My top-tier chum from the Kingdom of Sussex and I came here for Stop #2 of the 2nd Annual NJ…read moreBookstore Crawl (a 5-star extravaganza in and of itself) last Saturday morning. We hit up all three Sussex bookstores, and this was my chum's very clear favorite of the batch. I was a big fan too, even if ultimately it wasn't geared toward my literary demo. Our carefully planned itinerary suffered some issues with this one because Black Dog apparently moved fairly recently to more spacious accommodations further up 15. My chum frowned in confusion in a parking lot in the downtown Lafayette area for a few minutes before we got our bearings and retraced our steps north. I think that's on our Crawl Itinerary Expert but without context/knowledge of the move (which must have been at least KIND OF subtle since she lives within a few minutes of here and had no idea) an easy mistake to matter. No matter. Very easy to find once we had, you know, the actual address. And for the record, my chum said this was a HUGE upgrade over the prior location. All's well that ends well. I was REALLY hoping that someone took the name Black Dog Books literally, so it was an absolute delight to encounter a dark-tinted, wizened canine on the premises almost as soon as we walked in. Anya the chiweenie was a real trooper and an excellent addition to the festivities. I will say she's clearly an older pooch and didn't seem enormously thrilled by some of the younger human pups frantically taking selfies and whatnot (in my mild defense, I professionally took one tasteful photo and then gave her some space), but she handled it like a champ. I will say this for the record - every indie bookstore should have an accompanying canine chum. Apparently the Lambertville bookstore had a bloodhound, which is next level (massive FOMO but is what it is). But this was a good one. Thank you for your service, Anya. Unlike its literary counterpart in Branchville, Black Dog has much better lighting and much more space. It's no knock on them, but I just like the mild claustrophobia and overall personality that comes from having to get creative with the space you have and the massive amount of books to display. All due respect, this didn't feel as unique to me. I will say that out of the three bookstores we went to up here, Black Dog was the most enthusiastic about the Crawl, which is probably a huge reason my chum had the best experience here. They were giving away raffle prizes, naughtily had free wine(!) available before 11am and someone offering free fairy hair. I took her up on that generous offer but then belatedly realized it meant I had to stay still for more than five minutes. I just wasn't made to be an adult. My other slight issue with this bookstore (and again, this is me and I'm sure plenty of people have zero problem with it) is it just doesn't have the inventory that other places do - they leaned into presentation and more chairs and non-book products. And that's not necessarily a bad thing at all, but for me, it meant there was less overall space and options for the books I might potentially purchase. Also like a lot of bookstores in this day and age, a little too much chick lit for me; just not my thing. Very familiar with being a chick already; hashtag 1984 birth. The proprietors were VERY nice and accommodating. I didn't notice, but my chum said one of the employees was walking around giving customers recommendations based on their interests, which is a nice touch if welcome/slightly solicited. You felt good vibes throughout the store, which is important and should be a pre-requisite for any small business. (Truly love the Crawl for bringing stuff like this to my attention). Shameless judging books by their cover, I ended up purchasing Anthony Doerr's 2021 novel Cloud Cuckoo Land. Haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, but I selected this one because the design on the front was intriguing and it had stickers denoting it as a NY Times Notable Book and a National Book Award Finalist. We'll see if I agree with the powers that be. Pleasantly surprised at the abundant literary options up here in the Kingdom, and a solid stop on our adventures.

Great gem of a bookstore with the most helpful and engaged staff! Their selection of books and…read moregifts are top notch from a large used section, impressive new book features, classics, manga, sci-fi and a great romance section too plus the owner is a history PHD so her history section of the store is well done also. They also offer free coffee, tea and snacks which is quite a nice treat. Big plus is also the easy off street parking with a flat in handicap accessible entrance and bathroom. Highly recommend!

sweet ladies running it who were delighted to find us the books we were looking for. a large…read moreselection and good finds! too bad the town it's in is really not great otherwise i would go more often :(

This place has so many cheap books I love the vibe. They have such a wide selection and it's so cozyread more

A great spot to visit while we were wandering the area after lunch. The store has a thoughtful…read morevariety of used books organized into easy to browse sections, plus some new books, journals, crafty items, clearance shelf, etc. The owner, who happened to be wearing a shirt decorated with books, was friendly and knowledgeable about his collection. Exciting to see new business in the area (it's less than a year old).

The owner of the shop was very helpful and if you desired a certain book, he'd help you order it…read more Stay a while to enjoy their children's paperback book selection, as well as just about anything you're seeking! Definitely a place, I'm glad I spent time, worthwhile money and will be back!

Best concept for a bookstore, ever. You may never leave. Aaron doesn't help either, as he is a…read morescintillating conversationalist. Also, the view!

If a coffee shop is connected to a bookstore, you know I have to go to it…read more After a 5 mile hike in the nearby state park, we came to this local downtown area to get some coffee and food. This location had fresh baked pastries on display and we decided to stop in to try a few. The staff were really sweet and explained everything that they had on display. We came later in the day so they were an hour out from closing, but still very kind. There is so much seating and games and different souvenirs that you can purchase in this café as well. You can definitely taste these pastries were made from scratch based on the dough and how flaky they came apart. If you come here, definitely get the spinach and artichoke pastry!

Better World is one of the jewels in the crown of Milford…read moreshops. It carries a large variety of products, including clothes, books, sundries, amazing coffees, and teas, and anything else you can think of that is interesting, unique, and of good quality . Thera is also a lovely café where all customers are welcome... Liam Hutchinson and his wife,Tegan care about the community and help to serve it in every way they can. They buy and sell only products made from natural sources and will not buy anything from China. This is a store with a soul where the owners put their money where their mouths are. They stand by their principles. It has come to your point where Milford wouldn't be Milford without Better World. Indeed, it has made Milford a better world!

We rented Sadie's for our daughter's wedding dinner. We received excellent service and support. Her…read morevision, love of our community and her cultivation of this space says it all. Everyone appreciated the curation of this beautiful space they shared with community us giving our event the perfect ambiance. We greatly appreciate all the hard work that their team put in to ensure everything ran smoothly. Sadies was instrumental in creating the cherished memories that will last a lifetime.

Happened to be walking buy and heard amazing music and had to stop in. Part bookshop. Park…read morecommunity space. Full on love and vibes. The world needs more pure people spreading love and information and art and ancestral veneration and messages to heal- this shop is the real deal. The owner is immensely invested in the community. Pop in- you won't be disappointed.

I live in Walden and love Blue Fox Books. I am able to give them many of my gently read books, such…read moreas newer Stephen King and my entire collection of Nancy Drew Mysteries [1-56]. Here is hoping the shop was able to use the proceeds to keep their great business going.

A very cute book store located along the Hudson valley book tour route! They sell books of course,…read morebut also some cute merch like pillows, stickers, tote bags and more. I left with a library card pillow and it's SO cute!

Beware. You could spend a lot of time in here getting lost amongst shelf after shelf of used books…read more The staff greets you warmly from "the back" and allows you to browse. They have a great selection of books. Titles are well organized and in good condition. Madison is a cute town. Street parking is plentiful enough and free. There are several public lots behind the store fronts as well. It's worth a stop when in the area.

LOVED this bookstore, so many cool gems and the shop owner is friendly but not too pushy. I…read moreespecially liked the historical documents section, they have items from the 1800s which was so cool to see.