"Abandon despair, all ye who enter here", should be inscribed on top of the entrance to The Minster…read moreGate Bookshop. And yes, that's a positive take on the famous "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" of Dante's Inferno, for this place represents, in its entirety, the opposite to the Inferno's loss of hope. The Minster Gate Bookshop is a palace of wisdom, an oasis of knowledge, a refuge of hope and peace. When you walk up the stairs and see every single wall covered in the most magnificent old and modern tomes, you can't help but feel total and complete bliss. The selection of books in all floors is impeccable. It could take me or you days just browsing every shelf. I stumbled upon it on a visit to the Minster of York, the main attraction in town, but on a second visit the York Minster will be relegated to a secondary level of importance. My first stop will undoubtedly be The Minster Gate Bookshop!

A slanted, creaking world of antique books and maps can be found inches from the magnificent York…read moreMinster, tucked within a small alleyway. Having all at once the atmosphere of a bookshop, a museum, and an interesting relative's even more interesting house, the building provides a tranquil haven to become absorbed by fiction and history. The antiquarian volumes are breathtaking and cheaper editions can also be found for students stocking up for the new term. The History room is the loveliest, with an old desk and chair and battered old rug on the floorboards. The views out of the window are equally charming as the rooftops of the city reveal themselves like a Mary Poppins landscape.

Yorkshire Book Clearance Outlet is a great shop for cheap books, which I love as I'm a big reader…read moreand am always keen to buy bargain books. It's a sweet little shop absolutely crammed with cheap books, aka three for a fiver. My only complaint is that they're not in much of an order (such as alphabetical) so you have to have time and patience to weed through them until you find what you want.

Discount bookshop in the middle of "old York" which seemed a little out of place. But then, it was…read moresurrounded by other high street shops. What drew my eye was their selection of extremely cheap postcards. Where the other shops were selling for 50p each, this place was offering 3 for 50p. I bought a boatload to send back to friends in the States. (It's too bad the postage is still 97p each, lol) They had a good selection of discounted books and magazines too.

this is like a big newsagent, in town…read more the book selection is wellonly has the popular types or good for the students? has a good magazine section and video/dvd section upstairs. a costa coffee has been added, but i've never liked the costa coffes chains of coffee?? and it can't seem to shake the naff feel about it??? as everything seems over priced and nothing i see is of what i need???

This is quite a good Smiths in my opinion. They have lots of different books available. mainly…read morefiction. they also have a great section of books on York itself. well worth having a look! they also sell music CD's and dvd and of course magazines. They also have a Cafe but I havn't used it personally.

Travelling Man sells things like comics, clothing, and games. It's a nice shop and whoever is…read moreworking there is normally helpful, as I normally go in for a gift rather than for myself. Prices seem ok too and I just think it's a good shop as if you know anyone who loves comics/role play/games then you are bound to find something for them here.

From the owner: We feel passionate about comic books, boardgames and RPGs and we want you to feel the same. Our…read moregoal is to get everyone in the world to love at least one comic or game. We want to let the uneducated know that they're not just for kids. Comics can be about love, hate, politics, religion, life, death, anything. Sometimes stereotypical and sometimes the most amazing out-there pieces of literature you will every read. We want to bring comics from subculture to mainstream because we love 'em. We see boardgames and RPGs as activities which bring people together Face to Face rather than distant online events. They are about friendship, community and good old traditional fun! We run regular gaming events at all our stores, for more details just give us a call, we'd love to tell you about them :) We want to meet other people who feel the same and people who are just curious! We are a small independent business run by some of the friendliest people you will ever meet!

this store has video game for the ps2, ps3 dsi, ds, pc, psp, blueray dvds, and game console…read moreperipherals. the staff are very helpful and the it has a good and large selection of stock.

From the owner: Visit your local GAME Store in York and find awesome gaming deals now.read more

If you're in York, I recommend this shop if you're into journaling and crafting. Lots of blank…read moresketchbooks and journals, handmade paper and art supplies. I also picked up a calligraphy set as a gift. Such a lovely shop.

From the owner: Specialist paper shop, offering Italian, Nepalese, Indian & Japanese sheet paper, journals, photo…read morealbums, calligraphy supplies, lampshade making kits, paper pulp, origami papers, leather notebooks and many paper related gifts.