Seaburn Books

A bookstore in Astoria. I am automatically a fan since books are extemely difficult to find in this neighborhood. The first time I came (about 5 years ago or so), My friend and I walked around in awe at the sheer amount of books and the total lack of organization… but that was part of the fun. There were lots of random books on weird subjects and things. Venturing into the basement level was a full-​blown adventure, we’d been unsure if we would return to the surface but then found a half-​eaten snickers bar on one of the shelves so we would be able to survive a day or so. Yea, it was disorganized and quirky as hell so of course we loved it.
I just went back a few months ago and was in shock. It’s so nice now! They have coffee! (for a $ 1 and it’s really good) The book selection could still use improvement but hey, at least the shelves are marked now and the books aren’t haphazardly piled on them. I overheard a guy asking the cashier about a book and she said they could order it so there’s that option.

I’ve been coming to this bookstore since I was in elementary school and it has never failed me! The people that work there are always very helpful and eager to help. If they do not have the book (s) that you are searching for in stock, then they order for it and it comes QUICK. It really does not take too long for the book to be delivered to the store. I recently stopped by to see that they added a little café inside the store, so big plus for me!

Unilocal says it’s closed, but no worries! Thanks to community support (and other things, I’m sure) it’s back open. Go! Support Astoria’s only (are you serious) bookstore!!!

They have the most rare and weirdest books downstairs. It’s almost like porn! It’s closing down. I saw a 70% off sign when I passed by the other day. Make it there while you still can.

Damn it, wouldn’t you know it, the only book store in Astoria and it’s closing down and relocating. The store is loaded with rare outdated books, the kind that you find when you visit your grandparents house in their basement and to think of it, it sort of smells like it too. A true bibliophiles treasure, if you don’t mind squeezing yourself in between narrow aisles of books stock piled high to the ceiling. You have to be very patient when searching for that rare book, but that’s part of the charm.

Books… All around. This is nice individually owned book store. There is more character and sophistication to them. Rather than chained locations. I use to live in the area and even though I moved to Brooklyn, I still come here. They have a wide range of books and can even special order some if they don’t have it. The staff there is very friendly and knowledgeable of all the new releases.

The only bookstore in Astoria (to my knowledge). It is nice because it is local, inexpensive, and convenient but, it is difficult to navigate. There is definitely a book in the store for everyone. It may not be the book you want, but there is a book you will like. I do not feel it is right to compare it to the Strand as this is a small, local store. It is nice to have in the neighborhood.

The first time I visited this place, I wasn’t impressed, they said they wouldn’t take used books for a little trade or credit (a majority of the books are used in there). I had to try it again and I felt more comfortable, the girls were really nice and the owner was too. Its pretty much the only bookstore in the neighborhood and it actually grows on you. They seem to have more selection the 2^nd and 3^rd time I visited.

It’s so sad on my part that I haven’t been browsing this gem weekly. I’ve been a few times now and have made a promise to myself to stop in at least one per week. They are, after all, open until 8 p.m. on weekdays.
The selection of books is impressive, both new and used. New releases, classics, and obscure. Normally, I peruse
for used books — ranging in price from $.50 to $ 5. However, add $ 4 for shipping. At Seaburn, you can get used books that are in great shape for $ 4…and not have to wait for the shipping.
Yes, the store is a bit disorganized and disheveled, but that’s at least half of the fun. The staff is very helpful and clearly takes great pride in their inventory. My roommate is a teacher and she has taken to stopping to buy books for her class library (4^th grade). She was incredibly pleased at the titles she found today (as was I).
Drop by to see what I mean. You won’t regret it. You can also feel great about supporting a local business while getting some cheap but great reads.

If you love that old book smell, and the feeling of getting lost for hours in an ADD adventure starting in an exploration of Metaphysics and ending with poetry, then Seaburn is a great place to find your used books.
The great thing about this used bookstore is that they sell both used and new books. I found a brand new Gulliver’s travels and a used book on the industrial revolution in Europe. You can find plenty of interesting material to keep you occupied.

Today was my first visit to the interior of Seaburn Books, although I’ve been known to browse the outdoor bargain table on my way elsewhere. I’m thrilled.
First there was the long and epic story of going through all the bookshelves in our apartment and picking out the duds, the old textbooks complusively held onto through way too many apartment moves, and the never-​going-​to-​read-​again sci-​fi novels. It was epic. And at the end of it, four enormous boxes of rejected books huddled in the corner of our apartment for a full ten months. But, lo, the holidays approached, and, desperate to get rid of the books without throwing any away, I called Seaburn. The staffer who answered the phone was really freindly, and didn’t sound at all like he was rolling his eyes when I asked if they take used books, «a LOT of used books.»
When I arrived a couple of hours later, another employee helped me through the door with my granny-​cart o’ books, then chatted to me about how they are the «book rescue» of Astoria, and he’s been known to scoop books out of curbside boxes to make sure they don’t end up in a landfill. Fabulous. It’s so nice to see a small bookstore making it in a landscape full of Barnes and Nobles, so stop by soon, enjoy the friendly service, and paw through old and new books.

They’re also really great about ordering books that they do *not* have in stock. You pay for the book, they pay for the shipping — the book usually arrives within a week from when you order it with them. Cheaper than amazon, and you get to support a nice local independent bookstore.
But yes, optimal for seriously aimless browsing too. The downstairs is insane. Great great sale books.

This place, as Chelsea said, is indeed cute. It’s disorganized to an extent; right next to the Children’s book section (if you call it a section) are photo books, but the thing is the column right next to the children’s section is a profile photo book of 30 porn stars. NICE.
Anywho, so it’s laid back and casually run; the man at the front, who presumably may own the store, is incredibly nice; his family helps out in the back. I’m not sure where they came up with the name Seaburn. Anywho, a lot of general stuff you’ll find here, as well as some odd racks of random books and pocket romance novels that i was extremely tempted to get. It’s cheap as any other bookstore for their used items.
They also sell random b-​movie and tv episode dvds; there was one with Franco Columbo playing a undercover agent who does the nasty with some old flame and fights the baddies who have flushed him out of hiding. 1 dollar. I should have bought it. But I just got Wrong Turn 2 for free at work so I’ll save it for another run.
The place is quite small; the front has a little more space but the back is a cluttered two row haven; the more messy it gets, the more cute it gets, because it’s like, if you’re just browsing, you feel at any moment you could find something oddly interesting. I was intrigued, for example, by the clinical neurology and anatomy and other used medical books in the back. Maybe it doesn’t sound fascinating, but little moments like that are why Sunday early afternooons exist in Astoria.