Powell’s Bookstore

I’ve been to the original/​flagship Powell’s in Portland over 5 years ago and have been in love with any and all Powell’s Bookstores since! Stumbled upon this bookstore while I was exploring the area. This Powell’s is just as nice as the one in Hyde Park; lots of variety of titles (non-​fiction/​literature/​memoirs/​cookbooks/​Chicago books/​etc), with some overstock new books as well as lots of old books. Very good prices for the books. It feels a lot more open than a lot of other used bookstores.

Low low prices… it’s almost like the actual store of the Amazon book section.
Wonderful staff and there is also some rooms available to rent out for functions. This is right in the heart of UIC and I do hope more students go here versus buying books online.
Staff are very friendly.

Powell’s is a good bookstore. They have a great selection of books.

Highly competitive pricing, spacious well designed space, this location is an improvement over the venerable Powell’s bookstore where I grew up in Hyde Park. Like the original, the workers here are highly literate, extremely competent, and this is the only bookstore I’ve been to that has a good Indian quick eats restaurant attached (and I’ve traveled quite a bit in India). The only drawback is there is no parking anywhere around here, so walk, bike, ride the bus or train to get here. Bring a book bag or knapsack to haul off your purchases and do make time to eat some Biryani.

If you are looking for something very specific, this review may not be helpful. Having said that… my neighborhood Powell’s!!! Huge collection, ridiculously (low) priced, very browse-​friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff (can handle most questions just off the top of their head, quite willing to search the catalog otherwise), and they always seem to have some kind of reading enticement in their window.
To get a bit more specific, on-​shelf breadth is quite decent — they will have something to offer on almost any genre of fiction/​non-​fiction (cannot comment on specific trades). Because of the low prices, the collection can be a bit «funky» — a bit off the beaten path (although they have a huge amount of the beaten path too). Quite honestly, that is what I like most about them.
About the store layout. I think this matters a lot — a lot of really good independent bookshops have a lot of challenges with layout often because of space constraints. This can make browsing significantly less rewarding. This store is spacious and the layout of the shelves is very good. Lots of room to move around, step back, etc. means you are not bumping into someone (even in the more popular categories). Organization into subjects is also done nicely and labeled clearly (I think this is possible in part because of the large collection).
A Pakistani/​Indian restaurant inside the book shop, quite literally. Peet’s and Cold Stone down the block.
Few better ways to spend time.

Buying books is one of my passions, particularly, buying cheap books. Powell’s is a great place to do this. They have a great selection with extremely good prices. I was very impressed. If you want cheap books in good condition, go to Powell’s.

This is one of my favorite bookstore to get lost in. It’s large without being overwhelming, and I always find a neat little stack of interesting books to sit down and flip through. I love the variety and the fact that they carry a good number of discounted titles. The staff is standoffish but will answer questions if you have them, which is perfect for me. I pretty much always enjoy the time I spend here, even if I walk out empty-​handed (an admittedly rare occurrence).

Among the many independent bookstores in Chicago, this is my favorite. Located right across the street from the UIC Forum, this bookstore focus on used books with good prices, and it is very inviting for browsing with comfy sofas!

I stopped in this bookstore by chance and what a find. Great selection and low prices. The sales associates are all very knowledgeable. Great place to meet people for a cup as coffee as well.

I’ve been a dedicated fan of the Powell’s Hyde Park location for years, and their Lincoln Ave. store is also a favorite when I’m in that area. Each of those long-​time stores have immense charms, and this new Powell’s on Halsted is a fantastic addition to their little empire of affordable used and remaindered books.
I was honestly surprised when I first walked in – there’s a café, ample seating, and lots of display space. It really looks and feels much like a chain location, but with much, much better prices and a wider selection of interesting titles that you just wouldn’t find at a corporate behemoth.
Adding to its charm, there’s a very spacious room in the back for readings and events, quite good bathrooms, and a nice little plaza outside if you want to grab some coffee and enjoy your purchases. Once you include a variety of restaurants that are within a close walk, Powell’s can easily be part of a genuinely nice afternoon exploring the area.
Naturally, I’d love it if certain sections were larger, but this is more of a general interest bookstore and you just won’t find the depth of academic titles you would in Hyde Park or the immense range of fiction available at Myopic. So what? Part of the fun in visiting each of these stores is the pleasure of hunting through the books in stock and finding surprises. There are lots of amazing discoveries to be made here and it’s a great place to visit.

Love this Book store! The books are all reasonably if not super cheap! I buy most of my children’s books here. They even have a READ ALOUD time for little ones on Friday at 10 a.m. The back room is such a nice area for listening to the READ ALOUDS. The place gets a bit packed and sometimes the kiddos don’t sit and listen but it’s fine because they are having a fun time. My tiny one likes to play in the fountain in the summer after the Read Aloud.
Great place to pick up gifts. They have a HUGE selection.

I absolutely LOVE this place! The store wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small either. They had a large selection of books and they were really well organized! SUPER CHEAP!!! I love book shopping (don’t like to do it online) and this place is a perfect place to buy a ton of books! My novel was 4 dollars!!!
I recommend coming here if you want great used books for a very cheap price, and in great condition!

I’m really disappointed that apparently 0 bookstores in Chicago sell Italian language books, but this store made up for it by a gem of a massive Italian/​English dictionary for 25 $ that they mailed to me in Naperville for 4 extra bucks. Great service, and a bathroom in case you spend too much time browsing. I deduct one star for having such a hard time finding the entrance.

Come for the books and stay for the low prices.
I’ve visited Powell’s five or six times and really like the place. I mostly go here for visual art books, but have gotten novels for others. I think the prices and quality of the used books are fantastic. I’ve gotten great photography books for only a fraction of the cost. You might not find many photo books from the last few years, but there are plenty of gems to find. All of the used books I’ve purchased from here look like they are brand new.
The staff is very friendly and helpful. When I couldn’t find a particular book the staff always pointed me in the right direction. I highly recommend going there and digging around a bit to see what you can find.

I hate giving this place a meager review but I’ve never found any of the books or magazines I’ve been looking for when I’m here. It seems strangely small to be a bookstore! Is there a second floor I’m unaware of? You’re better off going to Myopic or Open Books if you are looking for something particular. If you have some time to kill this bookstore does have a strange amount of stuff. A huge graphic novel section. And African American history section.

I’ve died and gone to heaven. The selection here is amazing, so well organized, and easy to browse. The prices are as cheap as it gets. I was particularly impressed by their nonfiction music and art photography sections. Their comics section could use some beefing up but I can’t complain, I’ve just been spoiled by the comic selection at their other locations. The staff is friendly, prices are great, and so is selection. The perfect bookstore.

I love this bookstore! Low, low price!
I was trying to find some new books for birthday & Christmas gifts. The cashier is not too much of an expert on knowing where certain items are or which items are on best seller list but he was trying to be helpful and has good attitude (plus, at least, he’s honest). Little did I know those stuff were used which is why he couldn’t tell where is what or which is best… I ended up grabbing three books anyway– and WOW, just a little over $ 10 for value of about $ 30. Not bad, I’ll definitely come again!

Unm, can more of you folks please shop here so they don’t close?
Prices are incredible! Like, used book prices but most of the books are new. I paid $ 15 for three new books. WHAT?
They even had a super rare Kara Walker book that maybe I should have bought. Why don’t YOU go and see if its still there.

Good books at good prices. What more can you ask for? How about a helpful staff, comfortable chairs and some treats? You get all of those things at Powell’s.
A far cry from the college-​focused bookstores in the surrounding area, this Powells has a collection of well organized fiction/​non fiction, photography books and most of things you would want at a low price. Stop in a be impressed.

I was sad when Barbara’s Bookstore in this location closed, mainly b/​c I wanted to buy a last minute gift and my laziness was rewarded with bupkus, but that’s hardly anyone’s fault but mine. Enter Powell’s.
I was shocked by the low prices here. The dangerously low prices that allow me to justify purchasing all sorts of whatnot, but 4 books for $ 20 is totally reasonable, right? RIGHT?
Layout’s not too different from when it was Barbara’s, but like I said, the prices are great, the selection is great, and the staff is very friendly.