Baltimore has a strong literary history, from Edgar Allen Poe to F. Scott Fitzgerald. The city’s red brick row homes and gray waterfront are the perfect setting for a good book. Whether you’re looking for a modern bookstore with a built in cafe, or you’d prefer a vintage hodge podge, used book stores are plentiful in Baltimore, and the following are some of the city’s best.
Baltimore is home to a used bookstore that can rival almost any bookstore in the world. Why? Because at this store, all the books are free, and there’s no limit on how many one can take. The Book Thing of Baltimore, located at 3001 Vineyard Lane is a non-profit organization that collects unwanted books and gives them to anyone who wants them. They are open Saturdays and Sundays only, and their warehouse, located near Johns Hopkins University, features thousands of free books on every subject. While they are organized by subject, there are often so many books that they seem to take over the building, so be prepared to do some digging. The staff, all volunteers, will help you find what you’re looking for, and will encourage you to take as many books as you can carry.
Next we turn to a bookstore that’s completely the opposite of Book Thing. Clayton’s Fine Books and Cafe is located at 317 N. Charles Street, and is wonderfully upscale, fitting in with the surrounding Mt. Vernon neighborhood. The store features two floors, in a calm, impeccably organized setting. Downstairs there’s a cafe with sandwiches, coffee, and tea, as well as some comfortable places to sit and enjoy your purchases.
For a great cup of coffee with some used books on the side, check out High Grounds at 3201 Eastern Ave, adjacent to Patterson Park. The focus here is coffee and pastries, but the store features a nice selection of used books. Its always a pleasure to grab a cup of coffee and a book here, then go relax in the park.
Normal’s Books and Records at 425 E. 31st Street buys and sells used books and music. Its a casual laid back atmosphere that always features some groovy music in the background. The store is nicely organized and fun to browse.
Finally, check out Ukazoo at 730 Dulaney Valley Rd. Ukazoo is Baltimore’s newest and largest used book store, featuring over 100,000 titles. The store offers a coffee bar, free wifi, and comfortable chairs, drawing in lots of students from the many local colleges. They also offer a book buying/trading program, where customers can swap their old books for new books or cash.
While new stores are opening and closing everyday, these used bookstores are some of Baltimore’s best, and well worth a visit.
