An integral part of New York University's Summer Publishing Institute is visiting independent bookstores in New York City. This year, four students wrote about their impressions of bookstores they visited, which they kindly have shared with Shelf Awareness. On Wednesday, we published Mallory Stock's report on The Ripped Bodice. Yesterday featured Alison Keiser's report on Greenlight Bookstore. Today we have Brianna Angeliz's report on The Strand. On Monday, we'll run another bookstore report.
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| Kat Pongrace (l.) and Walker Iversen speak with NYU Summer Publishing Institute students. (photos: Brianna Angeliz) | |
On a blazing hot day, my peers and I from the 2025 cohort of NYU's Summer Publishing Institute walked over to The Strand Book Store and were given a tour by Walker Iversen, events director, and Kat Pongrace, marketing director.
Even before we set foot inside, we had the opportunity to browse through carts of marked-down books. Once inside, we were met with tables of BookTok and staff picks. Everywhere you looked, reading recommendations were coming to life. My personal favorite was the "Blind Book Date" table, where titles were wrapped in white paper with a few handwritten clues--a fun way to read for book enthusiasts and new readers alike.
Kat began by telling us about the store's legacy: "The Strand first opened in 1927 on Fourth Avenue's Book Row, which had 48 used bookstores," she said. "We're the only one that survived, and we moved to this current location in the 1950s." Kat added that they've hosted "almost 100 events in just under two years"--from small gatherings to large public signings and readings.
We went upstairs for the rare book collection tour. On our way upstairs, we passed author signatures--including unexpected gems like Julia Fox and Sofia Coppola. The Strand is a magnet for cultural figures: Olivia Rodrigo, Bella Hadid, and Harry Styles, among many, many others, have stopped by.
The rare book room attracts a range of customers. "Rare book dealers come here from all over the world," Walker told us. The most impressive offering: a $120,000 edition of Ulysses by James Joyce that was illustrated and signed by Henri Matisse. The rare book room is popular in other ways: some couples host weddings in it.
Our tour extended through the Strand's internal workings: the offices, production department, web team, and meeting room. They ship six days a week from a warehouse stocked with books a decade, a century, and even more than 100 years old.
The Strand is one of the epicenters of pop culture in media and film. The bookstore has been rented for shows like Saturday Night Live and The Good Wife. The store itself has appeared in various productions, including Six Degrees of Separation, Tick, Tick... Boom!, and Netflix's Dash & Lily. "Any time you see a New York set with books, odds are those books came from us," Kat shared, explaining that they supply props to shows like Saturday Night Live, sometimes with just 24 hours' notice.
After our q&a session, our cohort was left to shop. I caught up with some of my peers to hear what they think about the Strand. Josie: "Despite my impulse to avoid what people like, I see why people like the Strand." Leo: "Coming from a family business, seeing another one thrive like this is super amazing. The owner had a vision, and the team here has kept it alive." Zoe: "Moments like these--when indie bookstores hold onto and seal who they are as a brand--it's really powerful. It's about building an inclusive brand, not just selling books."
I also asked a few Strand members what their favorite books are and what they love about working at the Strand. William: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Honor and Graalube both emphasized what makes the Strand such a special place to work: "It's the people we work with. We all get along and share a love of books, film, and music." This sense of connection and brand building is what makes the Strand what it is today. And the store keeps expanding, recently opening a location at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side (in a former Shakespeare & Co. store). The Strand also continues to operate a store on Columbus Avenue on the Upper West Side, as well as the Central Park kiosks (weather permitting), which date back to the 1960s. The Strand is more than a bookstore. It's a culture icon, a creative hub, and a thriving community/archive of stories, from the people who walk through the doors to the books on the shelves.
Brianna Angeliz enjoys Muay Thai and watching dramedies. With faith and a whole lot of love, she wants to continue to uplift those in the digital media industry, specifically regarding holistic wellness. Brianna lives in Woodbridge, N.J., with her family.