Bookstore Quest #3: Powerhouse Arena

NYC's re-opening, let's buy some books!

The Shop: Powerhouse Arena

DUMBO, Brooklyn: 28 Adams Street

Powerhouse Arena feels like the kind of spot only the coolest tourists would go to. Tucked right under the Manhattan bridge in one of the city’s most aesthetically pleasing (and least affordable) neighborhoods, this is the perfect spot to find a Nan Goldin coffee table book or a children’s picture book about a talking Brooklyn Bridge. Quirky tchotchkes abound! This has been my go to last minute gift spot for years. One thing I miss about pre-pandemic life is all the cool readings and events they hosted here— hopefully they’ll be able to continue those soon.

What I Got

Difficult Loves

Italo Calvino is probably my favorite author— even in translation his words are scrumptiously inviting. I read Mariner’s reprint of If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler a few years ago and was excited to get my hands on another of their crispily printed Calvinos! Plus, this one has a butt on it. Unfortunately this one got eaten by my bike wheel a mere block away thanks to an improperly secured tote bag— always secure your totes, folks!

Lizzo Sticker

I had to keep my buying gifts for folks at Powerhouse tradition strong with this sticker for my Lizzo-obsessed love Marissa.

Celebrate the Genius of Women Button

I love celebrating the genius of women almost as much as I love accumulating buttons so this was perfect. Promo button for Janice Kaplan’s book of the same name!