongst the books are numerous toys, apparel and all-around “fun-ness” on the shelves with different “disguise” gear – it is a secret agent supply shop after all. 😉 This is a great place to stop with kids or to grab a gift for a younger one – all while supporting a really great cause.
Stop Nine: Volumes Bookcafé
Wicker Park
Walking further north on Milwaukee Ave., we made Volumes Bookcafé our stop number nine. Just as the name alludes to, this is half cafe and half book shop. Bright, light and tons of space, this is a great place to come hang out!
If we hadn’t stopped earlier for a drink and were ready to wrap up the bookstore crawl, I would have gladly picked up a chai tea latte and sat in a comfy chair for a moment. The place was hopping and the gals behind the counter giving my passport a stamp were SO nice, chatty and gave me a couple freebies (sticker, patch and poster).
This fun café + bookstore is a quick walk down the street from our home, so I can guarantee that we will be returning soon to work or sip on a beverage together.
Stop Ten: Quimby’s Bookstore
Wicker Park
Further up Milwaukee and a turn on North Ave. is where we found our last Wicker Park stop, Quimby’s. This is the ultimate grunge, punk and alternative vibe that any bookstore could have, making this a unique stop.
Here you can find offbeat publications, independent “zines,” comics and more. If you take a look around, I’m sure you’ll be able to find more than just bound writings. 😉 If you’re into revolutions and SLC Punk vibes, this may be your spot to get some literature.
Stop Eleven: City Lit Books
Logan Square
Heading back on the blue line one last time, we made our way to Logan Square to visit City Lit Books. Here we made our last and final bookstore stop for the day, which is also our current favorite spot as well.
Featuring the compete opposite atmosphere as our latest stop at Quimby’s, City Lit has this serene ambiance to it that makes you want to cozy up with a book in front of a fireplace. Luckily, they just so happen to have one!
Mitch and I venture up to Logan Square often since it’s so close to us and there’s a farmers’ market in the neighborhood, so we tend to find ourselves hitting up this local bookstore pretty frequently. I’d say, on any given weekend when we are out and about, this is where Mitch would like to go to find solitude.
After realizing we had made it to 11 stores and surpassed the mark for getting our winnings, we got our final stamp in our passport and claimed our prize!
Here’s us, in all our glory with our winnings looking terribly starved and exhausted after 10 straight hours of going shop-to-shop.
We promptly left for dinner back near home and we never felt so accomplished, worn out and ready to eat an entire restaurant all at the same time. It was so so worth it though, just take a look at our haul! We were given a little card (Mitch is holing in the photo above) so that we can receive 10% off any of the 25 bookstores for a whole year. With Mitch’s “hoarding” of books, I know this will be greatly used AND will hopefully help us shop more local (vs. Amazon) when it comes to buying books.
We were super close to getting to 15 stores, meaning we’d get bumped to the 15% off prize, but after an all-day adventure, we were done. Maybe during next year’s challenge we can hit the next level. 🙂