As she pored over census data and American Booksellers Association guidelines to help her decide if opening a bookstore in the Astoria section of Queens, N.Y., was feasible, Lexi Beach repeatedly reached the same conclusion. "I kept wondering why someone hadn't opened a store here already," she said. "And then I realized that if I don't do it, someone else will."
Beach, along with her wife and co-owner, Connie Rourke, will open Astoria Bookshop later this month, in an approximately 1,200-square-foot location just down the block from the Broadway N/Q subway stop. When finished, the space will feature floor-to-ceiling shelves along the walls, with movable display tables throughout.
The store will offer a wide range of general-interest titles. Given the concentration of artists and actors in Astoria, the bookshop will have a larger-than-average drama and performing arts section. Based on what sells and what the community asks for, Beach said she'll adjust the inventory as needed. She reads broadly, with a particular interest in literary fiction and literary fantasy, and a passion for cookbooks. To choose inventory for genres in which she is not so well-versed, Beach has called on several local writers to help. Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier, both comics writers, will help Beach select YA books and graphic novels. Zora O'Neill, a travel writer, will curate the travel section.
Beach, who formerly worked for online music retailer eMusic.com, plans to collaborate with "as many local businesses and community members as we possibly can," and already the neighborhood has shown an outpouring of support. Recently, after the floor-to-ceiling shelves were delivered, Beach needed to move them so that the contractors could continue to work. It couldn't be done without help, and so she put out an open call for volunteers on the store's Facebook and Twitter pages.
"A ton of people showed up, just to help us with some heavy lifting," Beach recounted. The move went faster than she anticipated, and not long after closing and leaving the store, she received a call on her cell phone. "It was from a pizzeria around the corner; they said they'd brought pizza for everyone helping to move."
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| Lexi Beach and Connie Rourke proudly show off the keys to their new bookstore. | |
Beach and Rourke are partnering with Faye Skandalakis, owner of the Story Nook. Skandalakis operates an extensive, online children's bookstore, along with a pop-up shop in Astoria. She and the Story Nook also appear frequently at book fairs, fundraisers and school events. Under the partnership, Astoria Bookshop and the Story Nook intermix their inventories and co-sponsor author and book events. Among other community partnerships, Beach has been in talks with Newtown Literary, a Queens-focused literary magazine, and hopes to bring in brewers from Astoria's Singlecut Beersmiths for some events. Petals & Roots, a florist's shop next door, will display floral and gardening books that customers can buy from Astoria Bookshop.
In early July, Beach created an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise a small portion of the money needed to open the store. She reached her goal of $4,000 in only four days. At present, the campaign has raised more than $5,700, with 11 days left. To create perk-packages for backers, Beach enlisted the help of local authors, chefs and friends of the store. Backers who give $70, for example, can claim the "Read Local: Foodie Edition" perk, a bundle of Astoria-focused cookbooks and food guides (chef Michael Psilakis of Astoria's MP Taverna agreed to donate cookbooks). The $100 "Books & Bones" perk gives donors a private tour of the fossil halls at the American Museum of Natural History, led by a friend of the store and book lover who works at the museum.
The neighborhood's generosity has continued to impress Beach. Last week, a local couple offered to donate several moving dollies, no strings attached. "The community wants this," said Beach. "It's really been a community effort." --Alex Mutter