After six years in just one location in Fort Greene, Greenlight Bookstore is stretching out and heading east, announcing today that they would be opening a new location in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens sometime next year. The expansion will see the bookstore open in a 2,1000 square foot space and follows Greenlight running a pop-up store in Prospect-Lefferts’ Play Kids this fall. Unlike the pop-up store though, this second location will offer books for everyone from kids to adults to kidults.
The expansion, happening within the next year, will see Greenlight open its second location in the retail space at 626 Flatbush Avenue, a building that hasn’t been without its share of controversies, protests and affordable housing rushes. Now though, it can also be a place where you get a book, or do that thing at the bookstore where you pretend to browse but you’re really just trying to finish a book you had to give back at the library earlier that week.
“Right now neighborhood residents have to travel pretty far afield to buy a book, but our plan is to change that by bringing a bookstore to 626 Flatbush,” co-owner Rebecca Fitting said, pointing out PLG’s lack of bookstores. So, Greenlight will be moving in, and beyond offering a place to buy books, also plans to host authors and community-focused events.
The expansion also continues a run of new stores or expansions from Brooklyn bookstores, from WORD opening a Jersey City outpost to powerHouse Arena opening powerHouse on 8th in South Slope and BookCourt looking inward and making plans for a bar. Before you take this as a sign that times are good in independent books and run out and try to open your own bookstore though, the owner of By Brooklyn has some advice for you on how to make it in retail.