We love PBC! They made it super easy for us to order 40 books at once. We love the community outreach aspect as well. When we went to pick up the books, there was a lovely poetry reading - which was a nice treat. Their selection is top notch and their staff is helpful and knowledgable. The owners are wonderful as well - highly recommend supporting this neighborhood staple!

Bookstore is permanently closed, unsure why Google has not updated

Terrific bookstore not only for the variety of books it carries and the lovely atmosphere (theres a tree growing inside!), but especially for its long time support of local and traveling writers. Readings here are always lively and comfortable. A great place to celebrate your inner reader.

This is a fantastic local bookstore in University City with a ton of selection, especially in regards to fiction. However, the man who I imagine owns this store isnt very welcoming and if asking about availability on a particular book, he more than begrudgingly states the fact that there is no online inventory system, and hasnt seen that book recently. This wouldnt deter me from going in again, I would just suggest a more friendly demeanor when dealing with customer requests.

If you are a ELP student, you need to know that they don’t accept returned books even if you returned it in the same day of purchase. Don’t fall in the same trap and assume they would have returning policy.

Fantastically curated, with books you cant find at Barnes & Noble or even Amazon (and not just academic texts either!). Going into this store is always a new adventure, and kick-starts a desire to read voraciously. It just makes you want to soak up knowledge like a sponge.

Excellent Customer Service and friendly support staff. Great dales and quality clothing. I love rhis syore.

Skylight is a nice little book store in Penn Book Center, which is great when you are walking around the area to stop in. I like to pop into small book stores and see that they have. Im not a big fan of the big book stores. Love to give my business to the small local shops. Im not in the area of Penn Book Center, too much but when Im around Ill pop in.

I was only a week in Philly for a workshop at Drexel Uni. and I think I visited this bookstore every single day during my stay. It has a GREAT selection of history / social sciences / humanities and the staff are kind and helpful. It is a tiny and cozy place.

Glad to have been back in the Penn Book Center. Nice small environment with a great selection of books.

I love this store. I like to discover books and PBC has a wonderful selection.

Intimate, accommodating space with a interesting selection of books. Staff is friendly and helpful.

Went here recently in my quest to find a new novel + a travel book for my upcoming trip abroad & thought why not support a small local business AKA, Penn Book Center. Visited once before with my less melanated boyfriend & had no issues but this visit left a bad taste as I was alone in my search. Entered to an aloof hipster behind the counter - no hello as he eyed me down. When asked where I could find a certain section, he answered adding a “leave your backpack” to the end of his response. When I told him it was my purse, not a backpack he shot back the same response again, only more curt. As I recalled my past experience (which included shopping bags from the nearby mall) and viewed as current customers shopped happily with their canvas tote bags (bigger than mine mind you) in arm, one could only think - what was the difference today? Moreover, would you leave your money + personal belongings in the hands of a stranger?Had there been precedence in such a protocol, I would’ve understood. However, such protocol should be executed among ALL customers and that’s what rubbed me wrong. To top it all off, his could-care-less attitude made the decision easier to make. Not in the mood to argue, I took my wallet elsewhere. If you’re a POC, save your money, time AND energy and go elsewhere or be subjected to classic stereotypes and judgement. Amazon & the REAL Penn bookstore offer better quality and service.

Very nice book store. My son was able to find all the books he needed for school.

I had to force myself to stop looking through the shelves, since i kept finding things I had been looking for. There was a local author in there at the same time as me, who was dropping off some copies of his book. Good times all around

Great place ... Books ..coffee bar.. reading room

While the store is slightly cramped, I really like the Penn Book Center. It feels and looks like a bookstore, and it offers a collection of literature that could interest anyone. Most of the time, I come here for textbooks, but I often find myself wandering the shelves and picking up titles that I wouldnt have seen elsewhere or even considered on my own.

Great selection and awesome service if they dont happen to have what youre looking for! Pricier thanAmazon, but worth it to shop local.

Cozy place. Nice to pass the time

Fairly good selection. But Penn needs a real bookstore like Blackwells or Waterstones.

Great little book store. Big selection of subjects.

I got some of my textbooks here - a pretty standard bookstore with friendly staff.

Alot of black authors are on thier shelves. I was there for a book signing by Darnell Moore and it was awesome!!

Very cute, has friendly staff

Decent selection and chill vibe.

Ok. Not much things going on.i wish they have more electronics selection

If you like getting ripped off of books that you might need to read for 10-13 weeks and then never ever read again, this is the place for you!

Ok staff but some are very helpful. Cheaper than the Penn Bookstore.

Great place all around the board

Curated collection. Had stuff you wont find in Barnes and Noble.

Hope it can stay around. Buy books

Great environment, helpful staff

Lovely local bookstore and the staff are kind, helpful, and knowledgeable :)

So mad no one has told me to go here years ago.

What a great space.

You can find cheaper books on Amazon first, because you can return the used book just bought by YESTERDAY!

Great independent bookstore. Well curated selection.

Best poetry bookstore in Philadelphia

At this store, I frequently found obscure and even rare editions.

Great selection

Expensive but have good books

Save PBC!!

Best book store in Philadelphia

Good service

Best!

A gem.