The independent bookstore that has a helpful and friendly staff is becoming the exception, but I love this place and their staff. I was able to shop without being followed, I got what I wanted and they were able to help when needed. Also - some fantastic new works were on display. I did not leave empty handed. read more

I enjoy this place. They have a typewriter and they stand for a good cause. The staff I've experienced is cool depending on who's there. It was quiet when I first began going. Some employees play music which I found distracting. Another employee seemed to have monitored me during my entire visit; maybe she thought I was going to steal a $4.99 book. Idk The place is not as clean as it could be, such as the bathroom, and some of the chairs need to be wiped off or completely replaced as they are stained and have an odor. I would not get any beverages from here unless it's sealed. The hours fluctuate often. I have made one too many trips during the weekday, weekend, daytime or afternoon to find the door locked. And I'm not aware that there's communication given ahead of time about their fluctuating hours for the given day. If you need to get your fix from a book, just buy it because there's no guarantee you can read it the next time you plan to. read more

This place was such a joy to spend an afternoon in. For those who are very well read and those who haven't picked up a book in awhile, I can guarantee you'll find a title that catches your eye. This place has a very apparent and pointed purpose for existing. Not necessarily to convert everyone into being anarchists, but more so wanting to encourage free, critical thinking. It's certainly worth a visit and had so many intriguing books that brought me a lot of joy to browse through. read more

The Big Idea Bookstore and Cafe - the entrance to the library - Bookstores Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I love that they don't emphasize or even sell newly published, meaningless fluff fiction like all the other bookstores nowadays. I like the zines, and the 'name your price' rolling bookshelf of books outside, the unique genres, and the not being followed or made to surrender my bag at the counter, lol. The selection of *non*-antiestablishment books, however, is a bit scarce. I mean, even people who've already read all those need something new to read now and again. And I didn't realize or see they had coffee and tea - what? - where was that?.. Thank you for the visit to your lovely shop. Good luck in the new year. read more

The Big Idea Bookstore and Cafe - a man sweeping the sidewalk - Bookstores Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Big Idea is one of those shops that just seems like a perfect addition to Pittsburgh, in my mind anyway. Seriously, if you like tea, vegan munchies and books, then this is a shop for you! The book selection on display here alone is worth browsing - there are literally shelves and shelves of books lining the majority of the walls in the shop. And the range of things covered by these books stretches from fiction stories like "The Hunger Games" and famous sci-fi titles to history and philosophy topics. There's definitely a wide range of options so I think anyone could find something good to read here if they come with an open mind. As for the cafe portion of the shop, I love their tea selections, and all of their food is made from local, organic, seasonal, fair trade, and/or sustainable sourced ingredients. All of their food is vegan as well, so while it can taste a little different to the uninitiated on a first visit (which was me once upon a time), their options really grow on you if you give them a chance. Big Idea is admittedly a small-scale operation so sometimes they're a little low on food, but that's totally forgivable. They make a mean hummus and pita snack, and the staff - all volunteers - are super nice and will do whatever they can to help you; they've even offered to carry my tea back to me once it's done brewing! I've definitely come to love this cool little shop more and more over the past year, and now I stop in at least once a month for my tea, snack and book fix. I say stop on in and open your mind and tastebuds, and you'll love this cozy little place as much as I do. read more

I love this bookstore. The name represents the shop well, as you walk in and are overcome with the power messages every where, and the walls of beautiful books, new and used. I typically go straight to the used book section, and found many treasures here for a very reasonable price. They also have a $1 section near the front of the store, which is worth taking a look at. I have never purchased a drink here but am always impressed with their selection of teas and other beverages. This isn't the type of coffee shop to sit for hours on your laptop, but it's a great place to read a book and have a good drink. They hold events here as well, so pay attention to their calendar if you're interested in good conversation and a unique experience! Side note- If you have old books that you are looking to get rid of, you can donate them to this book shop! :) read more

I absolutely love living in a neighborhood that's home to a bookstore like this. A creative and collaborative concept for like-minded people. There's always a basket in front of the store filled with free things for anyone in need. Books on politics, social issues, etc. to browse through and buy. Often meetings are held here for organized activism and more. They serve some food very minimal that I've yet to try but the coffee is good. I like to buy gift certificates here for friends and families. If you're thirsty for knowledge and passionate about books give this place a whirl. You won't regret it. read more

An anarchist bibliophile dream! Great selection of new and used books. Proud to have this amazing shop in my neighborhood.

Waitwaitwait, I've gotta be dreaming... ..an anarchist bookstore with more than 3 people in it at a time? ..an anarchist bookstore with women by themselves in it? ..an anarchist bookstore with (gasp) non-white people in it? ..an anarchist bookstore with a super cute (be still my heart) volunteer? ..an anarchist bookstore with a post-apocalypse science-fiction section? ..an anarchist bookstore with a comfortable upstairs reading/lounging area? I have a Big Idea. Y'all should write a "How to Run an Anarchist Bookstore" zine and get the word out. Bonus points for having an addiction zine written by one of the girls from Bikini Kill. read more

The Big Idea is not for everyone; if you like your food processed and your ideas pre-packaged, you might find yourself out of your element here. But if you think "radical" is a synonym for "interesting" and you want want some of the best pizzelle cookies I've had in Pittsburgh, it's worth stopping in. The inside is cozy, and while they don't have a huge selection, they do delve deeply into areas (like gender politics, the politics of race) that many bookstores don't fully address. But they also have 'zines, literature, even a travel section. The best way to describe what they carry is "thought-provoking," in a good way. Why not really engage with what you read, question what you know? You can get a Jackie Collins novel anywhere, but if you but if you want to read bell hooks or Tim Wise, this is the place to go. read more

Cool bookshop and quiet pace to study or read. Lots of tea selection but they only have regular coffee. No speciality coffees like cappuccinos or lattes as a heads up! read more

Can I describe this place as bad ass? Is that allowed? Haha wow, total "against the grain" place here. I suggest having an open mind or you will get on here and right a one star review! read more

Many things to like about this place: -Best coffee AND iced tea in Bloomfield. Seriously good coffee, sometimes individually made in a french press. Fair trade and organic to boot. -Well-curated selection of books, especially their DIY and nonfiction sections. The selection is smallish but I always find great stuff to read here. -Nice tables outside, very friendly non-pretentious volunteer staff. I like their little bi-weekly/monthly theme table -Never had the food but it looks yummy. Wraps Will probably go for lunch pretty soon. Veg-friendly wraps and small sandwiches and things like that. Go check this place out! read more

Great bookstore with great coffee. Do not come here if you don't have an open mind as many of the ideas in the shop would be considered "radical" to most. Not a great place to sit and do work but good for browsing and finding new topics to learn about. read more

Actually really good coffee, which I wasn't expecting because I thought their primary focus was the bookstore. But it tasted so good and did the trick! They had lots of interesting books which I will definitely come back to peruse, and I saw that they have vegan food options. I also see on their website that they have lots of discussions/groups/events which I can't wait to check out. I love the idea and execution of this bookstore, and I can't wait to support them more now that I've seen how great they are! read more

Just fyi, I'm probably the second furthest thing from a hippie (furthest I assume would be a republican pro-life billionaire), but I thought this bookstore was mega-cool! The sections are by political/social issues i.e. Anarchism, feminism, race politics, etc. So it's easy for people like me to browse and have our interest piqued. And it seems lk all the staff are avid readers so they usually have a recommendation or a two up their sleeve. It was lovely to see some people discussing books! Coffee is super cheap. Prob not the best place to sit for a prolonged time for free wifi with your laptop. I mean I don't think anyone would kick you out but there are only like 3-4 tables and it's pretty cramped. read more

This is a terrific, off the beaten path, liberal leaning bookstore for the rebel and activist audience. If you are looking for underground, not quite legal, and risky lit with an edge, your in the right place! Join them for special events and meetings on alternative economies and other radical ideas. They don't call it Big Idea for nothing! read more

Gem of a bookstore in Bloomfield. Found some rareties on mathematical logic and the rhetoric of science. Shall be returning soon! (Also: pooch friendly!) read more

The store was cozy and the vibe was cool, but there's really not a variety of books (I mean, how many vegan cookbooks does one need?). I stop in any bookstore I can find, and the books here are a tad overpriced. If you're looking for somewhere to hang out and talk about how wrong it is to conform to gender roles, this is your bookstore. If you're looking to actually look at varied topics of books, I'd go elsewhere. read more

1. Heavenly green tea is great - mellow with just the right hint of bitter to it. 2. Owners are real nice 3. I had a flat tire on my bike so stopped here to fix it - they had a bicycle pump with an air gauge sitting right by the door 4. Everything is fair trade and/or organic 5. They obviously care about giving back as an integral part of their business 6. They are vegan but the food is still good (this from a confirmed omnivore) So come to the big idea eat and drink!!!! read more

This place is amazing. The people who run it put their heart and souls into it. It's awesome and they have an awesome selection of everything. read more

You really can't say no to a giant french press of tea or coffee for two dollars. Not to mention, everyone I've ever interacted with here has been kind. And secretly badass. read more

I absolutely love the Big Idea. I went to a phone conference here once and it was really awesome. I'm glad they do a lot of social political activism. I can never go into big idea without buying something. They have everything from gender politics to vegan cookbooks to fiction, zines and more! My one complaint is that it seems that when they sell a book, they don't buy a replacement for it, which I understand to an extent, but then if you want them to order in a book it takes a few weeks to a month of two for the books to come in. If you're involved with a punk/subculture/feminist/DIY/anarcho scene this is the place to stop in Pittsburgh. And it's run by volunteers! read more

An anarchist bookstore! A small but punchy vegan cafe! Comfy seating! Rarer books on actually radical (not just left-y) stuff! Wish they'd host more community events, or share their book buying and small business practices far and wide so that stores like this one can pop up where I live! read more

You know, every once in a while I go to an establishment where I have conflicting feelings from 2 of my personalities. Overall, I feel that I'm a pretty laid back guy who isn't incredibly sophisticated and doesn't sweat the small stuff. However, I feel that I definitely draw the line at a certain point- and that point today was that I prefer not to enter an establishment whose baristas serve tea and goodies barefoot. I'm going to set the stage here. I've wanted to stop in this place for quite a while. I was enjoying the beautiful weather today and I got my bike out and decided to head over there. I walked in and immediately enjoyed the place: it was very anti-establishment, a nice and cozy non-profit shop (I think it's run by volunteers)- and sat down to enjoy a great cup of lavender tea. I even walked around and perused a couple sections of the small library of books. It wasn't until I sat down that I noticed that the guy behind the counter was barefoot. At first I simply tilted my head out of curiosity, but the more I thought about it the more it bothered me. I wouldn't say I'm a stickler for the rules, but this has to be breaking some health code. At one point this guy even walked to the bathroom and back. As much as I want for this not to be a big deal to me, I just can't get past it. Just as I was about to write a glowing 4-star review of this place, the horror and image of the bare feet and all of the amazingly intricate battles my two selves were having came to mind (and they involved communities of bacteria from the toilet seat rearing their ugly heads into my cup of tea). Sorry guys, maybe anarchism wasn't as cool (or clean) as I originally thought. read more

I agree with Mat. Good atmosphere here, friendly volunteer, good location and comfortable for lounging.

Anarchist bookstore with awesome, affordable reading materials, good coffee (variety of milk subs), good vibe.

I really like the atmosphere of this bookstore--I definitely agree with others' sentiment that it is 'anti-establishment'. With that in mind, there are some very interesting book categories. I found intriguing new books at the front of the store, and a cute nook at the back of the store with marked down used books. It is rather small as you might imagine, which is perhaps my only complaint as less space equates to less books! :-) I will return when I can do so, though. I did not try anything from the café. read more

Definitely an interesting selection of books that you would not find at Barnes and Noble, but the layout of the store is a mess. Clearly the store has an agenda (despite its sign saying they just love ideas) and if you do not agree with that agenda it makes shopping there kinda awkward and you certainly feel unwanted and judged as you walk through the place. read more

I am currently writing this from the Big Idea Bookstore's cozy tables, using their free wifi, while watching patrons purchase fair trade coffee from a volunteer member-owner. The Big Idea is the BEST place for hanging out, talking with interesting people, purchasing sustainable-local-organic-ethical-etc. goodies, supporting a local independent co-operative bookstore, and picking up any darn book and, you know, reading it. They seem to always be hosting rad social events--like tonight, for instance, is the first night in a four-day movie screening series about squatting. They have had events here for touring authors, many movie nights, free public workshops about co-ops, discussion groups about co-op history and economy... everything they do is awesome, thoughtful, and friendly. They are one of my favorite spots in Pittsburgh--a hub for socializing, discussing, thinking, creating, learning, and sharing... everything a bookstore/cafe should be and then some! Also--TRY THE SOUP. Superb. read more