I remember as a nerdy kid, who would be excited by the thoughts of books and bookstores, being taken to Popular Bookstore and being unimpressed. Coming back a little older, I see that the place has a niche market all its own, that wasn't exactly meant to capture the silly little tyke I was back then.
I remember Popular being a lot bigger than it was now. Going into Popular's stairway entrance and passing by the numerous framed quotes and paintings and photos along the way you see what you're getting into, and it can be a little intimidating. Contrary to its name, few popular titles would be found here. It's a bookstore for intellectuals and academics and is quite unapologetic about it. They carry a lot of hard-to-find literature and many local publishers, which can be had at likely less of a cost than you would in the bigger bookstores.
Their second, "main" floor houses a lot of the books you'd end up getting, if any, though the third floor might be a little more interesting, with its bin of bargain books and a lot of other selections, among them beautiful, old hardbounds. With the more expansive space upstairs, they could probably stand to house workshops, or small zine and art collectives, or spoken word gatherings. Just a thought! read more