Green Apple Books

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This last weekend, after checking out the awesomeness of the Impressionists exhibit at San Francisco’s De Young museum, I tromped over to the Richmond District and enjoyed a great independent bookstore known as Green Apple Books. If you haven’t been, it’s a must when you’re in the west side of the city. With independent bookstores all around the country struggling to survive, I make sure to patronize any of these establishments when I find them near my home.  

Aside from an awesome collection of new and old books, this store has a great layout. I term it the “labyrinth” as its winding stairways and multi-levels have rooms that allow you to enter and exit in different combinations, truly enabling you to get “lost” in the world of books. In addition, the store’s colorful staff read books with a passion and can give you great advice on any genre. Many of their books upfront feature favorites of the shop-keeps’ with handwritten reviews on their picks of the week. I myself grabbed a copy of Döblin’s work, a German novelist I’ve never read before, recommended by the staff there.

In addition, this crowded part of town features some great restaurants, particularly Asian themes varying form Vietnamese to Chinese to Burmese to Thai and every kind of fusion in between. I recommend Burma Superstar, just down the street, where their combination plates of Burmese and Thai food will please just about any palette. Parking in the area can get pretty crazy, but just keep your meter fed (a quarter only buys you 8 minutes). Otherwise, trust me it’s a good way to spend a Saturday with friends and fellow book enthusiasts alike. So go check it out, and let me know what you think.