As you walk down the brick sidewalk, you will come across the cutest local book store with a warm and inviting exterior. As I walked inside it gave off a library atmosphere. Of course it even had that classic book smell. My favorite. There is an upstairs and a downstairs. It can be a little tight depending on the amount of customers inside. There is a wide range o books. Of course there is a lot of political themed books, its the area we are in. I was lucky to find Kamala Harris's book, "107 Days." Pricing was what I expected and supporting a local book store than the large box store down the street was where my heart was at. The books were well organized, and everything was nicely categorized. There was one employee working. They were not super engaging, but I chalk that up to library atmosphere. But, whenever they were asked a questions they were helpful. There is a lot of local advertising and they are supportive of the LGBTQ population. read more

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Local bookstores wherever you are over everything! Cute little spot and even cuter once you pop inside. I love a bookstore that feels like home versus a capitalist heckscape. Would absolutely come back here any chance I got! Picked up some great parenting books for my husband and I (we've loved them all so far) as well as some books relating to my work in Tech. read more

Bridge Street Books - Bookstores Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I loved this place. Went today and it felt very small and cozy. The staff were very kind and helpful. I appreciated the selection, however, it wasn't organized very well and kind of difficult to browse titles and navigate. If there was some more labels for genres that would be amazing too! read more

Support your local bookstore! I love Bridge St- their customer service and recommendations are great. & If they don't have the book you're looking for, they can order it and hold it for you. read more

Cute book store, friendly staff. Fun to explore. Definitely happy to support a local bookstore vs. the massive Barnes and Noble down the street . read more

Bridge Street Books - Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Nuzzled in a row of business, bridge street books caught my eye while walking around Georgetown. With cheap books out front, and a huge selection in a lovely warm building. The staff was inviting and informative, giving me a quick overview of the shop. I found myself exploring other sections since it has a wide variety of books. Without having a book in mind, I found the selection to be inviting, allowing me to see classics and modern offerings. I will likely go back whenever I feel the need for a new random book to pick up at a great deal. Highly recommended read more

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Adorable little bookshop in Georgetown. Make sure you visit the upstairs area too. Has a great selection, you're bound to find something you need! Enjoy browsing! Support small independent bookstores! read more

Bridge Street Books - Bookstores Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Small cute two story shop crammed with books, quiet vibe inside & a good selection. Staff were nice but unobtrusive. Not a lot of extras besides books- some cards/postcards. Sale books out front. Got a great read before catching a flight read more

Bridge Street Books - Bookstores Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Every visit here is just as magical as the first! Warm and quiet, this little bookstore has shelves on shelves of intriguing books for those with a penchant for reading on print. So happy Bridge Street Books is around and I highly recommend stopping by if you are considering it while in town and have the desire to discover something new! read more

Bridge Street Books - Bookstores Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This is a cute bookshop located in Georgetown. There may not be a large selection compared to the giant bookshops you could go to but it does still have some quality reads on offer. Check it out if you're in the area and support the local bookstores! read more

Bridge Street Books - Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is the best bookstore in all of Washington DC. Small intimate, but a amazing cross-section of genres and may be the best poetry selection in the country. No fooling staff is very helpful and knowledgeable. You were bound to find some thing here even if you didn't know that you needed it. read more

Bridge Street Books - Bookstores Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Cute, but small. No big box here. Very polite and helpful employee. Knowledgeable of everything in the store. The bookshop itself is tiny. You sometimes feel you are in the way of other customers. It's hard to move around each other. read more

One of the more underrated bookstores in the district imo! It's small and packed with books but I love the regional organization and the staff is nice and eager to help! I've found some unique books I don't think I would've noticed at other bookstores. I wish it was slightly more conveniently located, but I never regret the trek when I make it down there read more

Bridge Street Books - Bookstores Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We were walking to a restaurant when we passed by this gem. I am old school and love reading books. I prefer the smell and turning the pages manually as opposed to audio books or digital readers. What attracted me to this place besides the obvious, was a table outside the store with many books. They were on clearance so I decided to browse. I only found one book that caught my attention and picked up to purchase. I did browse the books outside for a little and then made my way inside To search for more clearance books. It is a small store but occupies hundreds of books. They are all new and the most recent titles to date. I browsed through the books because I love doing that, whether in a library or a store. I made my way to the register to pay for my book after only browsing for a couple of minutes (we were starving). I paid like $5 in cash but they do accept credit cards as well. The cashier was friendly but not bubbly; that is okay. It was a pleasant experience and I plan to shop there in the future when I'm in town. I prefer to shops mom & pop businesses. read more

What a lovely bookstore, great selection of books, the employee helped me finding the books that was looking for, the price of the books were very good as well, I paid five dollars for Dracula ( not used) . There is a table with few good selection of books, which through the pandemic is very helpful. read more

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If you are looking for tchotchkes this isn't the place for you, however if you are looking for a curated selection of interesting books then this is the place! read more

Such a cute little book store! The worker was very nice and welcoming. I went during a cold night and he was such a warm person letting me know there were more books and heat upstairs! The store had variety of genres. Very unique compilation of Recents. Will have to visit again! read more

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this place was so cute!! they had a great selection of books considering it's a small bookstore. the customer service was great too! the guy was so nice. highly recommend this place. read more

A must visit for a must read. Fun to get lost in the stacks so to speak.

A cute city book store! It's not big but has many interesting books from old to new. I found many books which I wanna read next. Not crowded. One of the relaxing spots in a busy area. I'll go back there again soon;) read more

Bridge Street Books - Cute - Bookstores Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

It's nice to still have independent bookstores around. So thumbs up on that one. This definitely is geared toward a certain audience--e.g. Georgetown humanities grad students, lots of philosophy and politics of a certain leaning--a whole lot of Marx, didn't see any Mises, Hayek, or Friedman. Partner found a book of interest. read more

I love this store and their prices are really no different than the corporate giants. I encourage anyone in DC to shop local in this store. Great selection and easy special order process. One of my fave DC businesses read more

BEST BOOK STORE IN THE DC AREA in my opinion! If you are interested in Cultural Theory and Philosophy this is a great spot. Often book stores don't have a bug section for cultural theory but theirs was awesome!! There is definitely something for everyone here and the shop is very intimate a charming. Instead of going to Amazon Books down the street, support this amazing local business! read more

I do not state this lightly when I say I had a terrible experience in this bookstore. I am a young college student with a curious mind who simply decided to spend her afternoon checking out the book selection when the person who I am assuming is the owner approached me. As someone who values the opinions of others, I asked him what he was currently reading. He was quick to infantilize me about literature as a whole, using words that are not quickly recognized in the english dialect even for a book worm. He decided to quiz me on the book I mentioned I had gotten only two chapters into. I told him the classes I was taking as a way to somehow bridge the gap and he quickly told me that I was not welcome in his bookstore based on a theory I was simply learning about. I never made an opinion or hurtful comment. He appears to be passionate, but an entrepreneur should never make someone who is curious about learning feel so small. That type of narcism is quite limited thought. read more

Bridge Street is quietly the best bookstore in DC, in my opinion, and definitely my favorite bookstore since I moved to DC nearly 20 years ago. Excellent fiction section, especially, with lots of Europa series books, Dalkey Archive, and generally a host of books you won't find elsewhere in the city. Also: excellent philosophy/cultural studies/poetry/cinema sections. Very friendly/efficient little staff too. And their sale rack on the sidewalk is always packed with some pretty quality stuff. read more

This is a wonderful neighborhood bookstore with a well-curated collection. Their staff are readers capable of making recommendations related to fiction, cultural theory, social theory, politics, and poetry. Presumably, they can also make recommendations in other subject areas, but I didn't have time to cover all subjects. The quintessential neighborhood bookstore, much more curated than a Barnes and Noble and far more intelligently human than Amazon. read more

As many other reviewers have mentioned, Bridge Street Books has a great selection of poetry and philosophy. In fact, their selection of poetry is probably the most expansive of any bookstore I've see on the East Coast (save maybe McNally Jackson in New York). For a fairly small book shop, they house an impressive list of titles, including many works of translation that are particularly tough to track down. Keep in mind that Bridge Street is less like a Barnes & Noble and more like a university bookstore/library. So, while they may not have every title on your reading itinerary, their shelves are stocked with a unique collection of the under-read, the under-promoted, and the independent. You'll find titles by publishers like Wave Books and Alice James Books (to name a few of my favorites). When you go in, walk up to the second floor. And make sure to schedule a good 30-45 minutes to wander around. read more

Awesome little bookstore in the hear of Georgetown. I found a couple titles I had been struggling to find elsewhere. Very friendly staff!

I recently relocated to DC from Texas, coming from a place where the best (and only) bookstore was Barnes and Noble. No shade to B&N, but they've got nothing on Bridge Street Books. From their niche collection of works, to the fact that they only keep one copy of each book in stock, this place is hands-down the best bookstore I've ever been to. read more

The best philosophy and poetry shelves in the city? Check. A selection that, while small, is home to the most well-curated shelves in the city? Check. The most hilarious/studious/helpful guy working the register? Check. Discovered on a rainy day? Check. Do you know what you find when you look up the word "perfect" in the dictionary? The definition of the word perfect - which accurately describes this place. read more

I found myself in Georgetown this past Friday night after stuffing my face full of George's Steak & Cheese and a Baked & Wired cupcake. Trying to walk it off through the streets, I found several copies of Jane Austen books on the store's sale stand outside; instantly capturing my attention (even though I've read all of her works at least two times each). Feeling like Mr. Stay Puft from Ghostbusters I was pleasantly surprsied that I fit through the door of this cozy little shop. The space reminded me of my favorite independent bookstore back home in Milwaukee. Quite the enchanting spot. The best part? The man working the register. I could kick myself for not asking his name but he had a great bow tie and an incredible wealth of knowledge on all kinds of books; both were impressive. I simply asked for a good novel. He didn't just point me to the back and say "Look for there for this". He asked "What was the first good novel you read and the last good novel that you read?" (Pride & Prejudice, Pillars of The Earth). Using this information he took me upstairs through several different options giving me in depth descriptions of all of them. His description of "How To Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia" was one of the most passionate accounts of writting styles I've ever heard in my life. I could instantly see his passion for literature and boy, was it contagious. Not only did I get two amazing novels (I've already consumed 60+ pages of each) he had AWESOME recommendations for jazz bars in the area and impeccable music taste in general. I will definitely be finding myself in that store more often. Live long and read on! read more

This is a great independent bookstore. The selection of titles is amazing for such a small store. I am especially impressed with the collection in history, art and politics. Pleasant and knowledgeable person working there too. read more

So glad Bridge Street Books has reopened after closing for Covid-19 for four months! It has been a great independent bookseller for ages and a friendly neighborhood place to go. They display new stock weekly in both fiction and non-fiction, but also keep the "classics" and some coffee table books on hand. They have a small mystery book section, which manages to include interesting international mystery writers in addition to American ones. I try to stop by about once a month. The jack-of-all-trades at the front desk is always very knowledgeable about a wide range of reading options, so I always ask what his new recommendations are. I love this book shop!!! read more

I was dismayed when I first walked in: the whole bookshelf immediately inside the front door was trash romance and James Patterson. These are wonderful, useful texts - especially when sold in an airport - but was this a serious bookstore or a pretender? I am pleased to say: DEFINITELY not the latter. Books are stacked floor to ceiling throughout this narrow converted townhouse, on a dizzying array of subjects and genres. I picked up an autobiography about modern life on an Indian reservation, my friend grabbed a slim volume of poetry, and we giggled together over corny joke books at the register. You will not be disappointed by this place. It has its limitations due to space, so if you're looking for something very specific or obscure, maybe call ahead. Otherwise, enjoy and get ready to get lost for at least an hour ... read more

I'm not the sort of shopper who's led astray by the big box bookstores. I have Amazon Prime; that's my corporate snare. If I'm browsing a brick & mortar store, it's all about ambience and the curation of the stock. Whoah, I use the word "curated" in a lot of my reviews. Nevertheless, a carefully stocked store is a big draw for me. I always feel so satisfied when I discover a store that's designed for browsing rather than find-the-book, buy-it-and-leave - which is why I was so psyched to stumble across this place on a Lush run the last time I went home. I know this store focuses on politics, which is less than shocking. But for a girl who grew up in the district, I just don't care as much as I should about political writing. What did I care about? The poetry section on the second floor. Oh, man. 6x6 magazine, come to momma. All joking aside, it's an inspiring lineup of poets and poetry magazines (I cannot bring myself to say 'zines'). And I've never been in a shop with a more satisfying vibe. I did see some editions I know of and respect down in the fiction section too. I wish there was a bookstore like this in Austin. For a college town, the book-to-bar ratio is pretty damn low. I liked drinking in college too, but damn, where have all the 20-something intellectuals gone? With thousands of students at UT, surely some of them must think. Where do they buy their books? Anyway. Can't wait for my next trip home; my overloaded credit card is burning a hole in my pocket. read more

Stopped by Bridge Street Books during independent bookstore day and was truly impressed. It's a beautiful space full of books! Definitely somewhere I'll return to. read more

This is a nice little bookstore that feels like a bookstore and not a Wal-mart or a Starbucks that serves books. I enjoy poking around in here once in a while and finding surprises. I love non-fiction so I'm pretty happy with the selection. If you're after the latest bestsellers you probably belong with the hordes at the B&N up the street. I will admit I liked this bookstore better before the advent of the Internet, mostly because it is a bit of a pricey joint and I can usually browse here, then find the same book of interest cheaper by mail order. Also, the staff of this bookstore, which seems to be heavy on college kids (no surprise I guess considering it's within shouting distance of two big schools), can be a tad apathetic and occasionally have seemed way more interested in having a conversation about school with their fellow clerks, or with buddies of theirs who dropped by, than in helping people find books or in preserving a bookstore atmosphere. (I've had enough school in my life that I don't really want to hear you gabbing loudly about all your new professors while I'm browsing, thanks.) There are also a couple of street people who hang out around this bookstore in good weather panhandling, and on at least one occasion one of them has come into the store as well and been kind of distracting/ disruptive while I was browsing. Overall, still better than the B&N, but unless they start lowering their prices, still not as good as ABEBooks. read more

This place is small but not crowded; you don't have to suck in and squeeze between a shelf and a guy to get to a different shelf. I was with a friend who was having a difficult time finding a particular book, and he found it here without even looking! The gentleman at the counter was so pleasant and was not pushy like some small-business salesmen. I cannot wait to go back!! read more

I want to love this place, I really do. They have a very interesting selection of non-fiction (I've found nifty things in their film and music sections especially) but a little light on fiction. My real problem is the service. I've had a few instances where they've been kind of unhelpful on book orders (getting through on the phone was it's own problem), which is too bad because they're a generally friendly crew. I'll certainly go back there again, but I always feel a little disappointed that it's not quite the bookstore I want it to be. read more

Bridge Street, located in Georgetown where M Street splits into L and Pennsylvania, is a small bookstore with a great selection and wonderful ambiance, perfect for browsing for a new novel. They have a strong focus on literature, politics, and philosophy/theology, with a really really excellent wall of recommendations where you can find the latest best-sellers, as well as more esoteric and intriguing international and avant-garde titles, both fiction and non. They also carry a lot of cool specialty editions of books, like OUP's "Very Short Introductions" and Penguin's "Great Ideas" series (very cool covers/binding). Would be 5 stars but for price: books at list price are soooo expensive these days. read more