3 Church Street, New Paltz, NY

The Hudson Valley has become an increasingly revitalized haven for NYC exp-pats, with towns like Hudson, Beacon, and Kingston blooming into re-gentrified versions of themselves in recent decades. But some towns, like Woodstock or New Paltz, always retained their ‘60s counter-culture vibrance and found ways to hold on to that quirky way of living even during leaner years. Driving into New Paltz these days could land you in a little traffic jam and a maze-like hunt for public parking on nicer weekend, but the trip is worth it. The cafes, art galleries, music and food, all a mix of new and old artistry coming together in the compact little town not far from the SUNY College campus. And of course, there are bookstores. By chance the two notable ones in town are right across the street from each other, and the first I visited was Barner Books.

The atmosphere in Barner is eclectic and bustling, with the shop full of browsers on this random spring Saturday. On the walls were typewriters, large photographs of the Beatles, phrenology charts, wagons, and varied paintings and star maps. Like the walls, the shelves felt just as diverse in content, style, and vintage, with a blend of new titles and throwbacks. There are baskets and shelves of noir paperbacks, westerns, and crime, many with those saucy old covers hinting at femme fatales and daring gunmen. Elsewhere were new hardcovers focusing on the social issues of the day, modern civil rights issues, gender studies, Black authors, and more. To try to go through the shop section by section wouldn’t be helpful. There’s a lot to browse through and the mix of new and old is as far-ranging as it gets. You’ll find early editions of hardcover classics next to new paperbacks on most displays and shelves, which means there are plenty of gems to find throughout.

It was a pleasure to browse, to cut and weave through the other readers wandering through the shop. There were gifts and puzzles, nooks for conversations, and a front desk area where people gathered and spoke with the clerks as they checked out. It felt comfortable, a quintessential small town shop. And they have an active online presence too. Be sure to check them out across social media platforms before visiting, and be sure to plan extra time to wander across the street to their neighbors, Inquiring Minds.

Atmosphere: An eclectic shop chock-full of shelves, displays, nooks, books, and gifts that range from vintage to fresh-off-the-press. All in a quaint building that looks more like a home than a business, its maroon siding and elegant bay windows giving the shop a unique look.

Quality: The books were all in good shape, with many being newer but also some that were lightly worn and well used, and priced accordingly.

Quantity: There’s a lot here, plenty to browse through, more than I initially suspected upon entry.

Diversity: Good range here, from newest titles in travel, cooking, and memoirs to editions of poetry, fiction, and philosophy that date back a couple generations; basically, an excellent mix of content and vintage.

Affordability: The selection is appropriately affordable since it’s a second-hand shop for the most part (with some new copies here and there) and there are some books that felt priced a bit more than I expected but they were also harder to find editions, so that wasn’t always unusual.

Amenities: There are some chairs and stools throughout, but you’re there to browse for the most part.

Location: New Paltz is right of I-87, and the shop is tucked into the center of town on Church Street, which slopes down from Main Street into a nestled area of the town full of bistros and cafes.

Customer Service: We didn’t interact directly but they all seemed busy and pleasant.

Overall: Barner Books makes a nice one-two-punch with Inquiring Minds across the street, and with so many cafes and quirky shops nearby, there’s no reason not to building Barner into a day trip. The books are many, the prices are solid, the variety is expansive, and it was a fun space to browse through. I’d visit any time.