It may have been a while since you had a real “back to school” fall experience, but that feeling of Fall and books in tandem is a forever one. As the weather cools and the days darken, curling up with a good book is all the more appealing, so it’s no coincidence that come autumn, our thoughts turn to Philadelphia’s many amazing Independent book stores as a way to celebrate the season, celebrate books, and celebrate our city through the lens of its literary spaces.

As the city that was home to the country’s very first subscription library service, courtesy of, who else, Benjamin Franklin, in 1731, Philadelphia has had a long history of being a book-lover’s town, and that history lives on today in our many wonderful historic and recently opened book stores. 

At Solo, we are big fans of bookstores, not only because many of our employees and agents are avid readers, but also because we know how vital Philadelphia’s literary scene is in the lives of Philadelphia residents. While we are huge library fans and supporters, we also know that some books need to come home with us to stay. That’s why we have decided to share this extensive list of the historic book stores we’re proud to patronize, along with newer additions to Philadelphia’s book-selling community.

The Old Guard 

Giovanni’s Room

A Philadelphia institution since 1973 and a vital part of Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ Civil Rights history, this bookstore bridges the gap between historic space and contemporary community center by providing thousands of works of Queer and Feminist literature to book lovers, history seekers, and any who walks in as part of their exploration of self, gender, sexual identity, and literature. While the original bookstore closed in 2014, in 2018, Philly Aids Thrift officially revived the organization, and today PhillyAidsThrift@Giovanni’s room continues to supply Philadelphians and visitors with literature, both used and new, as well as other pre-loved objects as part of Philly Aids Thrift’s mission to serve and support local institutions fighting HIV/AIDS. 

Hakim’s Bookstore

Founded by scholar, publisher, author, and lecturer Dawud Hakim in 1958, Hakim’s is one of the oldest Black bookstores in America. At a time when books by Black authors and Scholars were difficult, if not impossible, to find, Mr. Hakim created a space for Black literature and writing to thrive and for Philadelphians to pursue and access these vital texts. His work lives on today in his store, now owned and operated by Mr. Hakim’s daughters and granddaughter. In addition to serving as a bookstore and community space, Hakim’s Bookstore also offers a program that allows customers to send books to incarcerated individuals.

The Book Trader

Established in 1975 and in its current location in Old City since 2004, The Book Trader is a critical element of the Philadelphia bookstore community. A used bookstore with a trade-based policy, customers can bring in books which, if accepted, earn them discounts on their trades. This bookstore is the classic “get lost in a world of paper” experience with hidden gems and wonderful discoveries around every corner. 

Baldwin’s Book Barn

Founded by the current owner’s parents in 1946 and housed in a building from 1822, this cozy West Chester bookstore is a step into the past filled with all the literature you could want for your future reading sessions. With five floors of books and endless nooks and crannies to explore, it would be surprising if this bookstore wasn’t haunted, but the ghosts are friendly fellow readers, and it’s well worth a trip out into West Chester for the spirits and the stories. 

Julia de Burgos Bookstore

Named after the famed Puerto Rican Poet and housed within Taller Puertoriqueno, this gem is the only Spanish/English bookstore in Philadelphia. Specializing in Puerto Rican cultural representation, but also stocks books and materials from across Latin American cultures. With books on Latin American indigenous languages, a plethora of children’s books, and hard-to-find print runs on history and culture, it’s a treasure trove of literature and culture. 

Wooden Shoe Books

No bookstore embodies the historic spirit of South Street more than Wooden Shoe, a volunteer-run anarchist and social justice-oriented bookstore founded in 1976. Originally located on Sansom and 20th, following a devastating fire in the 1990s, the shop relocated to 7th and South, fitting right in Philadelphia’s most punk rock-friendly neighborhood, where it has been ever since. For customers, volunteers, and individuals who identify as both, this bookstore is more than a shop; it’s a movement. It’s a place to learn how to unionize, pick up some radical writings, and remember that reading is always an act of resistance. 

New Kids on the Block (relatively)

Is anything truly new in our historic city? Blink and something has been here a decade. But here are some of the more recently opened favorites we love: 

Binding Agents

A truly new offering and Philadelphia’s first and only cookbook bookstore, this new shop in the Italian market holds events with local and international chefs, potlucks, and classes, as well as providing a cookbook lover’s dream of classic and contemporary cookbooks to browse and buy. Feed your stomach, and your cookbook addition, then pick up ingredients at the market on your way home! 

Uncle Bobby’s Coffee and Books

A bookstore, market, community space, and coffee shop in the heart of Germantown, Uncle Bobby’s Coffee and Books works to serve the community around it by providing a literary-themed gathering place. With author talks, story sessions, and community benefit drives, this is a bookstore with a mission that no book lover and Philadelphia lover can fail to support. 

A Novel Idea

Bringing books to East Passyunk, this cosy community-oriented bookstore focuses on local authors and small press options amidst their larger spectrum of offerings. This small, couple-owned business is the perfect place for writing workshops, craft collectives, and your next novel selection. 

Harriet’s Bookstore

Named in honor of Harriet Tubman and Black female-owned, this Fishtown-based bookstore features Black authors, both local and national, and women’s stories among their larger fiction and non-fiction catalogue. Brimming with Black joy and diverse offerings, it’s the place to pick up bestsellers, obscure scholars, and all the female-authored narratives your arms can hold. 

Bindlestaff Books

Volunteer-run and housed in an adorable Victorian-era building, this West Philadelphia shop overflows with books, giving it that wonderful “I could encounter something amazing in here” feeling with every visit. A community staple since 2005, and always worth a visit. 

Brickbat Books

A new and used bookstore with a spectacular selection of children’s fiction, rare books and art books, this is a shop built for browsing. With events and book-buying opportunities, it’s the perfect place to while away time in between browsing boutiques and fabric shopping on Fabric Row. 

Big Blue Marble Bookstore

Founded in Mount Airy in 2005 with the direct aim to support the diverse artistic community of the neighborhood, this bright and airy (pun intended) bookstore includes a beautifully comfortable tearoom for reading and quiet conversation. Eager to point out lesser-known writers, inclusive and community-oriented, the bookstore hosts readings and fairs, signings and writers-in-conversation to highlight the notion of collective literary culture. 

The Head and the Hand

A bookstore you can rent out for a date night? Is there anything more romantic than that? This Fishtown-based shop is full of local authors, tempting zines, and wonderful events, but more than that, as a non-profit, this organization is itself a publisher as well as a shop, so no one knows Philadelphia authors better than editorial director Linda Gallant and creative director Claire Moncla, and their staff. For book people, by book people. 

We’re also proud to note that Solo Real Estate agent Jeff Carpineta helped The Head and the Hand find and lease their current Fishtown space, a perfect fit for a community-minded bookstore that continues to inspire Philadelphia readers and writers alike.

Headhouse Books

A reader’s paradise, Headhouse Books, established in 2005, sits right on Headhouse Square, and is filled with a fiercely curated stock and staff who stand by every one of their literary choices. Beyond hosting readings and events, Headhouse works with local book clubs to stock monthly picks as well, so if you are interested in working with them, they are open to inquiries.

In every corner of Philadelphia, a bookstore waits to welcome you in from the chill—a reminder that the stories we read, and the ones we live, are what make this city endlessly inspiring. At Solo Real Estate, we’re proud to be part of that story, helping Philadelphians find the spaces where their next chapters begin.