Indie Bookstore Charts Opening At 'Cozy' Milford Spot

MILFORD, CT — Downtown will again have a bookstore with the impending opening of Mermaid Books at Harbor Walk.

"Like every starry-eyed former English major who’s ever walked this Earth, I’ve been dreaming about this store, and this opportunity to build community within my community, for a long time," owner Kristen Mascia said in an Instagram post. "I can’t wait to build it with all of you."

Located at 22 Broad St., the bookstore is planning a soft opening at the end of May with a grand opening in mid-June, Mascia said.

The store is in the former Island Times spot, a clothing boutique, a 700-square-foot space.

"It's a cozy little space," Mascia said.

Mascia and her family — her husband and two little boys — moved to Milford in 2021 after "a stint in California and 13 wonderful years in NYC." She said they're big book lovers and that the idea came about because downtown doesn't have a bookstore. She started to work on the business in earnest about a year and a half ago.

"We're really excited and we've received a ton of support so far," Mascia said. "We're really grateful to be in Milford."

While the bookstore will carry a bit of everything from fantasy to cookbooks, Mascia said they will have a focus on children's literature. She said that they want to "serve families and children," noting that they are many young families moving in to Milford.

The store will host plenty of events from children's story times to books clubs, writing groups, and author events, likely starting in the late summer or fall.

Collected Stories, a Daniel Street bookstore, long served Milford's downtown but closed in 2015.

Related: Downtown Milford Bookstore Collected Stories Closes

Michael Moses, president and CEO of the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the new, locally owned business.

"The opening of Mermaid Books is a wonderful addition to Milford, offering our residents a welcoming space to gather, discover new stories, and support local creativity," Moses said. "Independent bookstores are not just places to buy books; they enrich our community, stimulate conversations, and become hubs of culture and connection."

Check out Mermaid Books' website and Instagram page.

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