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Green Apple Books

4.6 (1.5k reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Green Apple Books Photos

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Elma C.

This bookstore is a part of San Francisco's cultural backbone. As a local, I visit whenever I am in the neighborhood. I love: * The maze like layout where people get lost (in a good way). Note: sections are still clearly labeled because - duh, it's a bookstore. * "Staff picks" culture - handwritten notes with brief book highlights that help select the right fiction or non-fiction book * Used books are upstairs and for those interested in them - be prepared to spend at least an hour here. * Notebooks, cards, pens, miscellaneous items? Also available!

Greeting Cards
Eli L.

This place is bigger than I expected. Turn the corner, more books, up the steps, then up a stair case, second floor more books! They have a big selection of new and used books. They have a big selection of kids books too. They also sell unique board games and greeting cards. I enjoyed browsing this store, what a great find!

Bob K.

This place was pretty amazing. It has a relatively narrow storefront that belies how much space is inside, on two floors. It's mostly used books, but not entirely. There are rooms off of rooms, and two different staircases (which could use some new anti-slip protection), so you have to look around thoroughly. I found an upstairs room with history books just as I thought I had seen all of it. It's like a smaller version of Powell's. They even have store merch. The place is incredibly dense with shelves, kind ndof the opposite of bookstores that I've reviewed recently, where the books face out. That means it can be overwhelming. Some additional labelling or a map would be useful, but there were plenty of employees to ask where certain sections are. The front left side as you enter is a huge art section, films and travel upstairs front, fiction and sci fi upstairs back, and so on. If you're in a hurry, then you better ask. They have a monthly book club too, and you can order stuff online easily.

Upstairs
Leilua L.

This is the biggest used and new bookstore I've ever been in! I spent two hours in there so if you are visiting from out of town like me then give yourself time. They have every genre of books, I loved all their used selection and it's very well organized. Has an upstairs and a pretty extensive children's section as well. Merchandise for purchase as well and overall just a fantastic experience and I LOVED this bookstore! Overall GREAT selection and GREAT prices! Check it out

Drew P.

A ton of variety of different books, some of which get discounted. Giving out free "special" whistles and pamphlets is a nice touch. I would come back.

Roxane P.

Always love this place. Favorite bookstore. On a beautiful Sunday, discounted books outside called our names. Walked in, greeted kindly. The kid wanted to see the children's books- great! Straight to the back we went... Love this area. It was a little messier than usual with some toys on the floor, but it's to be expected for a Sunday afternoon. The kid could peruse at her leisurely and asked for help when needed something higher. I grabbed a few books for her that I knew I'd purchase for her home library. We sat together to look over them briefly. As she looked at books on her own she said, "this is fun!" My thoughts, exactly. We purchased a calendar, two children's activity books, and 4 children's books including a Greek mythology book all for less than $50. Mind you, 2-3 books were on sale, as was the 2025 calendar. The employee apologized that there was no cardboard at the bottom of the store bag to hold it open but that's okay! I told them it's fine and that I like that it's orange for Giants! To which the worker exclaimed "I'm sure that's no coincidence!" :) great, friendly service. I don't think I've ever experienced poor quality service or any bad attitudes here. Already said it but green apple books is a favorite.

Inside
Bisan A.

Was recommend Green Apple Books after someone saw me carrying around a bag from another amazing bookstore in SF. I'm glad I listened to their recommendation. Green Apple is huge and offers a wide and varied selection of new and used books. Maybe even more fun than browsing their books is getting lost in the maze-like store. You'll stumble across aisles upon aisles of every genre you could imagine. A fantastic bookstore that everyone should check out.

Tina K.

This is the browsing kind of bookstore where you can completely lose track of time. They have so many books organized in sections throughout the store. They have great sale books in the front if you are ready for a treasure hunt with lots of bargains. Employees here are always nice and helpful. Take the creaky stairs up and they have games and other little gifts. Such a cute place to wander around and find a few books you never knew you needed.

Stairs in the back of the store with cool posters
Gabe Y.

Fantastic place to look at books. Wide selection of different books, games, and little trinkets throughout the store made it so nice to travel and browse through. They really have a book for anyone and their selection is super organized. I'd come back here anytime to support the friendly staff.

Martin K.

For booklovers and families who need a place for the kids to explore, this is a great spot to spend the day. It's like a multi-floor haven, full of extensive collection of used and new books. I love that I can find books that I always wanted to read in the used section. In good condition too! What sets this place apart is the sprawling space above with sections caterring to all literary tastes. A large section for used but interesting tabletop books as well. It's such a homey treasure trove for book enthusiasts! My favorite part is the sale sectio in the back. From fiction to non-fiction, classics to contemporary, I love finding new books to read there. The big kids book section in the area seal the deal for us! And of course, the staff are passionate and ready to assist you finding your next literary adventure!

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Great selection and knowledgeable staff. A must visit for any book lover when in San Francisco!

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Green Apple Books Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Green Apple Books

Do they sell manga here?

We have a small selection of Manga. We used to have a bigger section, but sales declined to the point where we only stock the most in-demand titles. You can always order from our website (even things that aren't in the store right now) for pickup or… Read more

Do you guys accept donations? Like old magazines?

Thanks for offering, but we do not accept donations. Ask the Friends of the SF Public Library or Goodwill, perhaps?

Are dogs allowed inside?

Yes I've taken my dog in there multiple times, the staff are very welcoming of dogs

View All 4 Questions

Review Highlights - Green Apple Books

Also, the annex has an extremely carefully hand-picked record collection chock-full of new and rare vintage used vinyl.

Mentioned in 65 reviews

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City Lights - The staircase leading upstairs to the main floor.

City Lights

4.4(817 reviews)
3.3 miChinatown
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One of the neatest bookstores in the US. The Poetry room upstairs is wonderful. So much fun…read morehistory here to learn about. And this bookstores has some amazing staff book recommendations with little tags on the bookshelf telling you why they loved that book so much; found some great new finds that way. Dont forget to get your books stamped with their bookstores stamp on the way out!

An amazing bookstore and so glad I asked chatGPT to give me some ideas for a stroll around SF near…read moreUnion Square. Well, ok, this place isnt close to Union Sq, about a mile away, but it was a perfect delicious end destination for a post dinner stroll! I like bookstores and I like eclectic, unique ones. I'll go to Barnes & Noble if I had no other choice, but my favorite bookstores are independent ones and ones where they carry very unique books you can't find elsewhere. This bookstore made my inner little nerdy self so happy. I immediately got lost up front looking at very recent publication by Ai Weiwei. I then wandered onto the main floor and found an entire section of Asian works, which you will not find at B&N. I also found books from Norwegian writers too which I had never seen before, which thrilled me. I then made my way up to their attic floor which is dedicated to poetry and seems I just missed Allen Ginsberg's Howl centennial celebration. Ugh! I then came back down and then proceeded to their basement section and again I was quite pleasantly surprised by the depth and breadth of Asian themed books they had. They had plenty of the Chinese classics in English and found so many different versions of Journey to the West, I was completely overwhelmed. And then, saw an entire section on Africa and I had to fight hard to not pick up a copy of a book titled Prison Letters, which is a collection of Mandela's letters while imprisoned. I ultimately settled on two books by Ai Weiwei as he has continued to inspire me to be proud, to not conform, to be brave, to speak up, to be authentically and unapologetically me, to honor my ancestry and to push boundaries and to fight for what matters. And it just so happens too that my Chinese give name is also Weiwei. I loved coming to this bookstore and it will definitely be on rotation for me when I am in SF again.

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City Lights - Downstairs

Downstairs

City Lights - The upstairs location of the bookstore.

The upstairs location of the bookstore.

City Lights - The bottom floor that you have to go downstairs to.

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The bottom floor that you have to go downstairs to.

Dog Eared Books - Interior

Dog Eared Books

4.3(322 reviews)
2.9 miMission
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While visiting the city of San Francisco came across Dog Eared Books and decided to stop in to see…read morewhat they had to offer. The bookstore was small and pretty busy with customers reading and selecting books to purchase. I walked around the bookstore to see what would catch my eye and they had so many good books to choose from. Walked over to their clearance section and found two books that peaked my interest. Ended up purchasing, the portrait of Dorian Grey and animal farm. They we're both a steel at a discounted price. These two books were on my list of books that I've been wanting to read, and now they have been added to my personal library. The employees here are welcoming and friendly. They are also very busy, keeping the store while organized and appealing to the eye.

The coolest bookstore I've ever been to!…read more My friend and I were on a mission for books to add to our "to-read" lists, and found this really cool store via google. It's nice to see small business bookstores doing so well, because it was really busy here! I wish we had more businesses like this where we're from. Small inside, but room to navigate around. I loved the Staff Picks and science fiction sections the best. There's also a decent fiction selection as well. At check-out, we ended up getting 4 books each! So there are some really great finds here. We'll definitely come back! This was such a fun shopping experience.

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Dog Eared Books - Come on in

Come on in

Dog Eared Books - Inside (2/2/25)

Inside (2/2/25)

Dog Eared Books

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Medicine for Nightmares - Front counter

Medicine for Nightmares

4.3(82 reviews)
3.5 miMission
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Support Independent Bookstores! They are a valuable resource. This bookstore has been our local…read morefavorite ever since Alley Cat Books had the building. The current owners hosted our nephew's High School Spoken Word event, inside the rear gallery/event space. That being said, it is sad to report that the current manager/owners are rude. It's a very passive-aggressive type of rude. They seem to not want to talk to customers. Any eye contact is the evil-eye variety that reads: "what are YOU doing here?" I felt like I'd crashed a party where the hosts were angry at me just for showing up, and trying to get me to leave ASAP. Recently, I was paying at the register, and I attempted a friendly comment on the jazz record they were playing ("Charles Mingus, right? He's the coolest!"). No response; 50-yard stare like I wasn't even there. Gimme your money and leave. Too bad, because it's a great space, good selection of new/used books. But I'd feel gross handing over any more of my hard-earned money.

This establishment prides itself as a "community friendly" space yet I, a Latina native San…read moreFranciscan was not greeted kindly in this store. They are in a predominately Latino neighborhood yet I felt judged in there. Probably performative activists that work here but I'd rather give my money to a large corp where at least their friendly with me than this independent bookstore.

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Medicine for Nightmares - Outside

Outside

Medicine for Nightmares - Books on religion

Books on religion

Medicine for Nightmares - Art gallery

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Art gallery

Christopher's Books - Outside

Christopher's Books

4.7(134 reviews)
4.0 miPotrero Hill
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Bookstores come and go in San Francisco. This bookstore located in Potrero Hill has been around for…read moredecades. This bookstore location became famous in the movie "Sweet November". The Charlize Theron character lived Nextdoor on the same block as the Christopher Bookstore (featured in the movie). Inside there a good selection of variety of books from different perspectives. The decor has a feel of historic and modern San Francisco. This bookstore has a diverse book collection that are insightful and creative A bookstore is great for tourists, transplants and even for a San Francisco native

I LOVE small bookshops! This one on the corner in Potrero Hill (SF) is adorable! We hadn't…read moreplanned on it, we had dinner at the French Restaurant across the street. ( Chez Maman -also sublime ). Anyway, after dinner we decided to check out Christopher's Books. . It was kind of busy for a weeknight, which is so cool. Love that people like to peruse books, actually feel books in their hand and turn pages. you are my people. So I walked the whole book store, they have a tiny children's section, my sister who is a teacher, and a new grandma , settled there and bought a few books. I saw a book that I had heard about (All Fours) and heard the author interviewed on the radio, I picked it up and settled on it. I love that they have little handwritten cards describing some of the books and that there are employees picks, and what they liked about the book. When we went up to make our purchases, that is when I learned of Jimmy Carter's death. ( he had died that day and I hadn't yet heard ). There was a little handwritten card with his books at the counter and the card said, Jimmy Carter - 1924-2024. I said, "Oh my God did Jimmy Carter die?" We chatted about what a wonderful man he was, dignified, honest, his service to the people, the Habitat for Humanity legacy. His love for his wife who had preceded him ..... I digress. Anyway, if you're in the neighborhood, and you love books, and quaint spaces, check it out!

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Christopher's Books - Inside

Inside

Christopher's Books
Christopher's Books - The sign outside Christopher's Books

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The sign outside Christopher's Books

Green Apple Books - musicvideo - Updated May 2026

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