While exploring LA's Arts District someone suggested that I check out The Last Bookstore then…read morehesitated when I asked if I could walk there. I could, she said, but with temperatures approaching 100 degrees and the possibility of walking through some seriously uncharming blocks, she suggested that I might not wish to. I walked there anyhow and all was fine. The Last Bookstore is quite a treat, especially if you take the time to head to the second floor. It's on this floor where you'll find a plethora of intriguing artwork as well as a mind-boggling array of used books. What else might you find? A porthole constructed of books, a tunnel constructed of books, and a sitting room where you'll be surrounded by books about infamous murderers. (I might be wrong on that last one, but while I sat in that room, those were the books I saw). There's so many used books up there that I found myself having to move a stack of books just to get to the stack behind it that I wanted to root through. Thousands upon thousands of used books and yes, I did make a purchase. Coming back down to the main floor it was impossible not to notice the concert happening on a big platform in the center of the place. Couches surround the area and for a short while I sat and enjoyed the show. Soon I was asked to move as they were reconfiguring things for a sound bath experience being offered shortly (unlike the concert, the sound bath was not free). So there's a ton of stuff going on here and the place is something to see and experience. I'd not make a special trip here were I not somewhat nearby but if you're in the Arts District, Little Tokyo, or heading to Grand Central Market, you're rather nearby and The Last Bookstore is a great place to explore.

Super cool book store that feels endless. Full of unique art and character…read more A must stop while visiting LA to take in the vibes, history and snag an affordable book! My friend and I had so much fun just walking around and discovering all of the cool visual art at every turn!

**DO NOT GO HERE**…read more Insanely rude. I've never heard anything so unnecessarily disrespectful like this before in my life from any professional. I called and very politely asked a simple question of how much a ps5 repair typically costs for power issues. Like if the issue was the power supply unit how much does that cost, ballpark assuming of course they have fixed PS5 consoles in the past. He responded and said "OK put your PS5 on the phone dude" and started laughing, mocking me and getting rude for absolutely no reason like I was crazy to ask this question. If you want to say "prices vary" or something that's fine. But he chose to be an absolute jerk. And obviously has no actual experience or would rather pull you into higher prices than you could otherwise get. So instead he just chose to just be rude and mocking. I called back to tell a manager about the attitude (hardly ever do this) and same guy picked up the phone, pretended to be the manager and very sarcastically said "oh no please do go on." I was stunned. I have no idea how someone like this works in any job requiring customer service or any job at all really. Just a miserable, despicable employee that acts like a middle school bully. Very likely the same employee that the person in the review right before this left. Nobody should ever go to this store. There are much better options who treat customers with respect and are actually helpful like Game & Video right on Vermont in the same area.

I'm not a modern gamer, but I still play more video games than I'd like to admit. Mostly the…read moreclassics, from when home consoles became a thing. 8 bit Nintendo! Which is exactly what I liked about this store. Plenty of NES titles at reasonable prices. And while I usually buy most of these online, I found the prices to be comparable. At least for the one's I was eyeing. Adventures Of Bayou Billy, Dr Mario, and Skate Or Die. Yet ultimately went with the first one mentioned. The cartridge worked great on the first try. No glitchy, pixelated, or blank screen whatsoever. I always give them a cleaning with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol before inserting for the first time. And found this one to be pretty clean. The QTips usually look like I've dipped them in ink afterwards. Not here though. Wonder if they clean them beforehand? Yes, I could have possibly saved a few bucks buying online, but for various reasons I wanted to support this business. Which has been around for quite some time. Also I found the vibe here to be way more chill, compared to the recent GameStops I've been to. The music playing here was really cool as well.

TRENDY LITTLE STORE w/ GREAT FINDS! Central Library's "The Library Store" is a current,…read morewell-stocked gift shop with buzzy reads and stylish merch. I loved seeing their pocket-sized collection from their genre-specific books to celebrity finds. I spotted a Chappel Roan book among other favorites. Additionally, they had a selection of Heated Rivalry novels and other fan-favorites. I definitely see myself coming here more often, too bad my booklist is currently full. My Mom and I got a few items (a small version of Macbeth, socks, mug, etc.). Staff were pretty polite but a little awkward, I think they're on high-alert for shoplifters. The store was neat and tidy. Lighting was dim and the store wasn't packed. As this is a gift shop in LA, library-specific merch is slightly pricy. However, the quality of the goods are great. If you're entering through the backside of the library go straight down the entrance hallway a bit and turn to your right. The Library Store is hard to miss!

I felt like a kid walking into a candy store while visiting this charming and well curated gift…read morestore in historic LA Central Library! When I heard the greeting, I said "im definitely walking out of here with a gift or two," I got four! And, why not? It feels good to support the Library and get something special too :)

Local and convenient dvd rental store with dvds for rent even before red box has the movie…read moreavailable! $2 for 1dvd or $5 for 3dvds. $3 for blue ray. I have been coming here for years and sometimes forget to bring cash and the owner will let me slide until next time. There is parking on the side of the building by the alley.

Nice video store near USC. Good selection of mainstream movies, new releases and Cine Mexicana…read more Videos are in excellent condition and they have a Blu ray section. No cost membership. This is my new video place!

Wrapping my books in political propaganda? Deeply disrespectful…read more I was genuinely shocked and disturbed when I opened my package. I had ordered three books by author Yoo Si-min, known for his thoughtful and progressive commentary--only to find them wrapped in the cover page of a far-right political magazine, Weekly Chosun, bearing the headline: "A Country That Can't Call a Spy a Spy." This wasn't just random packaging. It felt like a deliberate political jab--a form of ideological mockery or provocation. I didn't order propaganda. I ordered literature, and I expected it to arrive with at least a basic level of neutrality and respect for the buyer. Using a highly charged, partisan publication as packing material--especially one with such inflammatory language--is offensive and unacceptable. Whether intentional or not, this kind of packaging sends a clear message of disrespect toward customers who may not share the sender's political views. I strongly urge the seller to reconsider their packaging practices and avoid pushing any political materials--explicitly or implicitly--onto their buyers. This experience was upsetting and entirely inappropriate. 한국책을 읽고 싶을 때 종종 이 서점의 온라인샵을 이용을 했고 이번에도 택을 몇권 주문헸는데 이번에 책을 받아든 순간, 말 그대로 충격을 받았습니다. 제가 주문한 책은 유시민 작가의 책 세권이였는데, 포장지로 사용된 것이 다름 아닌 극우 성향 정치 주간지 '주간조선'의 표지, 그것도 "스파이를 스파이라 부르지 못하는 나라" 같은 민감한 정치 선전 문구가 적힌 표지였습니다. 이건 단순한 재활용이 아니라, 정치적 조롱이자 구매자에 대한 명백한 무례로 받아들여질 수밖에 없습니다. 저는 책을 주문했지, 정치 메시지를 주문한 게 아닙니다. 특히 이런 식의 정치 성향이 강한 매체로 포장한 것은 구매자를 의도적으로 불쾌하게 만들거나 정치적 입장을 강요하려는 행동처럼 보입니다. 책을 포장하는 데 있어 최소한의 중립성과 존중은 지켜야 하지 않습니까? 다시는 이 판매자에게서 어떤 물건도 주문하고 싶지 않으며, 다른 구매자 분들도 이 점 유의하시길 바랍니다.

I went into find the recent novel prize author, Han Kang's books. Seeing so many of them written by…read morethis author, I politely said to the middle age woman sitting at the register if I could ask a question. Before I even got to ask my question half way, she cut me off. Then she had really demeaning tone to answer completely wrong thing trying to educate me on what I already know. I said that's not my question if you would let me finish then she said WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION THEN? Incredibly rude and argumentative voice, and had this bitchy, disrespectful face all over her. My jaw dropped and I just walked out. Wow. How does she even have a business if she has no clue on providing a decent service. Must be a very angry, sad and miserable person. I wouldn't go here.

This is the Korean Christian bookstore. Very neat, very clean, good collection here. And so…read morepeaceful here. They have some cute stationary stuff here too as well as some English books. One book I was looking for wasn't here but the person quickly identified it and was able to ship to my address! Also Korean book covers are fire!! Typography and illustration is on another level. I appreciated it so much and was some good inspiration to me as a designer haha.

I don't recommend this place at all. I went to Korea last year and came home with the first two…read moreHarry Potter books in Korean. While in Korea, I didn't know that Incheon Airport would have shipping boxes for excess luggage, so when I thought I would be limited by just the space I left for souvenirs and other gifts in my bags, I could've bought all seven Harry Potter books. As you can tell by the town I'm in, I'm in the Bay Area. Here in the Bay, we don't have a lot of Korean bookstores, and the one I could find here didn't really focus on fiction/fantasy books. I found this place after searching the internet for "Korean bookstores in LA/SoCal." I called and asked the staff if they had Harry Potter. They said they didn't, but they told me that if I found some store back in Korea that had what I was looking for, they told me to email them the link or something and then they would order the books for me. When I pointed out that by that logic, if I could find a book by myself and then pay for the store to mail the books directly to me, customs and all, then I'd just be doing their job. The employee told me to "take it or leave it," and they acted completely shocked that I did leave.

This Kinokuniya is located by little Tokyo. I have no idea what it's like during the weekdays, but…read morethe weekends are packed full of people. Luckily, because of its large size, you don't feel too overwhelmed. They have an assortment of books, collectibles, arts & crafts, stationery and gift items. It's a really fun place to be in whether you're into anime, comics, reading or even journaling. It's your one stop place to shop. Definitely fun to roam around with friends, or even by yourself. It's clean, has plenty of air conditioning, and has a lot of things to view. Items at Kinokuniya can be a tad bit pricier, but it's understandable. I only wished that they had more fountain pens. Other than that, pretty cool bookstore to check out if you're in the area.

Kinokuniya is a Japanese bookstore chain founded in 1927 and this overseas location in Little Tokyo…read morewas temporarily closed in July 2025. The store used to be located on the 2nd floor of the Weller Court Shopping Center just above Marukai Market, but the bookstore recently reopened in a new space just across from the Weller Court Shopping Center in June 2026. The new space is twice as large as the previous space and this is currently the second largest Kinokuniya store in the United States. [Parking]: Aiso Parking Garage is across the street from the bookstore, but unfortunately it is now $1 per hour for the first two hours and $5 for each additional hour with a daily maximum of $18. $6 flat rate after 5 PM. [Selection]: The bookstore combines books, stationery, and gifts all in one place. There is a permanent corner for Studio Ghibli items with two giant plushies - Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service and Totoro from My Neighbor Totoro. The bookstore has an incredible S-tier art book selection with sample books available for visitors to flip through those pages. There is also a section of the bookstore for a pop-up exhibit and the July exhibit corner was showcasing special commemorative illustrations and comments from Steel Ball Run: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. [Conclusion]: Look some of the books they sell here will be a bit more expensive than just buying them online, but the quality of the selection here is absolutely top-notch. This is one of those bookstores where anime enthusiasts can wander around for more than an hour and browse through English/Japanese manga, magazines, and anime merchandise.

All you need to know is video Virgil is probably the last video store in LA proper. It's like a…read moretime machine. I pretended I was in the 80s the entire time I was there and nobody noticed.

Virgil video is an awesome place to rent for. They gave me my first membership when I was a…read moreTEENAGER! I'm not an teen anymore and still visit them. Movie rentals are super cheap. You can't find these prices around here anymore. Definitely recommend them. You can also call ahead and ask if they have the movie you want to see. Love this place!

Sega Pop-Up Shop @ Anime Jungle…read more I had a great time checking out the Sega Pop-Up Shop in Little Tokyo at Anime Jungle! The pop-up runs through August, and while the main focus is Sonic the Hedgehog, they also have merch from Persona and Yakuza. Going on a weekday with a friend was definitely the right move--we only had to wait a few minutes to get in. Upon entering, staff hands you a ticket, and employees closely monitor the room while you browse. The shop is exceptionally well-organized, making it fun to look through all the beautiful, high-quality items. Since almost everything is directly imported from Japan and hard to find in the U.S., the prices are definitely on the higher side, but the exclusivity makes it worth it. I couldn't resist picking up a miniature Shadow the Hedgehog plush! The only downside to the visit was the customer service at checkout. The two employees at the register were busy chatting with each other, so I eventually had to speak up to ask if I could check out. The employee who rang me up seemed annoyed by the interruption, skipped any friendly greetings or questions about my visit, and just handed over my item after scanning it. Despite that brief hiccup at the counter, the overall experience was super positive. It was so fun wearing my Sonic shirt, seeing all the Japanese exclusive merchandise, and taking in the atmosphere. I highly recommend swinging by before it closes at the end of the month!

Great selection but employees need a major adjustment…read more Stopped in shortly before closing to make a purchase and was told there was a $10 minimum for tap payments, since I had forgotten my wallet. No problem--I started looking for another item to add since I was planning to spend more anyway. As they started to announce the store was closing, I asked if I could quickly grab cash from a friend outside the store and was asked, "Can you do it in 3 minutes?" This same associate was managing the customers going in to the store and she seemed to have issues remembering people's faces. I understand the store was closing, but the interaction felt rushed and unwelcoming. I was still trying to make a purchase and likely would have bought additional items, but after being treated like an inconvenience, I decided to leave instead.