14 Church Street, Burlington, VT
Crow Bookshop is located in the heart of Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace, a vibrant, bustling street closed to vehicle traffic filled with shops and restaurants, and lots and lots of tourists. It was high summer during my visit, which meant street performers, music, and a kaleidoscope of food smells emanating from every block, but when I saw the silhouetted sign for Crow Bookshop, it all disappeared. I wanted nothing more than to explore and browse. Mask on and notebook in hand, I went inside.
The shop is a beauty. Its brick walls, archways, and bright hardwood floors gave this clean and organized space both a modern and vintage feel at the same time. The unique look of a shop is what you want to see, something to set it apart and make it memorable. And this shop has that in spades. They sell both new and used books, but all were in excellent condition. Right inside I found classics, cookbooks, biographies, and new titles, but found so much more within the two long rooms.
The room to the left immediately brings you into the children’s and younger readers’ nook, which had a bit of everything, from educational titles, early readers, picture books, activity books, and other fun nonfiction titles for little ones, you’re sure to find something here for the kid in your life. The room, complete with the requisite sliding ladder on wheels (for staff only, gang!), also had books on parenting, childbirth, education, food writing, languages, spirits and baking, writing, letters, linguistics, and more.
Looping back into the main room, I found more large displays of new fiction, Shakespeare, drama and plays, poetry, staff picks, books about Vermont, art, philosophy, religion, literature and mainstream fiction, sci-fi, anthologies, and other small shots of genre. There’s a stage for events, plus a few stools and chairs around for a quick sit-down. If it weren’t for the 30-minute limit (good to see during the pandemic) I would have browsed for well over an hour, but I made a quick selection and parted ways with the Crow Bookshop.
But this is one bookstore I know I’ll see again. With its distinctive look and excellent selection, Crow Bookshop is not one to miss!
Atmosphere — With aesthetically pleasing brick walls, archways, and bright hardwood floors, this clean and organized space feels both modern and vintage at the same time.
Quality — The shop has new and used books, but all were in fine shape.
Quantity — For just a couple of long rooms the shop has a lot to offer and plenty to browse.
Diversity — This shop hits all the main categories with a healthy selection of children’s books, new fiction, mystery, language, biographies, classics, and books relating to Vermont.
Affordability — Used books at fair prices, and even the new books were discounted at times, with at least one section of new Hardcovers at 20% off.
Amenities — Not much in the way of lounging areas here, but there are loads of great parks and cafes nearby. The shop has a stage for events too.
Location — In a very fun area of downtown Burlington, filled with restaurants, stores, bars, and a couple other bookshops nearby.
Customer Service — The staff I saw were busy yet friendly, and we visited during the pandemic and everyone inside did the right thing and wore masks.
Overall — This shop looked and felt unique, with a great array of new and used titles, all in great shape. It was a pleasure to browse, and even better to bring a few books home.
