Bookbook In The West Village To Shutter In May After 35 Years

WEST VILLAGE, NY — West Village's bookbook will close after 35 years in the neighborhood, the bookstore said Thursday.

The owners of bookbook, located at 266 Bleecker St. between Cornelia and Morton Sts., are closing up shop in May in hopes of having more free time after working for decades at the store.

"We're kind of tired," said Carolyn Epstein, 70, who co-owns the shop with her husband, Chuck.

After 35 years of work, Epstein said she is ready to be relieved of the responsibility of running the shop. The lease renewal was expected in the coming weeks, but a mixture of discovering the increased rent costs and long hours at the shop solidified the decision to close, she said. Long hours have been taking over Epstein's life recently — plus, she'd like to travel more.

"I'm sure I'll miss it," she said. "We have great customers. Just not having that kind of responsibility is working very good for me."

Blogger and author of 'Vanishing New York' Jeremiah Moss first noted bookbook's closure Wednesday.

The bookstore first opened in 1984 under the moniker Biography Bookshop at 400 Bleecker St., which is now a a Marc Jacobs shop that includes books dedicate to fashion and art dubbed "Bookmarc."A decade ago the shop relocated and rebranded under the same owners as bookbook at 266 Bleecker St.

"Further commercial changes in the neighborhood, alas have forced us to finally end this phase of our lives as booksellers," the bookshop wrote on Instagram Thursday. "We want to thank you (and your dogs) for being part of our community for more than three decades. And we want to thank our employees from over the years who have become part of our close circle of friends."

Beginning Monday, everything in the store will be 20% to 30% off. The shop's final day is May 15.

The store will continue to sell books at its digs at the Abingdon Sq. Farmers Market at the corner of Hudson and 12th Sts. The owners are also planning to periodically set up shop at a pickle stand on Carmine St. between Sixth Ave. and Bleecker St.

"If I see cheap tickets to France or Spain or something, I'm not selling books on the street," she said. "I certainly don't want to sell online — I think that's boring."

The pop-up style future of bookbook will be announced on social media and the store's email list, which the public can sign for here.