I was the photographer at a recent wedding there and it was such an amazing experience. They accommodated me and my team as if we were also guests at this wedding. Which resulted in fantastic photographs and coverage of everything I needed for the couple. Atmosphere is great, drinks were great, food was delicious and not overwhelming. Staff were super friendly to me and my team and made sure we were fed tons of appetizers to get us through the night.10/10 coming back to buy some books and drink some coffee here next time Im in town! Cheers from Chicago!

This is my Soho oasis. It really has everything. First 100% of the profits to to fund Housing Works lifesaving services. The staff is mostly volunteers, and are so warm and friendly. The space inside is huge! two stories of books, lots of very sturdy tables, great chairs. Not very many electrical outlets, so bring a well charged device. The selection of books is always extensive. The coffee is fresh and strong.

Who doesn’t love spiral stairs, sparkly lights, and a balcony of books? Apparently they hold weddings here, but on normal days it’s less glamour, more well-worn/well-loved. No seating these days :( but still coffee

This was probably one of favorite bookstores I visited in NYC.I loved the atmosphere. Theres a cafe area with plenty of seats if you wanted to sit down with a book. Theres a nice variety of genres and even a section with some vinyl records as well to explore.During my visit (not sure if always the case), they halved the price of every book you buy as well. And if theres a better price online even after the halved result, they said theyd offer to price match. What a treat!

Still really love the place itself but over the last few months theyve chnaged quite a few things around - $1 and $2 books as well as individually priced books are gone, instead it is 50% off the retail price which is, depending on book and condition, just way too expensive for what it is - a used book in 2021! Like I said, though, the store itself is big and beautiful. It gives you a real oldschool NYC feeling, just the organization went downhill a bit lately, while prices went up.

Its good but definitely overpriced for donated items. there is an air of academia superiora that I find comical for essentially a thrift store/bargain shop that seems out of steps with the new normal. Get 3 starts because sometimed you find a rare gem.

Beautiful space to check out some varied collection of books. Great if you want to take a breather from all the shopping in SoHo.

Absolutely love this bookstore! Super charming interior, amazing selection of books at discounted prices, and loved the poetry book I got from this place. Staff is friendly & helpful too!

I always love coming down to Housing Works on Crosby. Its my favorite bookstore in this area of New York and one of my favorite of all time. I look forward to when theyll open up the back cage again. Its a quaint shop with a lot of great prices and plenty of second hand books in great condition. Whenever Im down in SoHo, its a must to go here.

Wish I could give six stars. Such nice people, such an authentic vibe within the space, and a surprisingly strong selection of titles for a store dependent upon donations. They must be doing something great on the sourcing side as well. Prices are excellent value but reflect the need support the mission. And the decor and utility of the space itself is well designed and well organized as a community space. Please visit and support.

HousingWorks Bookstore Cafe is hands-down one of the best places in New York City. It has an old-school rich persons library vibe with the spiral staircase and mezzanine level, but dont be fooled--this place is overflowing with great deals. Since the stock is 100% used books and media no two visits are ever alike; you can always find some gems in the stacks.They dont mind at all if you sit and read over a cup of coffee for a few hours; this is one of the few places in the city where I really feel a sense of expansiveness...like I can just kind of hang out and not really spend any money. (But of course, I usually wind up spending plenty, anyway!) The free public restrooms are also great, and centrally located when youre wandering around the city.This place is an absolute gem, supports a really great cause, and has a kind of magic to it. You cant ask for more than that out of a used bookstore!

It’s truly great to be here!

50% off the retail price on the booksDVDs, CDs, and Vinyl are all $6 or less but I cant remember the price for each one.The majority of the books are in very good condition, but I feel that the prices are still a tiny bit high for a used bookstore. Adult paperbacks around $7-8 and hardcovers are around $13-14. You can find books for much less at regular housing works stores.I didnt wind up buying anything but they have a decent selection of some newer books as well as old. Its well organized mostly.I think if you came here enough, you could probably find some gems and I appreciate it is volunteer ran and for charity.The cafe is currently closed and there is a regular housing works next door, although I didnt see any books sold there.

While there wasn’t an exhaustive collect. There was an exhaustive collection of interesting people. I tried to take photos of the space sans people but it was impossible.Definitely a study & chill space. Also have the side benefit of sending my book & coffee money somewhere helpful.

So many books at great prices. Occasionally, youll get lucky and stumble across signed books too. The staff is super friendly and ready to help if you need it!

Pretty cool place. I got there just in time to take a couple of pics because the place was closing, so I cant judge the quality of the food they have available, but the store itself looks pretty nice, clean, with lots of books (of course, its a book store) and a nice staircase. Very pretty and somewhat looks like a fragment of a Harry Potter movie.

My wife Amy Werbel held a book launch party here for her new book, Lust on Trial. It was the perfect location. The staff was incredibly helpful -- they sold books, tended bar, and assisted with technology issues. Highly recommended as an event space.

Our son got married here. Perfect venue.

Absolutely wonderful cozy, classical style book store. Always worth a trip, if by the neighborhood.Never disappointed, besides having a rather large selection of books.And always surprised in finding a forgotten favorite of my early days in training.Most highly recommended 🤙😎💜💙💜Oh yeah, and the staff/volunteers are very friendly and enormously helpful.Forever love bookstores & knowledge.Absolutely Love 💜💙💜 KnowledgeDo Like 👍👍👍 If you do, too

Great bookstore+cafe with an amazing atmosphere, wish there were more seating available. Great selection of books.

Everybody should visit this bookstore. They have every kind of used books (I also found second-hand but recently released books in the young-adult section), movies and music, and all the profits go to help homeless people in AIDS prevention. You can also have a coffee or a tea with a sandwich or pastries. Its just perfect. I need to come back.

Great books, great ambiance, really fun, friendly staff. I loved the architecture.

I got 2 great books for 14$ that looked brand new and found the most beautiful dress during the wedding dress sale for 50$ which unfortunately didn’t fit, but if it did I 100% would have bought it. The space is really nice and definitely perfect for special events.

Perhaps the loveliest coziest spot in NYC. Excellently curated books + old school NYC interior design + cute cafe + progressive attitude = amazing spot.(I highly recommend you take some time when here to sit down and read a book and just experience the environment.)

Loved it. Will be back

Amazing place! Tons of books, CDs and comic books. Many tables to read and work, Wi-Fi, tasty coffee and all for a good cause!

Great environment and very good to study and spend some time. There is a coffe shop on the back if the library and people usually spend long hours there studying or resding. Books therr can be pretty cheap to, but most people go for the study environment

Nice and quietCoffee is good priceSell Used book and CDMany tablesNear subway stationCan use Bathroom

Took my fiancé here on a date. It’s a cute area. They have two floors. So many books to look at. Best part was the books being sold for $5 and less. They have plenty of places to sit down. They do have a little cafe and I don’t really recommend the coffee. My fiancé and I felt I’ll afterwards. Other than this, I’d highly recommend.

Pleasant place to read a book or browse or quick study on your laptop. Service and comfort is (rightfully) minimalist for the cost and Atmosphere. If youre book lover this is the place.btw.. decent and coffee and above average sandwich (the vegan soup was a pass for me)

Unlike any other cafes in the city. Great cause too.

Great bookstore, all purchases go to a good cause.This place can be a wedding venue! Came here for a wedding a few nights ago. My inner bookworm was so happy - I can read, party and eat at the same time. Became a very cozy and initiate venue.

Well organized with a good selection of books. Service was friendly.

I love it here!! The vibe is so ideal for getting lost in the pages with a cup of coffee. For a used bookstore, the selection is amazing on everything from books to comics.

My favorite book store around and the proceeds go to a great cause! I almost always find something here, stock is constantly changing.

Beautiful and peaceful place to read a book while having a great coffee

Keep requiring a mask after state and city said its no longer required... Be more forward looking!

Quiete and people are nice!

Cute place, lots of books and the cafe was nice. I tried a Chai-der (chai made with apple cider) and it was delicious to say the least

Great store with so many old books

Great bookshop and excellent cafe. The espresso drinks are excellent.

Stunning interior with wide variety of books and things ! They also host events!!

A really nice place to stay and have a rest when you r shopping in SOHO. You can find a lot of good books in a very reasonable price. When I first came to this place, it remind me of the library of my college. It supplies a very good environment for reading and study. There is a cafe inside the bookstore, and also restrooms. All money they get go to the non profit organization. Also you can find some good playbill books of Broadway here.There is also a thrift store next to this bookstore under the same organization.This bookstore also hosts a lot of events, I think most of the events are free. Just remember to check the website about the event schedule. People here are really friendly.

Great collection of books and very affordable prices!

Great place. Attended a book launch event for a novel by Dr. Frank Portman of Mr. T Experience. Heard an acoustic solo set by the same. Got kind of drunk for practically nothing, and bought a used book for $0.50 before I left. Still regret not buying G.E.B. Plus proceeds from the shop/cafe go to charity. Cant complain!

Love this bookstore! They have a lot of different genres, very cute staircases and nice little tables where you can sit down and read. Plus they have a shop inside - I had a very good coffee there.

This bookshop is such a hidden gem. I didn’t know about it at all but my sister looked it up and it’s definitely worth visiting! First of all the layout is beautiful and makes you feel like your in beauty and the beast! #dreamcometrue. Second of all they have tons of books you can browse and find one you like and just sit and read! They have a balcony section and main floor. Best of all they also have a small coffee place in the main floor so you can stay and work or read for a while. Loved it!

Met John on first date

Nice coffee and good for working. Love this place

I love this place. The atmosphere is really friendly and chill, like in someone’s grandpa’s living room. There is a small cafe with plenty of tables on site if you fill like having some “me time” with a freshly found book. I’ve enjoyed knitting here a couple of times.

Best bookstore in the city with great events!

Great selection of affordable used books that look like new.

Great place to read a book. Quiet and spacious, which is a luxury in Manhattan.They serve great hot chocolate. It is thick and tasty

Great idea combining the bookstore with a cafe. The coffee was good and not so expensive. The staff were super friendly.

Magical place. My new ny fav

The staff were very welcoming and polite, and the bookstore itself is a great atmosphere -not to mention that all the book purchases are donated to the Housing Works’ lifesaving services! Would definitely recommend to visit in the summer.

I loved this place. Great selection of books and coffeeshop at the back of the store. Lovely place to sit and read.

The most perfect used book store I’ve ever been in! It’s expansive with two floors and a cafe run by Housing Works volunteer baristas. The casual and comfortable setting lends itself to opening a book to read, a quiet meeting place between friends, or working from a laptop. Proceeds of this treasure trove benefit Housing Works and their mission to fight AIDS.

Great books. Also a fun place to get engaged ;)

Good place to people watch. Pretty decent coffee!

Went for a Moth event! Really cool space. There is a cafe and tons of books.

So excited I found this bookstore. It was definitely hopping on a Saturday afternoon. The prices were fabulous (I found an older title I was looking for for $3.00) and they had a LOT of inventory (lots of beautiful art / coffee table books too).If youre looking for brand new titles youre better off heading to the Strand, but for titles a year or two older you could definitely get lucky and find it here. I dont think theres a sure-proof way to check if they have a specific title in stock without actually going, but the cashier noted you could call them and they may be able to check the shelf if the store wasnt too busy.Ill be back and would highly recommend.

If you are exploring around and you love bookstores, stop whatever you are doing and come by this amazing place in the city. The bookstore has volunteers that serve the cafeteria and administer the place and they sell donated books to create a profit that they use to support low-income HIV patients with their treatment.This is one of those hidden gems in the city, so go take a look, explore it, have a coffee, buy a book (they are incredibly varied and cheap) and donate your used books or records here so they can continue their incredible labor.

Beautiful bookstore, great cause, great prices, and wonderful drinks. I had a hard time finding a spot to sit down, but I just kept browsing and kept an eye on the seating u til something opened. I can’t wait to go and spend many more hours there!

Smoke and mirrors by Neil Gaiman - welcome to the world of Neil Gaiman, a world where the impossible is possible...4.01.2021DIGNITIES:Original presentation of the material, interesting stories, unique atmosphereDISADVANTAGES:The abundance of obscene language spoils the impressionHello, my friends! Good luck to all!I admit that my acquaintance with the work of Neil Gaiman began not so long ago, although I heard a lot about him. Gaiman is called a wizard, and its hard not to agree. After American gods, I wanted to read other works of the author.Perhaps the book Smoke and mirrors I would recommend reading to all fans of the famous Englishman-postmodernist Neil Gaiman, primarily because of the indescribable and unique atmosphere.

Cozy place with books, friendly staff and quite good coffee. Recommend!

I literally love this place so much its the best coffee ever, nicely kept books both used and new, gorgeous interior thats perfect to study/work in without being bothered, and just overall very clean and large. not to mention the prices of the books are extremely reasonable and the employees are always super kind.

I ordered a book from their Amazon store - tracking said it would take 10-14 days and it arrived in two, and in great condition. They have a great cause and overall seem like a wonderful organization!

Beautiful bookstore that is a popular #weddingvenue and #photoop with a volunteer run cafe in the back. All profits go to charity and the staff and visitors form a great, inclusive community #nonprofit #nycfaves

Finally open again, went there 6 April 2021. Cafe still closed. Like all Housing Works, they take social distancing seriously, above and beyond.

Best Book store- New, Used, Collectors editions. Special place.money goes to donations

This place is amazing definitely gonna visit again be it for the books or the short stories

Do yourself a favor and come here! Their mission is amazing. Going here and spending money always feels good because you know there isn’t a greedy CEO profiting off anything. Everyone who works here is so friendly and the books are affordable. Also donate some books!

Great place doing great things. Check out their Mother story slams, soooo good!

This is one of the treasures of New York that I always love, although i am just an outsider. The coffee shop in the bookstore has productive atmosphere that i love to sit and work. I can always find used book with good quality, many of them are new and the price is reasonable.On top of that, I notice people who works and come here for a coffee are always kind and gentle to each other. Once I saw a man who seemed to has some mental issues and he talked to himself. Instead of staying away from him, some other customers who were buying books started to talk to him and helped he calm down. People care about each other.

Love this bookstore. Great stuff. Always fun surprises --- most of all a great cause and good works! Get out of the trendoid soho shops and duck in here. Good for the soul.

You’ll find a gem in this unique bookstore. They sell used reads in good condition, and you can stack up on some awesome books for relatively good prices. Also has a cafe with ample seating downstairs. There are few upstairs seats as well. I’ve noticed a handful of the homeless community tend to hang outside and occasionally inside as the location of the store is within proximity to a shelter/non-profit home. One of the coolest bookstores in downtown NYC for sure.

This bookstore is very traditional and cute. Not a lot of places to sit and the coffee is average but overall very nice and cheap.

Housing Works Bookstore has an excellent collection of used, gently used and vintage books for super cheap prices! The cafe serves up some nice baked goods and fresh coffee and tea. Seating is limited but available. Staff members are all very nice and helpful!

Has great little nooks to sit and study/work. If only they were larger. They are already a very big bookstore and cafe, but it is popular enough that more lounge/cafe table space would be welcome. Wait a bit and you will find a seat though. I love it!

Love this place. Welcoming, great selection of books, excellent ethos. Helpful staff and volunteers. Drinks in real crockery, or they will willingly make your drink in your own reusable cup. They have racks of one/two dollar books and I have picked up some great reads there. They also accept donations of books.

This place is a VIBE

Great place to get some coffee and read

Lovely, spacious yet cozy cafe area, huge selection of amazing books. Plus its a nonprofit supporting people with HIV/AIDS. Obv an awesome must-go. Staff is friendly and thoughtful, and happy to engage in human conversation.

Wood worked bookshelves with neatly sorted and arranged by subject matter. Cool little cafe included. Good place to pickup a book or spend time reading a book with coffee. Usually crowded. Books somewhat dear.

You can spent your day with a cup of coffee and reading your books here. You may find your diamond among tons of books, vintage CDs, and Vinyls in a good price.

Beautiful multi-level proper bookstore, a well-organized, wide selection of used books, with a lovely, helpful staff. Remember to be sweet to them (of *course* you will!)--theyre volunteers. 💜

Absolutely, hands down, my favorite bookstore in NYC. (Sorry Strand) Grab a coffee, tea, or beer and browse the 8 foot bookshelves for used literary treasures. I particularly enjoy the humor and childrens sections but they really have it all. And proceeds go to a good cause. What more could you want from a local shop?Note: As far as I know, the kitchen is under construction so they will have a limited menu while renovating.

It’s a gorgeous space with some awesome books at great deals. Plus, it’s for a good cause. The coffee shop was delicious, and their chocolate chip cookie was amazing! Highly recommended!

I think this is one of the best places in NYC. The selection of books is really excellent, there is a lot of turnover so there are more to choose from every time I go. The volunteers at the cafe are very friendly. The prices are very reasonable, and you are contributing to a good cause, so go often and buy a lot!

Heart warming hospitality and definitely good environment for a bookstore. Love the staff and they’re all super friendly! Awesome place for calm and relaxing afternoons/evenings and great for meeting up with friends. Food is also very good!

Love the high ceiling, lofted space and there is nothing but greatness in the concept of a happy hour in a bookstore. The classic film idea is great but lacks subtitles in the bustling atmosphere. An extra drink option or two might be nice, but then again, the concept is just beginning. If you can make it down to this not-overly-accessible part of town, do it, and expect even better to come.

If you love books, like books or have read a book you will absolutely fall madly and deeply for this beautiful place full of great books. There is a Cafe that serves coffee, soft and hard drinks. Friendly and helpful staff as well. They sell a nice selection of comic books to fill the holes in your collection too. I was not disappointed. This place is one of the jewels of the area to visit and its selections of books, music, movies and yes, comicbooks is well curated by a highly knowledgeable staff and exceptional group of volunteers that helps this good charity continue its work.

Amazing bookstore!!

Two stories of reasonably priced, used books in spacious building. Tables to enjoy the ambiance. Cute cafe and friendly volunteer staff. Everything a bookstore should be, including benefiting the homeless.

Great place with a lot of books on various topics at very reasonable place. The Café is nice with lot of room to seat and a good selection of food and beverage. Ah, and their chocolate cookies are awesome !

Beautiful cafe/bookstore. I didnt get a chance to try the coffee, but there were plenty of tables for people to work on, and 2 clean unisex bathrooms. Employees were very kind, and there was a $1 book sale when I was there. Not sure if that is an every day occurrence or not.

Huge diverse book collection. It is also well organized so it is easy to find what you need. The staff and volunteers are great - knowledgeable, kind and helpful. I world definitely go back. They also have cool spiral stairs if you are into architecture and interior design.

I love this place. Its a great place to sit down and read or work for a bit. They have a nice selection of food at the cafe in the back, including tea, paninis, and delicious chocolate croissants. Love the vibe.

I came here in the day and at night for The Moth and both visits were amazing. I never ever leave reviews but really liked this place! Great vibe, lovely staff and they support wonderful causes. It also smells like old books so its kinda great!