Brownstone Books

When it opened in 2000, Brownstone Books was the first bookstore in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in over 30 years. Created in a conscious effort to bring people in the community together, the bookstore is now a vibrant local center.

Brownstone Books is owned and operated by Crystal and Walston Bobb-Semple, who returned to Bedford-Stuyvesant from San Francisco to create a business that would contribute to their local community. Aided by a grant from the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, the Bobb-Semple’s designed their store to showcase local talent and encourage community participation.

Their large well-lighted store, which replaced a rundown laundromat, carries authors, titles, and topics reflecting the interests of local African American, Caribbean and African residents, and sells the crafts of local artisans. Up-and-coming and well-established authors from the African Diaspora such as Nikki Giovanni and former Bedford-Stuyvesant resident Paule Marshall, frequently hold readings and book signings at the store. All in all, Brownstone organizes between 50 and 60 community-related events each year.
Crystal Bobb-Semple says that Brownstone Books is important because local people feel good that such a positive place has opened up in the neighborhood. It is a “physical representation of how much we value knowledge, and literature, education, and reading.” Brownstone is also one of a growing number of small businesses that, together, draw customers to the Lewis Avenue area. Right next door there are several other commercial spaces, including a hair salon, a barbershop, a coffee shop, the Akwaaba Cafe, and an antique store, the Parlor Floor, which is also owned by the Bobb-Semples. Brownstone also seems to have served as a catalyst for similar businesses. When it opened, the nearest bookstore of its kind was Indigo Book Store in Fort Greene. Since then, two others have opened in the area.

*Brownstone Books closed in 2010.