I love third place's concept and having a neighborhood bookstore, however today was the second time I've sold books where I was treated as if I was wasting the employees time. Mind you that today I was the only person selling books at that time and one of maybe five customers in the store, considering it was during the super bowl. I would not recommend selling your books here unless you don't mind being treated poorly, and being placed in an awkward situation. Will make the effort to drive to the LFP location next time, and hope for better service. read more

The "new" good: It has the old, good components packed in too tightly together... Another person wrote below: "What used to be a perfect "third place" is now a great bookstore, a great pub and a good cafe all under one roof. That doesn't sound terrible, you say. It isn't. It just isn't magical any more." With a bit of design - and heart, -- this could be a better third place. Even magical again. It is a great great book store, with caring employees laying out books on a multi-aisle "recommended" shelf " with heartfelt han-written recommendations. But the coffee and laptop area is very very tight, and too crowded for the two-seater tables to really have a personal conversation...All of us who left ear buds at home were forced to listen to the deeply personal one taking place. The (nice) cafe has expanded into an area that also used to serve writers and dreamers so they could hover over coffee. It expanded Im sure to have enough tables to make money. But the entire store is too small for the combo of books, money-earning cafe with entrees, and writers and dreaming over their coffees. There is no longer a group meeting area that I could find - its just TIGHT in there. It is thrumming - post-lunch, with a stressed out counter person asking, "can I help you?"...CAN I HELP YOU !?!" as I cast around, taking in that the area I'd hoped to have coffee in that was now dining, wondering whether to order coffee and pastry because there didn't seem to be any place to sit. There are other great cafes in spaces actually designed for them just down the street. I just wish we could have our lower-key areas back here. Third Place was not designed as a get rich concept....must it squish all of these things together? read more

Based on the idea that everyone has their "third place" (not work or home) where they spend time, third place books isn't just an indie bookstore with comfy chairs and an espresso bar. They serve a full cafe/bakery menu for breakfast and lunch, and host some fun events for their patrons. The staff wants to make you feel at home in your third place, and it shows. read more

Don't sell your books here. Amazon does a nice job of book sales and you won't get ripped off because you sell the books at the price point you want -- and if people buy, you send it-- if not, then you keep it until it gets sold. I took in three boxes of books to these people and they took 9 of them, giving me 9 dollars of store credit. I took the remaining books and began moping around the house when my wife said: "How about you put them on Amazon?" So I did. All 46 of them. Not all of them sold. But the ones that did netted me $142.56. Do I like having to go about things this way? No. I would prefer Third Place gives me a fair price for my materials. I prefer that they dont cherry pick what they want and give me back the rest, but whatever. I understand it's business. However, it is a failed business model -- and that type of thing is exactly what will prevent me from purchasing there in the future. I want to keep business in my community, but the fact of the matter is that Amazon is also in my community. Hate me if you will, but its just commerce. read more

This used to be one of my favorite places in seattle. I'd walk my dog here, tie him up outside, run in and get an egg sandwich from honeybear and peruse the used books while I waited. Now it's all fancy with hard wooden seating, a greek restaurant with waitstaff, and no more room to just hang. Also I tried to sell some books here the other day and they only wanted a few of them...I think they are moving away from the used book model and trying to sell more expensive new books. You ruined a good thing. read more

This place has a great outdoor section for reading your purchases on a sunny day. And if it's raining you can go to the cute cafe at the back of the store. I have found some good stuff here, the used is mixed in w/ the new. I think it's worth checking out. read more

I'll start this review by stating that at one time, Ravenna Third Place Books was not only my favorite bookstore, but also a place I frequented to meet up with friends and drink coffee or even have a beer. Those days are long gone. Although I appreciate having a pub in the basement of my local bookstore, I'd rather have a friendly staff to interact with. Trying to sell books at this location is unnecessarily difficult, so much so that despite living three blocks away, I drive up to the Lake City. Also, if you head to this location looking to buy a particular book, there's a good chance they won't have it new or used (best to call first). I'm giving Ravenna Third Place Books two stars because of it's convenient location, and because they sell used books. Otherwise, I don't recommend this bookstore. read more

Came here a couple of times. They have a great section for kids. The last time I came there so so many kids just laying down reading books. They have a restaurant in the back which is nice to get some food or coffee. Great collection of used books too. They have other nicknacks sold there. Overall a great stop in the Ravenna neighborhood. read more

Awesome place to find all the 2nd hand books I'm looking for! Def. my favorite bookstore in Seattle.. The whole place has a good vibe, excellent selection, helpful employees, & a yummy cafe! The only thing that kind of stinks is the parking situation during the evenings or weekend but even still, this place rocks out. read more

Your LFP Big Brother is truly a 3rd place- while you are simply a place that comes in third, or fourth or last place. Selection? meh. Staff? meh. Ambiance? meh. I agree with Tom and others about the prices of the used books. Puh-lease. read more

This place is intensely friendly and has an awesome vibe. A good selection of books, pretty good food at the cafe in the back (I haven't tried the pub yet), and a beautiful area in which to sit outside. It's more than just a bookstore, it's a great place to go and spend some quiet time, with friends or just by yourself. read more

How sweet is this place? All of the best stuff in one place, bakery, books and beer. The bookstore portion is adequate but you're probably not going to find everything your looking for. Good food and bakery items in a bright open space at one end of the store. There were some fiddlers jamming when I was there. Downstairs is the pub with a great local selection of beers on tap. Invite your friends for coffe or beer or lunch or dessert; sit inside or out. This place has something for all of them read more

Enjoyed browsing the shelves at this spacious used and new book store. Left wanting four books but trying to be satisfied with only buying two. Remember to bring your own bag, as in most of Seattle, and check out the beautiful card and notebooks selection too. read more

Yay! I 'm a fan too.iBut when I tried to sell a $65 Giorgia O'Keeffe used book in good contain they offerred $8. Sold it on Amazon for $25,

This place is like the archetype of everything you want a neighborhood (or any, for that matter) bookstore to be. The space is filled with oak bookshelves filled with books - new, used, audio, magazines, children's books, and on and on. This is no megastore, so they don't have every book in stock on site, but they can get a copy of whatever you're looking for in a day or two (maybe from their gargantuan Lake City store?). But better than any mega store, their staff are knowledgeable and seem genuinely happy to be there. The store hosts author reading events and Magic Monday once a month. Good space to chill out and read and sip coffee by the restaurant in back, and that same restaurant is a great bet if all that reading works up an appetite. Neighborhood gem. read more

This is a small bookstore with a great selection. I assume the proximity to the UW while still being a residential, non-undergraduate neighborhood means that Ravenna is full of really smart people with great taste in books. I am basing this about 95% on the used book selection at Ravenna Third Place books. I have discovered new (to me) authors there just by looking for bargains and browsing the shelves, only later to find out they are highly respected authors. I.e. there are no randoms here! love it! read more

I've always loved to come here. How amazing is it to see used books next to new ones and pick out the best price? They had always carried an excellent collection of new and used, the recommendations from staff are always welcome, and the air of cozy comfort is palpable. They have a little area where you can read, use computer (they have wi-fi), just hang out. They used to have a bakery but now they have Vios, which is a greek eatery. They had retained the bakery part, too, added gelato, added a bar with happy hour from 4:30-6 pm downstairs (I'm told beer is good but I don't drink beer), which has awesome food. Try a squash salad with caramelized onions, it's to die for. The area upstairs can get a bit hectic - it's a popular place for families, and unfortunately it is also the only place that has coffee but you can bring your coffee cup downstairs to get some peace from the youngsters. Er, I sound old. I'm not... I just like my books and coffee in peace! And you will get it here. read more

I want the OLD Third Place-Ravenna back! The idea of a "Third Place" is a place to go that isn't home or shopping, but a place to relax and just "be." This used to be the place I would take visitors from out-of-town to proudly show them the "Seattle way" of taking life simply and being civilized. Not any more! Now I avoid it like the plague. Someone did a redesign. The Feng Shui is all wrong, and there is no "Third Place" about it. Before, you could get something at Honey Bear in the light, airy area in the back, sit at the fireplace if it was cold, hear music on Fridays, listen to a book reading, bring your computer, and be there all afternoon or evening if you liked. Now, Honey Bear and the open tables with wi-fi and electric plugins have been replaced with a pricey dark restaurant. If you want to use the restroom you have to apologize to them. That is, unless you can manage to navigate the bookshelf maze and find the separate entrance. (It's on the east.) There's a space with tables on the west side of the building with large windows. You're told not to offend the restaurant by bringing your own food (sacrilege) or sitting there for any length of time. So no one sits there at all. Sad. As if to complete the darker motif, the bookshelves are two feet taller and closer together. No chance of seeing your friends across the top. So now when you enter you see three unjoined and very unwelcoming spaces - (1) a dark book warehouse (w small area for children near the front); (2) a secret dark, pricey restaurant in the back; and (3) the well-lighted tables not used on the side. Gives me shivers just to be there. Obviously designed to maximize profits without considering what would draw people in to begin with. I hope they go broke! Go instead to either Third Place in Lake Forest Park, or Crossroads in Bellevue. read more

Lemonade is fake but it says fresh on sign. Falafel says hummus but it's like a creamy sauce that is questionable and likely contains dairy of some sort. 1 star for inaccurate menu. Also cashier touched mouth part of straw with his hands and the cooks do not wear gloves which is disgusting. read more

Coolest bookstore in Seattle. I'm not a bookstore connoisseur but this is better than the feel of Eliot Bay and HPB. I do love HPB though. It's a really chill, woodsy, natural feeling bookstore. I could have spent hours. I got a neat limited-ish-edition of 1Q84 and a keyring that is a sheep LED. It bleats and everything. It is a little amazing. read more

Great science fiction and fantasy section. YA section could be better.

Really cozy bookstore and coffee shop despite its decent square footage. My mocha was on the stronger side but still good. As someone who never drove past 15th, this is a sweet find. read more

I have had really good help here. Above and beyond. Like giving me a discount when I wasn't able to access the online coupon/discount via facebook. Fun environment for life-long learners. Good place to hang out and absorb or find your book and run. I didn't give it five stars because on some occasions I am completely ignored but at other times the service is great. My overall impression is four stars. The environment is just so satisfying. Cozy and stimulating. Very good book selection of new and used. And there's even food and cool gadgety toys like a chip clip that looks like a pig and oinks. read more

Wow, a phenomenal bookstore with great design all the way down to the bike rack. Good selection of books used and new and decent prices. Plenty of places to sit and enjoy a book before buying. Old worn hardwood floors, table tops made from massive gnarled pieces of wood, a fireplace, and the Honeybear Bakery top it off. Lookin' forward to listening to the music and storytellers sometime soon. read more

I really enjoy Third Place Books in this location. There is a parking lot (plus!!), a great restaurant and pub, a great area for computer work, and a great seleciton of new and used books. I have had extremely great customer service here as well. The only downfall is the size; I wish it was larger. The used books are in good condition and are very fairly priced. I come back to this place again and again - whether with friends for coffee and conversation, or for an hour of browsing the spines by myself. read more

Quite possibly one of my favorite places in all of Seattle. It's a bookstore/cafe/pub. My three favorite things all in one place. I loved grabbing a cup of coffee while reading a book, then exploring their endless sections which contained great reviews. All of this was followed by food and drinks downstairs! read more

I went there one day to use the cafe's free wireless and ordered a sandwich while I was there. It was delicious!! The meat was cooked perfectly, the sauce was delicious. My only complaint is that it was way too small - I could easily have had two sandwiches that size for a real lunch. Considering the size, I thought the price was pretty steep. The pub is pretty nice, it seemed filled with intellectuals engaging in discussions of the latest books they had read over a beer. They had good beers on tap but nothing cheap. Its a great bookstore too. Overall the whole place has a great cozy feel to it - definitely the perfect place to sit and read over some good coffee or beer. read more

Been here twice and I found exactly what I was looking for both times...Great selection of travel books and language phrase books for international travelers. Their parking lot is often jammed, but finding parking on the street hasn't been a problem. The adjoining restaurant seems VERY popular although I've not tried it yet. Only downer - they don't accept American Express. read more

5 star for ambience - choose from a variety: outdoor patio, indoor by the books, indoor by the windows, cafe-style, & bar downstairs!

Though not as large as its cousin in Lake Forest Park, the Ravenna TPB still has a lot to offer--free wireless, a bright cafe with solid wooden tables, computers for your use (don't know if you have to pay to use them), and a good selection of new and used books. A few little corners to sit and read on stools or benches. They also buy/trade books. It's a good place to spend a Saturday afternoon. read more

Great, surprisingly large bookstore. Nice atmosphere. New and used books, interspersed, so sometimes you can find a used version of what you want, which is always nice. Fun kids' section, good staff picks, great selection of books. I'll be coming here over and over again! read more

This place is very cute and has a warm atmosphere. It's not a big bookstore but I can find books which interest me. If you sell and buy books on the same day, you get 10% discount from the purchase. So I tend to buy some new books again...I also like the cafe adjacent to the bookstore. It's the same wooden style and I like it. read more

Don't forget about the STORYTELLERS! I love them! Every Saturday at 11 am, a different storyteller every week. Kids of all ages and their families are invited to enjoy and listen. Our favorite is Debbie Deutsch with her storydrawing and the way she lets the kids become part of the story! We also like Suzy Irwin and her puppets too. I tell lots of stories to my kids, so we are always looking for this kind of enriching entertainment. We found it at Third Place Books in Ravenna! read more

I'm not sure I would enjoy living in the neighborhood half as much if they weren't there... we go a few times a week and buy most of our books there. I love that my daughter will have this bookstore as a part of her childhood memories. Thank you Third Place! read more

I think every neighborhood should have a local bookstore like this. This place is small, intimate and has a pub! What other bookstore can say that? Who needs mega-gigantic Barnes and Noble or McAmazon? read more

I love the bar and variety if beer and little beer snacks they offer.I am not a big fan of their food: too much vinegar in deeps, burgers are average and most of foods are a little overpriced.What a really enjoy is a cozy, old fashioned atmosphere. read more

This place has a cool cafe and pub atmosphere. Definitely would recommend that part. They buy used books like HPB, but their selection is surprisingly limited. I looked at the Sexuality section in particular, and it was really small and sad. I always judge a bookstore by the quality of sexuality reading. read more

This is a neat place. It's laid out like a mini shopping mall, but has more character. There's a food court and used book store on the top floor. I didn't eat here, but the I can say that the coffee shop has good hot cocoa. It was just what I needed after coming in out of the cold :-). I spent most my time in the book store. I probably could have spent all day browsing in there. I liked the topic variety and that the books were mostly newer. The bottom floor has a few shops, a gym, and a library. I got my library card. Yay. read more

I love that this is a gathering place for any kind of situation: coffee, beers (downstairs) and kid friendly. Always feels like a home away from home. The food is great too. We love breakfast here on the weekends. read more

My favorite place to go on my day off. I love the people. The staff are awesome. Its very laid back and calm. Great food.