I love this bookstore. Aside from having a good collection of various media (I LOVE squealing over the journals and magazines), their ambiance is just great. All of their staff are very helpful and not pushy at the slightest. Upstairs, there's a cafe area (tried three pots of tea, and they were all on the lighter side. The employee told me they get their tea from Serendipitea, so cute name. However, if you want to go for pure quality of tea, I'd recommend Harney & Sons nearby instead.) Downstairs, there are (surprise...) more books and tables/chairs to sit in. Came here to catch up with some girlfriends, and we stayed until closing time, and when they were cleaning up, we motioned to leave, but all the employees were very inviting and did not push us to stay longer. Will definitely be returning and giving my support here! read more

I have only been to this bookstore once, but it was a great experience and makes me want to go back when I am in the area. I attended their Harry Potter release party for adults, and it was super fun. They had alcoholic "magic potion", fortune tellers and magicians, which lent a great atmosphere to the evening. On top of that, the staff was genuinely cheerful, excited and above all, extremely helpful in directing the flow of traffic. While waiting for midnight, I did have a chance to check out the book selection. It seemed eclectic, but interesting. It was also very clean and well laid-out, not cluttered and disorganized like many other independent bookstores. Definitely a good find. read more

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I love this place!! They have a really well curated and wide selection of magazines. I like wandering and picking up some books or magazines, then ordering a coffee and looking at them trying to decide which ones are worthy to buy. Nice staff and very good ambience. Great for writing or reading!! read more

McNally Jackson - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

The big chain bookstores are impressive but a real independent bookstore in the neighborhood is warm and comforting. They make an effort to have a broad enough range of titles to appeal to anyone looking for a good read and they are successful. There is a tea house on premises instead of a coffee shop and a magazine rack that is essentially a free library of periodicals. Events are scheduled often so check the website to see what you might be interested in before you miss it. read more

McNally Jackson - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

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The zebra pen was listed on the glass jar as being $1.95 but rang up as $2.95. The cashier called her manager who said they had to charge me $2.95. Bad experience. Walked out with nothing for my boy. read more

Ok this coffee and bookstore is beautiful and in a great location. Definitely going to be a regular here. my ONLY problem is they don't have Wi-Fi nor outlets. Which is a shame because I could spend hours here. The cafe has limited food options. Great tea selection and good coffee. The bookstore is so cute! read more

This store is well stocked, but it is small. It also attracts a lot of tourists, so it can get pretty crowded in here on weekends. The prices are average, you will pay the list price for the book, unlike the Strand, which I think does discount books a bit. The employees have all been unfriendly every time I come in here - at least the ones at the register. The employees at the information desk downstairs are usually quite helpful and friendly. The cashiers barely smile or utter a word to you, and their demeanor is ice cold. Overall, a good bookstore to find interesting books you may not even think of or to find specific titles you want. read more

If you love paper, journals, pens, pencils, letter press cards, this place is amazing. Selection is over the top, they have everything. Curated for the highest quality and great eye for design. But best part is the staff is helpful and friendly. Definitely a find. read more

I liked: the independent bookstore atmosphere the cleanliness the location the bathroom the book selection the free refill on my large cup of $1.99 fair trade coffee the adequate selection of loose leaf teas I didn't like: the cramped cafe the malfuctioning WiFi that no one cared to fix the small selection of edibles the lack of wall outlets needing to fight for a seat (i went on a friday afternoon, so go figure) overall: just an okay cafe with a nice neighborhood bookstore. it's... meh. read more

Excellent bookstore with well selected books--particularly high marks for the teen reader section (after all, they had all of my favorite authors in stock, and if that is not a sign of good taste what is? hahaha). Clean and well lit shop, with a café to sit where you can get a latté to quietly start reading your new acquisitions. This shop is going to be on my rotation of must-do places for future visits to New York. read more

One of the best bookstores in the world. Incredible selection and staff curation, including fiction organized by region and several endcaps highlighting small presses and zines. Pre (and hopefully post-) pandemic there was a great selection of events and readings, and the store is always lively but comfortable. I miss the cafe on the main level, but perhaps it will return post-pandemic. Also a great selection of stationery and a really nice children's section in the basement. read more

I stumbled upon this book store and loved it instantaneously. The book selection is great, and interesting books are placed prominently in front. Staff members' reviews are very helpful. The stationary section could have been better, but there are lots of cute notebooks. $3 for a tea is kind of steep, but I do recommend the cardamom cocoa black tea. The cafe was nice to sit in because the windows were open. The staff wasn't amazingly friendly but not mean, either - I guess just not quite personable. I'd definitely come to this bookstore again but would probably skip out on the cafe. I think this is a particularly fun bookstore to explore book possibilities. read more

Though I probably can't quite put my feelings about the cafe at McNally Jackson into words, I can most definitely put my latte into a whole dish of words when I chill here reading and soaking in the wonderful wonderful, relaxing, whimsical vibe that the shop exudes. I know, I made that confusing... but this is what I mean about putting my coffee into words.... If you scroll through the pictures of McNally added by Christina M. (oh yeah, that's me, baby), you will probably see an adorable photo of a coffee cup lodged into what looks like a book cover. Yeah... the staff here has taken something that looks like a book, cut a coffee cup sized whole in the cover and a thin rectangular space next to it (to fit a coffee spoon). Through them both you can see a "page" in the book. The whole thing is lacquered and - tada - you have a coffee plate the likes of which I have never seen. I was in love. I spent my week off from work curling up on the windowsill at McNally, reading "Atonement," noshing on yogurt, banana and Balthazar granola (on sale here with a cute little reference to where bananas and yogurt have been mentioned in literature), and admiring the books hanging from the ceiling among the light fixtures. Also adorable. The wall paper is make of "book pages" and the small desks along the wall (a great idea to fit more individuals), open up like the old school elementary desks, and guess what? When it opens, the desk looks like a big wooden book opening. You can then prop your real book into this pretend wooden book, drink coffee and eat a pastry or bagel or something... and just be happy. It is sometimes hard to get a seat but if you're alone and if you stalk and hover (I know, so annoying but I've begun to master the art and sort of do it unapologetically now), you'll get a spot fairly soon. I think I'm gonna make this a once a week afternoon ritual... and perhaps some Saturdays too (if it's not a mad house). Thanks, McNally!! read more

McNally Jackson - They put their coffee cups in books fashioned into plates :) - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

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I'm such a sucker for a good bookstore. And this is a really good bookstore. It's not super glamorous but a good ol' fashion true bookstore offering up everything from the classics to the newest releases. For years I've worked in the neighborhood and wandered past McNally Jackson never daring to go inside. Last week I took a chance and popped in... The store's bigger than it looks from the street. Two levels house 'New Fiction,' 'New NonFiction," Architecture, Art, Cooking, World Travel, English Literature, American Literature, etc etc etc etc. They've also got a café for folks looking to do some work. In a world where tablets, smartphones and ereaders dominate I love that there are still a few actual bookstores still kickin' it in the city. McNally Jackson is a true gem. read more

McNally Jackson NY Manhattan Nolita 2pm Thursday 24th April 2015 Four Stars This is a cool coffee shop and book store. There is pretty limited seating but there was a communal table where you probably squeeze into. I ordered a cappuccino and Pan Au Chocolat ($6.5). The coffee was smooth and delightful. There was too much steamed milk. The foam was soft and sweet. The pastry was a bit dense but still flaky with a golden crust. There was plenty of chocolate which is a rarity. It tasted best when dipped into the coffee. Overall a nice place to get a cup of Joe. The Book store felt a little cramped but still well organized. They even have a print your own book machine. read more

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A dying breed. An independent bookstore located in some of NYC's pricier real estate. The vibe is wonderful here. Staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Selection is not for everyone, but a thrill for serious readers (no offense meant to those who fancy romance novels or Stephen King). Even the customers were helpful. They admired best buddy's collection of essays by some writer only read by English majors. Final funny anecdote: we were having a boozy lunch down the street at a lovely place. They couldn't tell us where "52 Prince St." was; but 5 out of 8 people chirped up "it's right over there" and pointed when we mentioned "McNally's." read more

First time here! I love bookstores and coffee. Perfect place if you would like somewhere quiet and relaxing. I found this relaxing and quiet. It seems like this place doesn't have Wifi but not really sure. I haven't had a chance to ask. read more

McNally Jackson - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

I love to stop by this bookstore whenever I'm in the area -- nice place to just browse and catch my breath while shopping or running errands. Wish there was more seating available (people def hoard the areas for hours it looks like). They have a small cafe with coffee and some treats. There is a downstairs space as well and all the books are nicely separated by genres/interests. One of my favorite areas is on the staircase between the floors where they have a small assortment of stationary and notebooks. A lot of things from Japan & I want to buy everything every time I'm in there. They also have this really cool printing machine where you can "publish" your own books and get them bound. Pretty cool -- hopefully will have a chance to do that in the future! read more

Excellent selection of books, rare finds, unique books, and everyday classics. Check this place out, especially since books stores are dying out and they are not as common as they once were. Some of my favorite bookstores all over the city have already closed. I love digital books and read them that way all of the time but there is something special about holding a book and turning real pages. It's also fun to browse, look at cover art, and just pick out a book based on pure whim. If you are in lower Manhattan then this is a great place to relax, browse, and spend a few hours. Bonus: The coffee and pastries are good too! read more

Perfect writing space while in the city. The selection of books is impeccable. The food selections are nice as well. The unique design of this space...two levels of wall to wall books, books as chandeliers, writing supplies on deck, a window view for writing ambiance; all perfect. Vacation made! read more

McNally Jackson - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

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I love this bookstore. It's a bit small, but they have a great selection of new, up and coming, and interesting books. I love browsing through the two tables in the front to see what's popular, and I find these sections more interesting than similar tables in other bookstores. There's a neat selection of postcards and handmade cards in the front, which is great for me, as a collector. There's also a wide selection of notebooks - I bought my current journal here and I'm very happy with the purchase. They have events all the time, although I have yet to go. I bought an autographed copy of a book by Ariel Levy a few days after they brought her in - unfortunately I didn't know about the event until after! This is my go-to bookstore, love this place! read more

One of my favorites and true to its tagline -- "independent booksellers" in Soho. A cozy spot to grab a book, order a coffee, and read or just relax in the cafe, if you're lucky enough to snatch a spot. No wifi (or outlets in plain sight) so not a place to take your conference calls, but that makes it all the more special as a place to unplug and bury yourself in a new favorite novel. read more

McNally Jackson - Looking out from the cafe - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

I was very glad to stop by a very busy local bookstore in the lower Manhattan. There had two levels of books. I spent a good hour or two here to flip through some interesting graphic novels, cookbooks, and fiction books. There was a small cafe on the first floor but it was too packed to find a seat. read more

This will always be one of my favorite book stores. The curation of books, recommendations and conversations happening are top notch and it is always one of my favorite places to stop in the city to read a book jacket, pick up Cereal Magazine or meet a friend for tea. read more

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The staff provides horrible customer service . I went in tonight after my friend told me how cute this place is and was incredibly disappointed. I bought a $5 card and when the cashier said $6.48, I asked why tax was so expensive on a $5 card. She said the card was $5.99 and I asked her to look at the tag which had an accurate card description and said $5. She wouldn't honor the price and told me I could pick a new card. I asked if she would fix it and she said she would-- which apparently meant fixing the rest of the stickers and not honoring the $5 price. I was in no mood to continue to argue on a Monday night so I took the card, but I certainly won't be back. Small book stores should be trying a lot harder to win your business- especially with Amazon. read more

McNally Jackson - Bookstores Near Me - New York, New York

this store is very cute! i always passed by it for years and never went in. they have such a nice stationary section. i bought a cute notepad. the staff is very friendly too! read more

McNally Jackson is an excellent bookstore. Good variety of books - not all from the same ideology. Well laid out for easy browsing. This store had plenty of people in it, which was good to see. The greeting card section is excellent. Lovely, tasteful, well designed cards. read more

Rudest staff I've ever encountered. Asked a question and the woman (wearing a white dress today), just brushes me off and says "ummm I'm helping someone" and walks away. She could have easily been normal and said "give me one second" or something. It was just rude and weird. She was actually obviously trying to be that way, because right before that she asked me if I needed help in a passive-aggressive way (because I was kind of just standing there on my phone but I was working on an important email, and I doubt there's a law where I can't use my phone at a bookstore?). Sending her love as I'm sure she needs it! But do not recommend this place as there are a million other bookshops with lovely people who don't take out their discontentment with life on customers! :) read more

I've worked in a variety of bookstores in my life: independent new, independent used, big ridiculous big box chains both in NYC and middle America. And I've visited even more in my travels. I'd rank McNally-Robinson near the top in terms of its design and atmosphere. It's got a nice little Nolita-SoHo-esque sheen to it. As for selection it's actually pretty sparse within each section and the size of the entire inventory seems not to match the size of the store; they really know how to make it look as if they have more books than they do. But hey, I 'm really just happy that bookstores still exist so it's cool with me. They have the usually literature, travel, NYC travel & history and politics sections. And some nice art books. I have to agree with the complaints about customer service. But inevitably when you have a bookstore in NYC it's going to be staffed by bitter and entitled failed writers. That's how it goes. read more

Oh snap, it looks like from other reviews this place used to be McNally Robinson--- did someone get a divorce? Yipe. No matter, it's all good. They carry all the latest McSweeny's and many other amazing literary treasures from contemporary authors. Of course, they have the classics but it's really amazing they go out of their way to make sure to represent the writers who are alive and trying to make it happen. This place is like the bookstore owner's bookstore. It has two floors as well as a cafe but is intimate--- not that overwhelming at all. Comprehensive, inspiring, and relaxing. read more

Im torn on this book store because it has both pros (selection, ambience) and cons (events) to it. Pros: The bookstore itself is great and the staff is usually very approachable and friendly. I love the selection of books that they have and the curation of the books is a great way to have a quick glance at interesting new books! The pricing is standard and I love the little bookshop feel it carries! Cons: They have lots of exciting events but I feel like they are pretty meh. My first experience was at a David Sedaris reading (which was super exciting). When I got to the stairwell they forced you to buy the book before you could enter the basement area, where the reading was taking place. This was unexpected and not standard across other book readings I had been to. Dont get me wrong, I am all about supporting the author, but I dont really agree on making someone buy the book prior to reading and the staff was being very pushy about it as well. Also at the reading, they hadnt set up any seating so the crowd was scattered and disorganized, making it difficult to see the author and felt like it was very crowded. read more

Will books ever disappear because of electronic media? I hope not because wonderful little independent bookstores do so much to add character to a neighborhood, as well as the cultural literacy of a generation. Every week McNally Jackson hosts several book readings, along with other events, such as book clubs (also in Spanish!), workshops on writing, and activities for children, including a resident storyteller. I love how they encourage you to stay with a cafe inside the bookstore and having comfortable chairs scattered throughout. This is my kind of place! We heard about Jonathan Franzen's reading at the last minute, and were worried that we wouldn't be able to make it in, but happily for us, we found room. Franzen gave a terrific and interesting 17-min reading of some pages from his latest novel, Freedom. I can't wait to read it now. McNally Jackson is a fantastic destination for the literary-minded. read more

Bookstore: 5 stars / Cafe: 3 stars I love independent bookstores that rock and McNally definitely rocks. I love their selection and beautiful store and the author events are fantastic. I spend far too much time and money here. Though the real reason I'm writing this review is for the cafe. McNally has a smallish cafe in the space where the events are held in the front of the store. You can get a nice cup of coffee or tea and there's a small selection of pastries. They have free wifi but--and here's the show-stopper--they don't allow people to plug in their laptops. Very sad! I would love to be able to come to this wonderful space surrounded by books and write for several hours. Alas, my battery won't allow me to. I'm sure others are in the same predicament. We will, sadly, have to count on McNally only for books and not for lazing about. read more

Read more books. Buy some of them here. I could go into detail, but the time you spend reading reviews of a bookstore could be spent reading a book's cover copy in that store. Go! read more

Great independent bookstore and tasty cafe, rolled into one. Some indie bookstores are woefully small and cramped, but McNally's has a good deal of space which it uses well, filling with a broad selection of books on two floors. Fiction, literature, and scifi/fantasy are particuarly well-represented and well-stocked as well. Their prices are quite good - on par with amazon.com's for many titles - and so if you want to save on shipping, you'd do well to get new books here; sadly, they do not offer any used books. The displays - new fiction, etc - impressed with interesting authors such as Vonnegut and Arthur C. Clarke. The magazines available impressed me too; several shelves include many more obscure and indie volumes. Lastly, the small cafe offers an excellent place to do work or simply read for leisure, and I saw several computers so I suspect they have wifi. They make their espresso beverages with Organic Valley milk, delicious espresso, and copious foam - the latte actually had an almost cappuccino-like volume of foam, and was divine. They offer some interesting and tasty teas, including black, green, and herbal, some of which are organic. I got a black tea flavoured with cardamom and cocoa which was wonderfully unique and rich. While I haven't tried any of their food, the pastry selection looked fresh and gourmet, and the salad and sandwich menu was simple but appealing. read more

This place epitomizes what I love about NYC. I found this place on Yelp while walking around Soho trying to find a place to study. My first stop was Harney & Sons, but their cafe area was small and a little noisier than I would have liked so I headed to McNally Jackson. The cafe area isn't very spacious but it feels very homey. There are probably about 6 - 7 two person tables, one larger table that can seat 6-8, and an additional 6 single person cubicle-type desks against the wall (I sure hope these numbers are accurate....I knew I should've taken pictures!) At no point during my 3-hour stay did it feel packed or seem like people were waiting around, although I did hear someone attribute that to the fact there is no free wifi. I ordered a Darjeeling green tea and since I am super indecisive I asked the person at the counter how he liked it (since that would definitely determine whether I would like it...) and he actually brought the tea over so I could smell it. I ended up getting it and it was pretty good, and they give it to you in a solid size mug too. My one complaint is that there is only one bathroom downstairs and the quarter system/toilet paper contraption is hard to figure out. I did like how they said if you don't have a quarter though, you can get it from the counter upstairs. I briefly browsed the store and everything is organized beautifully. I especially liked the stationary/notebook section in the middle of the stairs (but that's probably because I have a weird obsession with notebooks). They also have a publishing section! All in all it is a very bright and peaceful place that makes me want to return as soon as possible. 5 stars :) read more

Independent bookstores are rare these days...with the big corporate/online booksellers becoming the resource for most readers...sometimes it's nice to support the "little guys" that offer careful attention to customers. This well laid out bookstore has readings, Q&A and autograph sessions with the authors (I most recently met Gary Vanyerchuk during his CRUSH IT book tour) and right now, during the holidays they have a very thoughtful gift section where you can get gifts under $10, and a gift pack of the book and a movie! Much better than receiving socks or a muffler if you ask me! read more

An independent bookseller in heart of Little Italy. The store has a nice collection of new books on a variety of topics. It also sells local and intellectual journals/magazines. Their stock leans Left ideologically with a sampling of traditional novels and history books. The store is well lighted and nicely laid out. Glad there are still independent shops able to make a go of it in NYC. read more

This is place is pretty pleasant, and you don't feel conspicuous looking at the fiction section instead of the anarchist section like when you go to St. Marks, but I have two little problems: The steps to go downstairs to the books-no-one-really-wants sections are very hard to manage. I don't think I've ever wondered before about the ergonomic distance between two steps in a stairwell, but someone certainly has this figured out b/c I generally feel pretty comfortable going up and down stairs. It just feels right. Sure, once in a while you're at some weird house in Vermont where someone wants to show you the attic, and you climb some insanely steep stairs that make you dizzy, but that's sort of expected on your way to an attic in Vermont. At a bookstore in SoHo you expect things to be normal and pristine--and again, most of this place is. Except the stairs: and they're not steep, they're just too close together. They're probably only like a centimeter off or something, but it's really disorienting. Problem two is that the downstairs area smells like the produce section at almost every single grocery store I've ever been to. This is not such a big deal, but it's kind of weird to be looking at reference books and trying to remember where the nearest roll of plastic bags is. read more

Last night on the way home, I got turned around after getting off the subway at Spring Street. Downtown, I can get lost easily, what with the off-the-grid streets and unclear sight lines to gauge uptown and downtown. Luckily, while triangulating where I was exactly, I came across McNally Robinson and thought, "They'll sell maps!" They do, and I'm now the proud owner of another Streetwise Manhattan, but that's not all they sell. The local section is excellent. The business section is surprisingly smart. And had I not been in a hurry, I would have spent more time looking around. I'll have to return to spend more time. Charming. read more