1575 York Ave., New York, NY
I came upon Logos as I was wandering around waiting to check into my Airbnb up in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan. It was just before lunch on a Saturday and York Ave was quiet, matching the calm inside the store. I had the shelves all to myself, aside from the clerk up front, who was polite and let me browse at my own pace. There was a nice array of oil paintings hung up above the bookshelves, and the store had that old book smell with softly creaking wooden floors—I felt very much in my element.
I looked around the first aisle that hooks left, which contained an assortment of history, biography, current events, and some mystery/crime titles. There were also some books that looked clearly used but I couldn’t tell if they were discounted or not, there were no labels or signs. If I saw one I really wanted I would have asked but decided to keep browsing. Moving along into the main part of the store there are two aisles separated by a long row of gift cards. On the left is popular fiction and literature (paperbacks mostly), cookbooks, and some assorted nonfiction, with a children’s section in the rear, which had a nice array of titles despite being a small shop.
The other wall was a large collection of religious texts, Bibles, and biographies of famous religious leaders through time, mostly Christian. There are also religious trinkets, gifts, and candles for sale. The religion section takes up a large portion of the store’s inventory and it’s what sets Logos apart from other gift shops. That’s not something that particularly interests me, but if you’re looking for a wider assortment of religious and Christian texts in your bookshop experience, this little spot might be for you.
I liked the atmosphere, with the dark wood walls and movable ladders, but I wasn't too interested in the religious texts. I ended up leaving with J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey and a New Yorker magazine card I hung on my fridge, so it wasn’t a bad morning. Still, it felt more like a neighborhood shop than a destination that you’d go out of your way to explore, unless you’re looking for a religious text not available in your run of the mill bookstore.
Atmosphere — A smaller shop with a large card section separating the fiction from the non-fiction, the majority of the latter focusing on religious texts and Bibles.
Quality — Most were new but I saw some books that were clearly used that were mixed in.
Quantity — Lots of religious books and holy texts, a decent amount of fiction and children’s, lesser numbers of books in other categories.
Diversity — The nonfiction is less diverse in other stores, leaning heavily toward religion, although the fiction has a standard selection of popular titles.
Affordability — From what I could see you’ll be paying the typical price for new books here, and while I did see some used books I didn’t see any discount noted on them.
Amenities — They have cards and gifts, and a couple chairs if you care to sit. Pictures online showed a patio area, which I missed, and I’m told they have readings as well, so look for that.
Location — It’s on the upper east side in the Yorkville neighborhood, somewhat off my beaten path but not too hard to find. It’s a few long blocks from the new Q train.
Customer Service — The gentleman there was quiet but helpful and offered to gift wrap my purchase, which is always nice.
Overall — Not the biggest shop but if you’re looking for a larger array of religious texts or Bibles, this one may interest you. Otherwise it has a standard selection of fiction with a children’s area in the rear, cards, and a smattering of non-religious nonfiction sections toward the front.