Old Niagara Bookshop

I’ve been to this bookstore about 3 times. I have always been able to find something unique to purchase. Andrea D.‘s description of the woman who owns the store is accurate, until you engage her in conversation. She’s kind and funny and actually rather hip, ala a younger Betty White. I’m a fan of the owner and of her quaint shop.

NOTE: the store is actually now located at 223 Regent St in Niagara-​on-​the-​Lake, across the street from the Old Angel Inn. This location opened in July 2011. The picture above is of the previous store location.
MY RECOMMENDATION: This is a lovely, lovely very traditional, very sophisticated, very unpretentious shop. Definitely a favorite of mine. Sheer class from the claw and ball desk that essentially serves as a cash register counter, to the dark bookcases along the walls. It is very stylish, just like the rest of Old Town NOTL. Old Niagara Bookshop is the landed gentry, the old money, the class that Niagara-​on-​the-​Lake has gradually lost over the years to the trendy, pretentious, and borderline obnoxious «boutiques» peddling predominantly overpriced goods in Old Town.
I have been visiting it for twenty years, and over that period Old Niagara Bookshop has been located at three different buildings. The first was on Prideaux Street, the main thoroughfare in NOTL (that store is actually seen in at least a couple of movies filmed in NOTL: The Ref (1994) with Denis Leary; and «Trapped in Paradise» (1994) with Nicholas Cage, Jon Lovitz, and Dana Carvey.)
The second location was at 233 King St across from the Pillar and Post, and near the Irish Harp Restaurant. It was a very small and narrow store, but very «quaint».
The third and present (October 2013) location is 223 Regent St, Niagara-​on-​the-​Lake, quite nearby the location that is listed on Unilocal.
The previous post from Andrea D is quite on the money (although I don’t understand only 3 stars). The owner, the «stern-​looking» woman, though rather serious, quite proper, and rather reserved, don’t worry!!! I have been in there many times, and have struck up a conversation when I make a purchase. I believe she is quite educated, but we never discussed that.
You must keep in mind two things: one, the store is an old-​style book store, not a big store along the lines of Barnes and Noble (US), Chapters /​Indigo (Canada), or Waterstones /​WH Smith (UK). Therefore, the selection, though very nice with some unique quality titles that you may just have missed elsewhere, the prices are full price, so your discount card or coupon will not work here. But I understand the dynamic that it’s a small shop, and the experience of browsing, as well as coming across an unfamiliar title (something I have done many times here) is WORTH IT!
The titles are quality titles, with much literature and non-​fiction (on the shelves to the left when you come in), biographies, and various nonfiction including art and travel on the shelves at the right, some local interest books about Niagara on the table as you walk in to the store, and kids books in a nook at the back on the right. The current location is significantly more spacious than the previous rather narrow store.
The owner (whose name I know, but will not post here because that is not my business) also has a few fine used books on a shelf she puts out front during fair weather.
Therefore, everything considered, a full five stars from my perspective.

The very inviting look of this small shop inspired me to explore. When I cross the threshold, I was intimidated by the very proper, somewhat stern looking woman sitting at the desk polishing her money box. This is an old fashioned book shop at it’s best. It is one large rectangular space with two aisles (traffic in, traffic out) — one butt per aisle ;) I think that there’s also a children’s section in the back. The books are beautiful including many travel books and a wealth of literature (Shaw, of course). The shoppers looked like they just stepped out of the preppy handbook, knew each other and were talking about what they were going to see at the theatre that night. In the midst of all the high brow merchandise, my daughter was able to find the official Justin Bieber bio. The money box polishing lady even took it out of the shrink wrap so she could leaf through it. The highlight of our visit was our discovery of William and Kate paper dolls that you can dress up in all sorts of finery. Fun!