Nothing beats an afternoon browsing bookstores or wandering markets on a morning coffee stroll. New York City is the perfect place for both. With grand markets littered throughout the city and bookstores around almost every corner, it’s impossible not to find some treasure to take home. Shopping at markets and independent bookstores puts the money directly back into the community, supporting small businesses, local artists, and creatives. It’s supporting someone’s creative dreams and pursuits while keeping the local economy healthy. To share every single market and bookstore in NYC would mean an endless scroll. However, we’ve pulled together a few finds that should make the top of your list.

MARKETS 🛍️

Brooklyn/Chelsea Flea | 80 Pearl Street (Brooklyn), 29 West 25th Street (Chelsea)

With two iconic locations, the Brooklyn and Chelsea Flea Markets are open year-round on Saturdays and Sundays. Shop a unique mix of vendors featuring vintage and handmade goods from artists, artisans, and makers while supporting creatives from the local community. A third location, BQ Flea, is also now open on Sundays at 202 Meeker Avenue in Brooklyn with a trunkshow-style experience. There’s nowhere else in NYC quite like the Brooklyn or Chelsea Flea, so make sure you save a weekend afternoon to explore the different vendors.

Bushwick Market | 54 Wyckoff Avenue (Bushwick)

Another unique flea market to add to your NYC bucket list, Bushwick Market is open daily with an eclectic collection of goods. From vintage items to handmade finds, you’ll find great deals and unique treasures at this Brooklyn market. Flip through vinyl records, find an outfit for brunch, or discover showstopping accessories.

Chelsea Market | 75 9th Avenue (Chelsea)

Built in the late 19th century, Chelsea Market was originally the Nabisco building, famous for being the birthplace of the Oreo. Today, it’s home to Google offices and production studios for stations like The Food Network. More importantly, it’s known to visitors for the indoor marketplace and food hall located at street level. From gelato to a cheese monger, Jamaican cuisine, several Asian concepts like Maki a Mano’s hand-rolled sushi and dim sum at the ornately decorated Buddakan, fresh mini doughnuts from Doughnutttery, and over a hundred pasta shapes at Di Martino’s, there’s so much to taste and explore at Chelsea Market.

While you’re working up an appetite, make sure to visit Artists & Fleas. This evolving, curated market has several locations, including Chelsea Market, where the merchants rotate weekly. From prints to clothing, aura readings, and beauty products, there’s a multitude of artists, makers, and small businesses to discover all under one roof.

Grand Bazaar NYC | 100 West 77th Street (Upper West Side)

The Grand Bazaar is New York’s oldest and largest curated weekly market. Open every Sunday, the Grand Bazaar is an indoor/outdoor market with vendors selling everything from bites to art. It’s a space to support small businesses and local creatives. With over one hundred independent vendors to shop from, browse everything from antiques to clothing, accessories to handmade goods, art, and more. Shopping at the Grand Bazaar also supports local schools to fund enrichment programs and classroom supplies.

Tin Building by Jean-Georges | 96 South Street (Seaport)

Another fantastic food destination to add to your NYC bucket list, the Tin Building is a “unique market and food hall inspired by Jean-Georges’ travels”. Open daily, enjoy one of several global concepts, including French restaurant T. Brasserie or Chinese-inspired House of the Red Pearl. Grab a quick sweet or savory bite at Crepes & Dosas or sit down for a glass of wine at the Wine Bar. Located in the historic Seaport neighborhood, the Tin Building’s history goes back nearly two hundred years, previously serving for decades as a gathering place for fishmongers as the Fulton Fish Market.

Market 57 | 25 11th Avenue (Chelsea)

Led by the James Beard Foundation, Market 57 is a mix of over a dozen food-driven concepts from minority- and women-owned businesses to support a “more equitable industry”. Open daily, Market 57 has a unique blend of culinary finds from homestyle Indian to Korean Bibimbap, Cajun cuisine, Chinese-American Dim Sum, specialty coffee, gourmet hot dogs, and more.

BOOKSTORES 📖

Albertine Books | 972 5th Avenue (Upper East Side)

Located in the historic Payne Whitney mansion, Albertine is part of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy. It specifically carries books in French and English and is the only bookshop in New York devoted to that singular goal. The shop has become known across social media for its ceiling mural featuring hand-painted depictions of constellations, stars, and planets. Albertine hosts book clubs, author panels, readings, discussions, and other events dedicated to literature.

Archestratus Books + Food | 164 Huron Street (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)

This Brooklyn gem is all about food. The bookshop is dedicated to cookbooks - old and new - but that doesn’t mean you can’t find other literary gems at Archestratus. As if that weren’t enough, it’s also a market with produce, meats, pantry items, baked goods, snacks, lots of Italian goods, and more! Being a gathering place for food lovers and the culinary curious, Archestratus hosts classes, readings, tastings, performances, dinner parties, and more for a truly unique food-centric experience.

Argosy Book Store | 116 East 59th Street (Midtown East)

The oldest independent bookstore in New York City, Argosy Book Store was founded in 1925 (Happy 100th Birthday!). A family-owned bookstore, Argosy is known for antiquarian and out-of-print books. Find a wide range of genres and literary items from first editions to antique maps, and appreciate the centuries of history that are represented in many different forms. The store fills a six-floor building, but also has a Brooklyn warehouse with even more inventory. If you’re looking for something rare and old, this is a great place to start. Even if they don’t have it, they can probably help you find it. Otherwise, it’s a treasure trove of items to discover and simply be in the presence of.

East Village Books | 99 St. Mark’s Place (Ukrainian Village)

This cash-only bookstore buys and sells books, CDs, and DVDs to save you from the streaming wars. Located in the Ukrainian Village, East Village Books has been around for over thirty years. They specialize in estate libraries, which often lead to unique and rare finds. This is a great spot to browse and find something unexpected.

Housing Works Bookstore | 126 Crosby Street (SoHo)

A destination for more than just books, Housing Works Bookstore has been serving the New York community for almost thirty years. The store sells secondhand books, along with a collection of clothing, gifts, and household items. Plus, the cafe offers a selection of coffee, tea, beer, wine, and snacks to enjoy before or after browsing the stacks. Housing Works is more than just a store; it’s a mission. The organization was founded in the early 1990s by an AIDS activist group that dedicated itself to supporting homeless people living with HIV and AIDS in NYC. The organization continues to perform vital work today by fighting for “inclusive care, social justice, and an end to homelessness”. Every purchase made at Housing Works Bookstore supports this great cause.

Left Bank Books | 41 Perry Street (West Village)

Not all book stores can be multi-level. Left Bank Books may be small, but it’s also unique, which makes it worth a visit. Left Bank buys and sells used, vintage, and rare books - like many of the stores on this list. Left Bank has a wide variety of genres, topics, and authors, but you’ll find a substantial collection of books centered around culture and the arts. You might also find vintage magazines, posters, prints, and other miscellaneous items.

Mercer Street Books & Records | 206 Mercer Street (Greenwich Village)

Tucked in the corner of Greenwich Village, Mercer Street Books has been around for over thirty years, selling used books and records. This shop’s stacks of books will keep you browsing for hours, but if that’s not enough, the vinyl collection will keep you even longer. From the literary greats to books in other languages, there’s so much to discover in this neighborhood store.

Strand Book Store | 828 Broadway (Greenwich Village)

What’s probably the most famous bookstore in New York, The Strand has been around for decades. Opened in 1927 on what was then considered “book row”, The Strand is a family-owned bookstore known for carrying 18 miles of books (but according to a quick internet search, it’s more like 23). The New York institution has a staff of passionate book lovers and carries a combination of used and new books in every genre and topic imaginable. Rare finds are a staple here, maybe more so than the latest bestseller. You don’t visit The Strand to find a book, you visit The Strand so a book can find you. If nothing else, visiting this three-story shop is a literary lover's dream, so head on over to 12th & Broadway to get lost in the stacks for a few hours.

The Center for Fiction | 15 Lafayette Avenue (Downtown Brooklyn)

Much more than a bookshop, The Center for Fiction is a nonprofit literary organization bringing writers and readers together in one community. The organization hosts panel discussions, lectures, and performances as well as writing workshops for up-and-coming writers, reading groups, fellowships, and more. The Brooklyn headquarters also has an independent bookstore carrying everything from rare finds to recent bestsellers, and a cafe & bar which offers the ideal opportunity to enjoy a coffee and snack after browsing. Start reading your recent purchase, or take a seat to start working on your own novel.

The Ripped Bodice | 218 5th Avenue (Park Slope, Brooklyn)

Independently owned by two sisters, The Ripped Bodice is the first dedicated romance bookstore in New York City. The proudly Woman- and Queer-owned Brooklyn store is the second location from the sisters, featuring romance novels in all genres from historical to contemporary, LGBTQ+ to romantasy. The store hosts regular events from book clubs to author meet-and-greets. Browse the shelves for your next read, or grab a staff recommendation if you need a little help choosing. While the store is fun with an aesthetic made for Instagram, what’s garnered such a dedicated fan base is the inclusivity and welcoming atmosphere that sisters Leah and Bea have put at the core of the experience.