East Village Books and Records

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This alt book dungeon initially seems a bit disorganized: wood shelves with paperbacks piled up to the ceiling; CDs and knickknacks laid out haphazardly. After spending a little time among the stacks, however, you’ll notice makeshift sections that break down generically (literature and science fiction) and ingeniously (anti-this-establishment and drugs). Much of the New York Times best-seller list and standard collegiate classics can be found here as can an earnest guide to surviving a robot invasion and a fifteen-year-old copy of Penthouse. Open since 1994, East Village Books takes in close to 500 used books a week, many of which are kept in the narrow, outdoor $2 to $3 discount garden adjoining the store. — Melissa Noble

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