Great bookstores make great destinations

updated 4:55 p.m. ET Jan. 8, 2008

NEW YORK - When is a bookstore worth a tourist's time?

When it's more than just a place to buy books.

A destination bookstore can make you feel like you're part of the community, whether you're grooving on the laid-back vibe at Powell's in Portland, or tuning into the Beltway buzz at Washington's Politics and Prose.

Some bookstores offer literary touchstones, like the wooden chairs signed by writers who've visited That Bookstore in Blytheville, an Arkansas institution frequented by native son John Grisham. City Lights in San Francisco, once a hangout for Beat writers like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, draws tourists from around the world.

"Each one of these stores has a unique, distinct personality and approach," said Meg Smith, chief marketing officer for the American Booksellers Association, a trade group for independent bookstores. "You really do see a snapshot of the town and the region in these kinds of fulsome independent bookstores."

And don't overlook the shopping potential. Most independent bookstores take pride in showcasing regional literature. Quirky handwritten signs with staff recommendations may direct you to writers you've never heard of. The tote bags at the Strand bookstore in Manhattan, which come in more than 30 designs, were voted the No. 1 souvenir to bring home to Japan by New York readers of Nikkei, a Japanese financial newspaper.

Any list of destination bookstores is bound to leave off some favorites. But here are nine noteworthy bookstores around the country that are definitely worth a visit.

Books & Books: 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables, Fla., 305-442-4408. Some bookstores are crammed with serpentine rows of dusty shelves aching with books -but that's not what you'll find at Books & Books, which has three locations in addition to its Coral Gables flagship. "Our Coral Gables store is built around a courtyard in a Mediterranean-style building and our South Beach store is in a gorgeous Art Deco building," said owner Mitchell Kaplan. The store also has branches in an upscale mall in Bal Harbour and on Grand Cayman Island in the Caribbean. Books & Books hosts 70 author events a month, and the stores' specialties include art, architecture and regional literature, including books about Cuba and Latin America. Both the Coral Gables and Miami Beach stores also have full-service restaurants.

Deal of the Day Newfoundland and Labrador Explore World Heritage sites, glimpse into the life of the Vikings, more, from $1,635.

City Lights Books: 261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco; 415-362-8193. This store, a city landmark, was co-founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, who also started City Lights Publishers and was arrested on obscenity charges for publishing Ginsberg's famous poem "Howl." The store continues to serve as a center for counterculture activities and politics. Recommendations from its "Muckraking" section, for example, include titles like "The Fall of the House of Bush" and "What Orwell Didn't Know." Tourists also like to stop in at the bar next door, Vesuvio, to have a drink where Kerouac once bellied up.

Elliott Bay Book Co.: 101 S. Main St., Seattle; 800-962-5311. Elliott Bay Book Co. is located in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square district, once the city's Skid Row but now known for nightclubs, galleries, sports arenas and architecture — including the 1867 red-brick building that houses Elliott Bay. Cedar shelves offer 150,000 new and used titles in rooms with exposed brick walls, and one or two readings are held every night. "It can be anyone from a first-time poet to Dave Sedaris returning for his 10th time," said Elliott Bay spokeswoman Tracy Taylor. "We had him here when nobody knew who he was and there were 15 people in the audience. He sang the Oscar Mayer song."

Politics and Prose: 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington; 800-722-0790. Even people who've never been here feel like they know the place because many of its readings are broadcast on C-SPAN. "We have a lot of people who come here and the first thing they want to know is, 'Where does the author stand?'" said co-owner Barbara Meade. "They want to have the whole setting they see on television explained to them." January events include the authors of titles like "The Nuclear Jihadist" and "The Speculation Economy," but don't let the "Politics" in the store's name fool you. Readers can find books here in any genre; the store's children's section is especially well-regarded.

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