Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
Café, Used Bookstore, and Event Space$$$$
SoHo, New York
The experts at Time Out New York and The Corcoran Group recommend this place
"Free wifi, good coffee, great cause, wonderful volunteers."(14 Tips)
"used books and relax in the back café"(8 Tips)
"Best bookstore in the city and has free wifi."(12 Tips)
"Wonderful vibe, cheap books, quiet.. you can be here for hours"(10 Tips)
215 Tips and reviewsFilter:
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If you can snag a table on the balcony, do it. Just walk up one of the staircases.
Great palace to work. Tons of seating and free wifi. All it costs you is a cup of coffee.
MetroFocusApril 12, 2012Help Housing Works alleviate the impact of homelessness & HIV/AIDS by volunteering. Whether its volunteering at the cafe or helping out in the book stacks, every effort helps. Learn more on MetroFocus Read more
Lisa LJuly 12, 2013I don't do books but I do $5 beers. Great place to just chill after work instead of a loud bar. Top spot for people watching.
- AJ JacobsMay 25, 2015Housing Works is one of my favorite bookstores. And sometimes my cousin Ophira Eisenberg hosts incredible Moth StorySLAMs there.
- Pretty cool used bookstore and cafe. Great for lunch, or just wandering around for a book.
Anthony GalanteMay 31, 2011A great spot for a coffee/tea and use of their free wifi (plus all proceeds go towards ending AIDS and homelessness). Steps away from SoHo shopping as well.
Beautiful place, but during colder months all the tables are taken & the scene is extra crunchy. Warmer months? Blissfully quiet & fewer lonely hearts.
Dan CastellanoDecember 8, 2019Spectacular bookstore cafe in the backstreets of SoHo, when you need to take a load off during a heavy day of shopping
Mike FriedmanDecember 26, 2014Order a Cortado and browse the shelves while you wait - nice little getaway in Soho.
Nicholas BeckDecember 17, 2012The selection here is terrific, and profits support an AIDS charity. Many stylish weddings are held at Housing Works, too
Kotaro HachinoheApril 25, 2012126 Crosby St (between Prince St & Jersey St) New York, NY 10012 (212) 334-3324Broadway Lafayette St (B, D, F, M), Prince St (N, R), Bleecker St (4, 6, 6X)Mon-Fri 10 am - 9 pm, Sat-Sun 10 am - 5 pm- ᴡ ToyMay 29, 2010Go for the wonderful printed matter selection and friendly (mostly volunteer) customer service. wonderful. The prices, be warned, might be a little higher than, i.e. Strand but it's worth it.
They have a section for ARCs and uncorrected proofs a lot of them are just $5! 📚💖
They host amazing special events. Cozy vibe inside. Check out the collection of uber-cheap uncorrected proofs on sale, and read the next bestseller before it hits shelves officially.
We are having our wedding here in the fall. Affordable (for nyc), gorgeous and such helpful event staff!
Anna BrowneDecember 13, 2016A wonderful spot for book lovers. Very kind staff and overall a nice atmosphere.
Brian MasefieldSeptember 5, 2011Buy a book and a cup of coffee. For a great cause! I love this place. They have just about everything in terms of books.
Emily RoAugust 26, 2018I came wearing this t-shirt, and they gave me a free coffee https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GFJL345
Ohilikechickn .February 2, 2018Nice oldschool bookstore atmosphere. Good coffee, interesting people + stories
Crazy awesome books of every shape and color. It's a book lover/thrifter's paradise, with a cafe!
Scott GellmanMarch 25, 2015The space is great to get work done. But they don't seem to want you to: no outlets and you can only have a laptop/tablet at certain tables. Annoying.
Jeffrey GlueckFebruary 7, 2017Free WiFi, small tea only $1.50, hippie progressive vibe (a good thing)
RoseMarch 4, 2012Love a bookstore with actual chairs. Hang in the stacks the way it should be. Donate your old books here to complete the cycle.
John PaterakisJune 4, 2015Nice space for having a coffee, but the selection of books is limited, particularly if your interests don't tend towards the left.
One of the greatest places on earth. Buy books, see some great events, help people.
Gillespie Guereca AdairJune 1, 2015Found a very cool vinyl record and good coffee, reasonably priced
Iced chai w/ soy gives Mud a run for its money, and the walls-of-books aesthetic can't be beat.
Order an iced latte and snag a balcony seat! Proceeds go to a great cause, too!
Mish and RobMay 16, 2015Check out the events calendar: they have some really fun and original free events almost every night.
ShawnieSeptember 9, 2013If you're not going to purchase a book or overpriced coffee, at least stop in to use the free wi-fi :)
eFlirt ExpertOctober 15, 2012Writing Nook Tip: A *must* for NYC writers. The cafe doesn't have outlets, but you're surrounded by inspiration everywhere.
Arthur DanskinJune 24, 2018Good selection of used books. Good ambiance for laptops. WiFi but no power.
BrooklynJanuary 17, 2014No public power plugs. Check to see if they have readings - they move tables and you won't be able to read/study/work.
OMGICUMarch 21, 2011Bookstores are among the best places to see women who look like Janeane Garofalo. But at Housing Works you might actually see Janeane herself.
Silene LimJuly 13, 2018Good bookstore with a good cause proceeds go to the homeless and people with AIDS. Including the cafe items. GO!
819 Photos
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Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
126 Crosby St (btwn Prince & E Houston St)
New York, NY 10012
United States
New York, NY 10012
United States
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe is a nonprofit bookstore, cafe, and event space. All proceeds from every show you attend and everything you buy, down to a record and a PBR, go directly to our mission of fighting AIDS and homelessness.
Closed until Noon Saturday (Show more)
- Mon, Sat
- Noon–7:00 PM
- Sun
- Noon–5:00 PM
(212) 334-3324
View menu on http://www.housingworks.org/bookstore/cafe-menu
Features
Reservations
No
Credit Cards
Yes (incl. American Express & MasterCard)
Wi-Fi
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Music
Live Music
Food & Drink
Menus
Happy Hour
Drinks
Beer, Wine, Cocktails
See More
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- 7.1
"Say "hi" to the DJ on Thursday and Saturday night :-). Try the ginger yum yum! Everyone here is super chill. Cool spot to meet new people."
S A - 8.0
"Great little shop. I always find something cool. Prices aren't the cheapest but the money goes to a good cause. They weed through the junk that most thrift stores get which leaves you with nice items."
Timelessnomad - 8.5
"The upstairs is amazing. Chill place to hang out and eat and there is a Jamba Juice! Some pretty great views of the area as well!"
Heber Lopez
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