Shakespeare & Co Makes Comeback With New Bookstore

UPPER WEST – A bookstore that closed on the Upper West Side more than 20 years ago is making a comeback as it re-opens on Broadway – with another branch set to open in Greenwich Village.

Shakespeare & Co., which already has an Upper East Side branch, opened Saturday, Nov. 17, at 2020 Broadway, between West 69th and 70th streets.

The independent shop's new outpost has 3,000-square-feet of space and includes a cafe, Wi-Fi and a machine which lets customers self-publish their own work.

"My vision for Shakespeare & Co. has always been to create the biggest little bookshop in the world," CEO Dane Neller said in March when the Upper West Side store was announced.

"Each new bookstore should be rooted in the local community and offer a cultural sanctuary where customers can escape from their daily routines, turn off their smart phones, relax, unwind and indulge in the luxury or reading."

The Upper West Side's original Shakespeare & Co. was at West 81st St. and closed down in 1996 – a loss to the neighborhood that author Toni Morrison told the New York Times was "melancholy and outrageous."

The Greenwich Village location is expected to open at 450 Sixth Ave this year.

Image credit: Courtesy of Shakespeare & Co.