Experience

Funk music quietly plays throughout the entire shop. It's not intrusive. It's not loud. But it's groovy. The music sets the tone for a good experience, provides some fun energy, and shaped my visit into a fun adventure to find good books. Sweet Pickle Books is located in Downtown Manhattan. The store is small, with one central walkway down the middle of the shop. It's hard to hide in this shop, but it's also really easy to interact with the other visitors. The register is located at the back of the shop. This set the tone for a really relaxed experience. I didn't feel pressured at any point. The experience was exploratory, fun, and funky - and not shallow or commercial at all.

Overall? It's hard to be sad at Sweet Pickle Books. It's relaxing, fun, and filled (floor to ceiling!) with an unexpected variety of books. Stepping into the shop was a retreat from the chaos of NYC, and a quiet adventure into books you've heard of, books that are new (to you), and everything in between.

Favorite Aspect

The shop is decorated with a sense of fun. One of the many signs posted throughout the shop reads "We are sold out of 'Dune.' While we understand Timothee Chalamet is hot, we are kindly reminding you 'Dune' was published in 1965 + people have enjoyed reading it since. Here are other books-turned-movies."

My favorite aspect of the shop, though, is the pickles. Donate at least four books to the shop, and you'll receive a complimentary jar of pickles (spicy, dill, bread & butter). It's truly a won-DILL-full world.