Cancel

Open app

Search

Book Bay Bookstore

5.0 (1 review)

Book Bay Bookstore Books, Mags, Music & Video Photos

You might also consider

More like Book Bay Bookstore

Recommended Reviews - Book Bay Bookstore

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

17 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

Get access to customer & competitor insights.

Verify this business

Forest Books

Forest Books

4.4(38 reviews)
0.6 mi•Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights
•$$

There's something special about used bookstores....and this one definitely is special. I…read moreappreciated the variety of books written by and about people from many different backgrounds and experiences. I found a few books that have been on my to-read list for a while. The prices were on point as well. I walked away with reasonably priced books and was happy to support a local business in the process. I had a very enjoyable conversation with who appeared to be the owner. I appreciated the personal touch. One issue that I had was that the bookstore had active incense burning. The smell does add to the atmosphere. With my allergies, it prevented me from spending too much time in the store. This is likely not an issue for most, but if you have asthma or sensitive lungs, be aware this may be an issue for you.

Forest books is on the edge of Japantown. It's a small space, and the arrangement and selection…read morekinds reminded me of a mini-Mo's bookstore. It's all used books (pretty sure) with a decent selection of antique books behind glass cabinets. The space is crowded, and I almost missed a couple sections before we left. One feature I really liked was the World Literature section, so you can load up on books from Turkey, France, wherever. All of the sections were well labeled, and the clerk present that day was pretty active helping out the customers. Definitely worth the detour down that stretch of Buchanan.

Photos
Forest Books
Forest Books
Forest Books

See all

Zen Center Bookstore

Zen Center Bookstore

4.6(30 reviews)
0.6 mi•Hayes Valley
•$$

One of my favorite bookstores in San Francisco…read more When I first visited, it was the only bookstore I had seen to carry "Supernatural" by Joe Dispenza. I was intrigued but purchased some of Thich Nhat Hanh's perfect mini meditation series instead. Fast forward a few years later, Joe Dispenza is *everywhere* and has brought meditation and the pineal gland into mainstream consciousness. You can find his books in almost every corporate bookstore in the country. This is just a testament to the innovative prescience of SF Zen Center's bookstore curation. You may wander in, unconsciously drawn by the sheer miracle of this specific, narrow stretch of street being lined with THE HAPPIEST TREES IN THE ENTIRE CITY, and like me, begin absentmindedly browsing the bookstore and eschewing certain titles that stand out to you for being too "woo" for your self concept at the moment. And maybe in a few years, those titles will be some of the country's bestsellers and SF Zen Center was one of the first places to debut it. Who knows? All I know is that I take SF Zen Center very seriously as a community knowledge hub, and they are doing very important work in a world and, certainly, a city that massively needs more zen. The resources offered here are at the forefront, and as knowledge ripples out and becomes more mainstream, it's likely you could learn it here first. Minimum, browse this incredible bookstore and take in the sight of the stunning garden for a meditative, beautiful afternoon. The trees, flowers, and birds are absolutely basking in gorgeous energy baths -- and it is visible.

A beautiful and inspiring bookstore well stocked with some of the best books about Buddhsism and…read morerelated areas of study and interest. I've purchased many books for myself and many gifts for friends from this wonderful little store. Nice meditation stuff too--zafus, mats, etc. Staffed by helpful and knowledge Zen students. All good..

Photos
Zen Center Bookstore
Zen Center Bookstore - Awaiting insight.

Awaiting insight.

Zen Center Bookstore - Meditation bells. These are from Japan. We also stock bells from Nepal.

See all

Meditation bells. These are from Japan. We also stock bells from Nepal.

Video Amusement - Ring Toss

Video Amusement

4.4(65 reviews)
9.2 mi
•$$

We rented a few games from Video Amusement for an offsite Corporate Event. The drivers arrived on…read moretime and had the games set up in no time. They were efficient. The games were durable and held up for the event. Even though we were stalled on booking our games (due to the Venue needed to help with the layout), Luiza was still openly optimistic about helping us and in the end we got all the games we wanted. We opted for Ring Toss, Giant Checkers and Clowning Around (Bean Bag Target type of game - see photo). Except for the Giant Checkers, the prices are fairly reasonable. Please note that someone else may think that the price was reasonable...it's all subjective. Here's What I Think.... They have a ton of games from which to choose. If you're in the market for arcade/carnival type games, please give them a try.

I sent in a proposal asking for specific games and pricing, as well as corporate graphics and…read morewraps, and included the location of the event. Despite the website and all socials stating they service the West Coast and listing Seattle, WA and Portland, OR both as one of their cities, they emailed back stating that Washington was out of their service range. I emailed a screenshot of their website and asked if that was another company or perhaps only certain games, and was told the following: "For your information, our office and warehouses are located in San Francisco, CA. While we do serve the Washington, Oregon, and Nevada areas, please note that due to the extended travel distance, our minimum one-day rental for events in Washington is $18,500 plus delivery." Needless to say, I would not suggest using them.

Photos
Video Amusement - Giant Checkers

Giant Checkers

Video Amusement - Clowning Around

Clowning Around

Video Amusement - Video Amusement's Arrival - Worker Setting Up.

See all

Video Amusement's Arrival - Worker Setting Up.

Book Bay Bookstore - media - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...