New York City is a Black business hub. There are literally thousands of Black-owned businesses throughout the city’s five boroughs. Among those businesses, you can find everything from Black-owned restaurants to real estate agencies to banks. And you can find an even dozen Black-owned bookstores in NYC. From Manhattan to Harlem, these bookstores are owned and lovingly operated by Black folks deeply committed to their communities.
If you’re looking for a way to get your nonfiction and fiction fixes from local, Black-owned establishments, here’s a list of bookstores in the five boroughs to explore.
Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center
Location: 1942 Amsterdam Ave, Washington Heights, Manhattan
Established in 2000 by Janifer P. Wilson and her daughter Kori N. Wilson, this family-run bookstore serves as a cultural hub in the heart of the city. Sister’s Uptown Bookstore offers a diverse selection of books and hosts numerous community events.
The Lit. Bar
Location: 131 Alexander Ave, Mott Haven, Bronx
Founded by Bronx native Noëlle Santos in 2019, The Lit. Bar is the only brick-and-mortar bookstore in the Bronx. This Black-owned bookstore in NYC combines books with a wine bar, offering a unique space for literary and social gatherings.
Adanne Bookshop
Location: 115 Ralph Ave, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn
Opened by Darlene Okpo in 2021, Adanne celebrates Black culture through a curated selection of books and community events. The name “Adanne” means “she is her mother’s daughter” in Igbo, honoring Okpo’s heritage.
Café con Libros
Location: 724 Prospect Place, Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Kalima DeSuze, an Afro-Latinx woman of Panamanian descent, is the woman behind Café con Libros, literally “coffee with books.” This feminist bookstore and coffee shop offers a space for community engagement and literary exploration.
Cups & Books
Location: Formerly 2024 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn (now online only)
Once a cozy community bookstore and café in Flatbush, Cups & Books closed its physical storefront in early 2025, but the story doesn’t end there. You can still support this Black-owned, family-run business by shopping online through their website.
Grandma’s Place
Location: 84 W 120th St, Harlem, Manhattan
Grandma’s Place is owned by retired educator Dawn Martine, affectionately known as “Grandma Dawn.” This bookstore and toy shop focuses on educational books and toys for Black and brown children.
Taylor & Co. Books
Location: 1021 Cortelyou Rd, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn
Founded by former literature professor Andrew Colarusso, Taylor & Co. Books is a family-run, Black-owned bookstore in NYC. It offers new and used books, comics, and gifts, and hosts various community events.
Lazy & Lit. Bookstore
Location: Harlem, Manhattan
Lazy & Lit sells books, particularly those focused on mental health, and offers on-site mental health services in a calming and welcoming space. Visitors are encouraged to slow down, decompress, and unwind with a warm drink and a good book. The space is designed for rest and reflection, turning every visit into a moment of care.
Loc’d and Lit
Location: Bronx, New York (online and pop-up events)
Triciah Claxton started Loc’d and Lit with her childhood bestie, Alanna Lewis-Ramirez. This Black-owned, online bookstore has one mission: to eradicate the literacy desert in the Bronx. With only one physical bookstore for its 1.5 million residents, the Bronx lacks opportunities for people to engage with books and literacy. Loc’d and Lit provides affordable access to books and its owners run a literacy program within the local community.
BEM Books & More
Location: Currently online and at pop-up events (physical location opening soon at 373 Lewis Ave, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn)
Founded by sisters Gabrielle and Danielle Davenport, BEM Books & More specializes in books about Black food. It carries cookbooks, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books, all centered on the food and culture of the African diaspora. They host pop-up events around NYC and aim to open a physical storefront.
Huemanbooks
Location: Ground Central Coffee at 1166 6th Ave & 888 8th Ave, Manhattan (pop-ups + online)
Huemanbooks is a Black women-owned independent bookstore that’s redefining the literary scene in NYC. After gaining a cult following with its curated selection and pop-up activations, the brand has relaunched through partnerships with Ground Central Coffee. You can now browse Huemanbooks titles in person at two Midtown café locations or catch one of their signature pop-ups around the city.
Bronx Bound Books
Location: Mobile bookstore operating throughout the Bronx
Bronx Bound Books is a Black-owned mobile bookstore founded by LaTanya N. DeVaughn with one clear mission: to bring books directly to the people. Operating out of a retrofitted bus, this “bookstore on wheels” travels across Bronx neighborhoods, parking at schools, festivals, public housing complexes, and community events to make literature accessible to underserved communities.
