This is such a cozy small bookstore. The selection is impressive for such a small space. Prices pretty normal, seemed very fair and reasonable. Staff was friendly. I felt like I was staring at the shelves for a brief eternity just seeing what piqued my eye. I ended up finding a book on a table by sheer chance that's poetic and oddly fitting for the point in my life I'm at now. Coincidence? Luck? The bookstore has such a welcoming vibe. The neighborhood is quiet, and tons of spots nearby to go read if you can't wait long to start a new book. Would come back here again for sure. read more

192 Books - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

great books, great author readings! always friendly, helpful, finding obscure books! read more

I had a book emergency while traveling and found a terrific novel here. Its specialty seems to be novels translated into English but they had some other books too, like the one I bought. The staff let you browse without bothering you and were friendly on ringing things up. A lovely place. read more

Fabulous literary bookstore. Intelligent discerning stock. Excellent art and children's books and works in translation. Highly recommended

This book shop had a wide variety of books of all subjects, non-pretentious and rare alike. Was pleasantly surprised by how many children's books (nice ones at that) they had. The shop keeper was very kind to everyone that asked for help. read more

This was a very cool bookstore to find. It was so interesting to look at their translated titles. I enjoy finding books written by authors from other countries. I found a couple here. They also had a great children's section. They also had a lot of art books. If you like bookstores you will love this one. read more

i've walked by this bookstore many times and finally went in with my husband and baby. i love a local bookstore and this one looks so cute from the outside. there were two women working there at the time and the second we walk in, one of them immediately comments loudly to her coworker at the desk that there's a cute baby in the store, but that "it's not as cute as so and so's baby...." i was stunned by this completely rude comment but ignored it, and found the children's section (more like a haphazardly random pile of books). while i'm trying to find something, the same lady comes over to talk to my husband and my baby in her stroller and is just badgering him with weird questions and making nonstop comments about my daughter. i was so distracted i couldn't focus on finding a book, i then look over and her hands are in the stroller touching her toys that she literally chews on and my baby is visibly stressed at this stranger being in her face. at that point i had enough and decided to leave. we go to the door and she like was like "you can't leave, my coworker needs to see the baby" and was interrupting her coworker who was helping another customer. we couldn't leave fast enough. how this person has a job working the front is beyond me. very bizarre and uncomfortable experience with completely unprofessional staff. read more

Horrible sales associates chit-chatting about how slow it was, bragging about graduating Barnard and studying abroad in Spain (Fulbright) and -- get this -- loudly discussing customers' appearances. Professionalism is lacking at this store. NOT RECOMMENDED. read more

Although a rather small bookshop, they offer a great selection of art history and criticism as well as the literature of the more upper echelon, such as Barthelme, Ernaux, Lispector, and Nabokov. (I bought a copy of Murakami's Novelist as a Vocation.) Grab some food for thought here and then head to the 23rd street entrance to The High Line and find a nook among the art and greenery in which to nestle yourself and devour your book if you can handle all the people walking by. You may end up in some tourist's photo but the sight of you reading whatever impressive title you picked up from 192 Books will prove not only endearing but enduring. read more

A sanctuary in the city. Small but quiet and very pleasant to peruse many great titles. After walking some miles in the city it was nice to rest on a seat while I scanned a few titles. I picked up a book of poetry by Wislawa Szymborska while I was there. I hope you can stop in, find a nice new friend of a book and support this lovely space. read more

Such a cozy and quaint little bookstore to stumble upon strolling down 10th ave. I had to keep myself from buying too many books!

192 Books is a small neighborhood bookstore with a wide selection of books including a corner of top rated kid books. All the books are new and the staff are friendly. read more

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Such a small space for a bookstore, yet an amazing inventory of books. This store takes no prisoners and their buyer surely has great taste. The store serves the community of Chelsea well. Totally a fab bookstore. read more

Wheelchair user reviewer plus bookworm. Great combo! I want to say that I'm a fan. I can't. As you can see in that photo, the ramp is scary. Supposedly, they are getting a new ramp. Supposedly. The other problem I had was that they could at least have a ringer for people like me to use so that they can assist us inside. They go under the assumption that we are never alone. The other part was that the ramp was wider than the door, therefore, you still needed their help to open the other door. What's the point? Inside it was cozy. I could have stayed longer but it was hot inside. The people inside were nice and helpful. There's nothing wrong with the people. I think the owner needs to make reasonable accommodations for us. Once that is taken care of, I can update the review. read more

192 Books - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

This place was a pretty big disappointment for me. I was walking back to my car when I saw it, and it certainly is very cute and well curated. I'm a sucker for any cute, local bookstore that is curated with love and car. I also have a huge problem with some of them and this one was no exception unfortunately. I found a super cool design book here and brought it up to the cashier because it had no price tag on it. The cashier, who was very nice, told me the book was $60 - honestly sounded accurate for a brand new, well made design book. I had a hunch though that it could be overpriced and when I went to look it up online, I found the exact same book, also at mom & pop bookstores - not the big chains or Amazon, selling it for $20 less. There is no reason to up-charge such a large margin even if your store rent is high, or your costs are a bit higher, that's a huge 33% margin. I'm not saying that all of the books there are this way, but this one being marked up that much just rubbed me the wrong way. Just my two cents, but the store is nice and the selection is great. read more

New York in a store. Store has everything and unique selection of originals. Treasures are under statement. Stay for 30mins + and your mind will appreciate everything that 192 Books is. read more

I was passing by on a bus yesterday and I noticed the beautiful window display; it's one of the loveliest I've ever seen.

Cute little book store. Picked up the book Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow. it's a nice walk from The surrounding art galleries. Bought this book after visiting the David Zwirner gallery. read more

192 Books - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

What a wonderful book shop! Given that it's near the gallery district along 22nd Street, it's no surprise that the focus is on art, design, photography, and other culturally caring subjects. Even the local books tend toward the arty, and the literature section is global in scope. In addition to the store's smart selection, there's also an active reading and events schedule featuring an impressive roster for so small a shop. Nice! read more

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! read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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

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. read more

192 Books - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

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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. read more

If Barneys ran a bookstore it would probably look something like this. 192 Books is a stylish boutique bookstore worth a detour. Though compact, you're guaranteed to find something you haven't seen anywhere else. They have a little bit of everything and the joy is just poking through their elegantly edited and displayed selection. read more

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. read more

192 may have the best reading series in town. Reservations are required because the space is limited, but they're easy to call in and absolutely worth it. As a bookstore, it's got a highly selective collection of literature, and you're bound to see an author or book you hadn't heard of before, or had heard of but couldn't find anywhere else. I especially appreciate how global and far-reaching the literature section is; all the usual suspects are there, but so are robert walser and john berger, quiet, underrated authors just waiting for the chance visitor to discover them all over again. They carry a lot of new translations and small press publications, and I was especially delighted to find a bunch of books published by archipelago books (a nonprofit small publisher that specializes in translation). If there's a book they don't have that you'd like, you can simply put in a request to the staff and they'll usually have it for you by the following day. A wonderful, brightly lit space with a heavy green door that you pull closed behind you, and that also serves to block out the sound of traffic from the street, making you feel like you've just stepped into your very own Arcadia. read more

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! read more

I am posting my first ever Yelp 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. read more

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! read more

Run by Paula Cooper Gallery, 192 is a Chelsea haven for book lovers. The space is teeny, but the well-organized and carefully curated selection of titles -- leaning heavily towards the arts, obviously -- is worth a trip. I spent a rainy Saturday afternoon here and it was a lovely experience. Gallery-hoppers should stop by for a break. read more

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. read more

Charming little shoe-box of a book store with old world feel. Great selection of art monographs, concise and on-point selection of fiction, biography, non-fiction, etc. The people who work here know their stuff and are very friendly. Chatted with the guy behind the register for a few, he was very into Zadie Smith. read more

This isn't so much a bookstore as a curation of books. It makes no attempt to cover every aspect of every subject, but carefully presents a choice of delights: cooking (books about the pleasures of the table sit elbow to elbow with classic cookbooks), photography and artists' books, unusual and wonderful-sounding fiction, a large section of memoirs and essays, and a shelf reserved expressly for books about Paris. I have my notebook open as I cross the threshold, ready to start a new list of books to read. The store is clean and airy, near all the Chelsea Galleries, and open later: the perfect remedy for post-art letdown. They have great readings and events too (Sophie Calle stopped in recently). read more

cute tiny bookstore. went to an author event here. they pushed the small book islands to the walls and set up chairs, wine, cheese, nibbles. the small space is by category with packed shelves and few repeats in order to fit the maximum titles. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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