2Chapel Hill has a number of charming stores, cafes and restaurants that are quite easy to find. But what about bookstores? While shopping at a chain can be easy and quick, you usually get more personalized service at an independently owned bookstore. Their knowledgeable staffs can make it a real treat just to spend time browsing the shelves. Here are some suggestions of the best Chapel Hill has to offer.
- Browse the shelves of the socially minded Internationalist Books (405 W. Franklin St., 919-942-1740), which is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Run by volunteers whose knowledge and love for books is evident, the not-for-profit Internationalist has a mission to bring reading and awareness to people of all backgrounds. Selling both used and new books, with almost all genres represented, they also carry titles published by small underground presses. You'll even find related goodies like spoken-word CDs and T-shirts with political messages. A membership costs only $20 a year and entitles you to store discounts, access to the lending library, invitations to special events and more.Drop in at The Bookshop, Inc. (400 W. Franklin St., 919-942-5178); it's open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. In business for over 20 years, the Bookshop carries more than 100,000 books in many genres, devoting particular space to the humanities, social sciences and foreign languages. There's also an entire section dedicated to the history and literature of North Carolina and the South.Head over to Market Street Books (610 Market St., 919-933-5111), a non-profit bookstore and arts-based community hangout. Open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Market Street Books has a fun atmosphere and helpful staff and is pet-friendly. The store carries a wide variety of both adult and children's books, and its Arts & Letters Center presents children's-theater performances, Tai Chi lessons and art classes, as well as book readings and other events.Collect comics? Choose Chapel Hill Comics (316 W. Franklin St., 919-967-4439), open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. With plenty of regularly published titles, as well as graphic novels and some books, Chapel Hill Comics also plays host to in-store events like signings, discussions and sales.
