Today New York City’s renowned Strand Book Store is celebrating its 85th anniversary. Founded in 1927 by Ben Bass,and still owned by his son Fred Bass, the Strand is one of NYC’s last iconic 20th century bookshops in business.
To mark the anniversary, the Strand is hosting an open party this evening starting at 5pm. They expect a crowd and quite a few literary luminaries, too.
I’ve spent many a happy hour browsing the aisles there.
Don’t want to be a downer, but hasn’t the Strand been slipping for a long time? The secondhand stock is shabby, the staff are miserable (as in unhappy campers) and the prices are not at all competitive.
I always make an effort to get to the Strand when I visit New York. Well done to the Bass Family for bucking the trend and keeping the bookshop viable.