Do you know of any small, successful independent book cafes? Or book/tea shops?

No cafe (I don’t think) but certainly worth checking out, as I’m sure you’ve heard of City Lights: http://www.citylights.com/ and I also LOVE Green Apple on Clement St. http://www.greenapplebooks.com/ (again, no cafe but a really awesome place to grab a book and plop down for a while… they have those old school, school desks scattered about the upstairs and another location next door that has records & classic books)

Here’s one in California: Bookshop Santa Cruz, a proud holdout against the mighty chains. It’s in a location that’s fun to visit in its own right, on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz.

And here’s one in Berkeley, right on Telegraph Avenue: Moe’s Books. No cafe here, but places to sit and think about things, and there are plenty of eating and drinking spots in the vicinity.

Are you heading west?

Most of the places like that that I can think of are in Southern VT and NH, and they don’t bother with websites. But considering that some of them are in places where dial-up and satellite are the only options, it’s almost moot.

Let me know when you are in the that area and I will give you more info.

Yes, there are several in my hometown.

There used to be a place called The Earthling Bookstore in Santa Barbara, California that sold sandwiches, coffee and tea, but it apparently went out of business.

Here ya go. Let me know if you’re going there, we can meet up… I love this place!

If your’re ever in the mid-Michigan area visit the Curious Book Shop
Also for metaphysical/new age try Triple Goddess Bookstore

This place has been in operation in Connecticut for decades that I know of. I’ve always meant to stop in and visit, but I never have.

We have a magnificient tea room & garden shop in the Milwaukee area. And quite a few independent bookshops. One of my favs to lose an hour or so in a ‘burb of Milwaukee called The Little Read Book.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire has this place: http://www.riverrunbookstore.com

It has become pretty famous in Southern NH. They do not serve coffee. They do, however, rent out the local historic Music Hall for guest lecture events on occasion from famous authors. There is an outdoor cafe two stores down.

These are some that have presented that they list on their website:
Alan Alda, Ken Burns, Dan Brown, Anita Diamant, John Updike, and Mitch Albom

The Book Cellar, Lincoln Square, Chicago

Schuler Books, Grand Rapids MI

Upstart Crow- San Diego

Hardly small, but Powell’s Books in Portland has a cafe.

Another California shop, this one with a special story: it actually closed down, beaten by the chain stores, and was revived and reopened five weeks later by the efforts of a community that wouldn’t let it die. Kepler’s in Menlo Park (link goes to the “about” page) is still thriving today. There’s a cafe just next door, under the same roof.

I’m glad to see that something survived of Upstart Crow, I worked for them in the 80s until the big cheeses absconded to Brazil with company accounts. I guess they must have been able to sell the concept and logo. It was a good store…

Well…how did this question get lost on me?? I thought I had responded to this one…

Thanks sooooo much for the contributions and keep them coming….I’ve been to Kepler’s and of course the famous Bookstore Santa Cruz (remember when it had to operate in a tent for a long time after the Loma Prieta quake?!) I am glad Kepler’s made it.

Powell’s is my version of “The Emerald City” of bookshops…or it was, anyway.

I am a huge fan of the independent bookstore, the antiquarian bookstore…etc etc.

Lurve coming…and thank you…there are some gems on this list…so heads-up you booklovers…keep the indies going!