Sep 02, 2014 chris doeblin is helping to write a new chapter in the saga of independent bookstores on the upper west side by opening his latest outpost of book culture. On the evening on june 24th, chris doeblin, the owner and operator, sent out an alarming email to book cultures customers. College bookstore allegedly fires workers after union vote. College bookstore allegedly fires workers after union vote updated. Jan 22, 2020 fans posted encouraging notes on book cultures door. Book culture employees say they were fired for voting to unionize. In a followup email to customers he quantified the stores needs.
Chris doeblin, the owner of book culture, which has four stores in new york city, now says he may close the stores by the end of summer if he doesnt have enough money to pay vendors and stock shelves, according to the columbia spectator, the student newspaper at columbia university, near two book culture stores. Signs of literary life for two booksellers on the upper west. Chris doeblin is helping to write a new chapter in the saga of independent bookstores on the upper west side by opening his latest outpost of book. A community lending program was put into effect in july by book culture when neither the city nor state responded to. Book culture on columbus permanently closes mike mishkin january 21, 2020 community, shopping no comments chris doeblin, book cultures owner, has just updated his fans and followers with an email they didnt want to see. Chris doeblin, the president of book culture, said he emptied out his retirement savings to help pay for the lease on a new space. In 2010, annie hedrick joined chris as coowner of the two stores. Owner chris doeblin said its never easy to lose a business, but he is a.
The columbus ave book culture will not reopen, wrote coowner chris doeblin, in a surprising email sent to the community on tuesday afternoon. In the summer of 2007, book culture became a completely independent company when doeblin bought out his partners. Book culture on broadway is a true community bookstore. Book culture as part of a new bookstore model that he developed at the broadway store, where sales. Manhattan bookstore opened to enthusiam, closed amid rent. In january 2010 annie hedrick joined chris doeblin as coowner of the two stores. Book culture owner says stores will close this summer without. When book culture launched, doeblin said, independent bookstores were everywhere. An independent bookstore rises on the upper west side. Book culture is an organization that can take an empty storefront and spin it into a wonderful community asset that transforms a neighborhood, doeblin wrote. This comes after assurances from another coowner and the landlord that book culture on columbus 81st and 82nd, would not be allowed to fail. Doeblinhas been in the bookselling business since the early 1980s, having started out atpapyrus book storeon 114th street and broadway this store closed in 2009 after 50 years and thebook.
Chris doeblin, the owner of the book culture bookstores in morningside heights. Our family lives on the upper west side where our children attend public school. Jan 24, 2020 when book culture launched, doeblin said, independent bookstores were everywhere. Doeblin cofounded labyrinth books at 112th street, between broadway and amsterdam, in manhattan valley in 1997. Chris doeblin, coowner of book culture, said that as soon as news broke that one of the stores branches would be hosting an 18 november reading by golbarg bashi, author of the childrens alphabet book p is for palestine, a terrific and virulent storm ensued. Uws book culture store suddenly seized by landlord, owner says. A city marshal seized book cultures columbus avenue location for eviction.
A community lending program was put into effect in july by book culture when neither the city nor state responded to owner chris doeblins. Chris began his career in the early 1980s with a brief stint selling books for papyrus book store at 114th and broadway, and then as the receiving clerk in the basement of the old book forum which was located across from the main. Owner chris doeblin outside book culture on thursday gwynne. West side rag book culture starts gaining political. The store will be called the strand on columbus avenue, and of course. According to the owner of the beloved uws and toy store, book culture may be closing. Be sure to check out a recently released podcast interview with book cultures owner, chris doeblin, in which he speaks about the opening of the new. Book culture owner accused of mismanaging store into really big. Jul 01, 2019 bookstore chain and columbia mainstay book culture is in danger of shutting down, according to an open letter written by owner chris doeblin published in the west side rag earlier this week. Book culture location on columbus closes after summer of financial. West side rag book culture on columbus is closed for good. Ultimately, after book culture coowners chris doeblin, annie hedrick, and rick macarthur met with the stephen wise free synagogue, they agreed to issue a statement in which they stressed that they opposed terrorism and other forms of violence perpetrated against israeli civilians during the intifada or thereafter. Book culture owner chris doeblin in july launched a community lending program to rescue his four locations. Books were the first thing that got affected by amazon, he said.
In 1995, he founded with a partner, great jones books, an academic book wholesaler, and then in 1997, labyrinths books, the academic bookstore at columbia. Book cultures location on columbus is permanently closed. Book culture on columbus on thursday 1920 during a rally to save the store, taken by 6sqft. Jan 08, 2020 book culture owner chris doeblin announced on the book chains facebook page that his columbus avenue location, one of four he owns in manhattan and queens, had been unexpectedly seized by the. Book culture owner accused of mismanaging store into. West side rag book culture starts gaining political support. Book culture may be closing i love the upper west side. In the summer of 2007, chris bought out cliff and renamed the store book culture. Jul 14, 2014 bookstore owner takes on a union, shocking a liberal bastion. Owner chris doeblin outside book culture on thursday gwynne hogangothamist at the start of the new year, city marshals seized control of the book culture location on the upper west side for. West side rag book culture on columbus is closed for. In the fall of 2009 book culture opened a second shop on broadway at 114th street, a corner which has consistently housed an independent bookstore for over 50 years. Doeblin opened a book culture on broadway and west 114th street that.
Bookstore workers walk off job to protest fired colleagues. In a lawsuit, minority owner john macarthur accused principal owner chris doeblin of operating a fraudulent community lender program, and of taking money from the columbus avenue store and sending it to three other book culture stores that were losing money. In 2010, annie hedrick joined chris as a coowner of the two bookstores, and in 2014, rick macarthur, president and publisher of harpers, joined chris and. Book lovers who were disappointed by the dramatic shuttering of book cultures upper west side location in january will now have something to celebrate. Book culture owner chris doeblin has elaborated on an email he sent last week asking for government help to keep the companys four stores afloat. Book culture was founded as labyrinth books in 1997 by current owner chris doeblin and his partner. There has been an independent bookstore on the corner of broadway at 114th. Owner chris doeblin outside book culture on thursday gwynne hogan gothamist a small. Shopping on the upper west side i love the upper west side. Book culture was founded as labyrinth books in 1997 by current owner chris doeblin and his partner at the time cliff simms. Book culture is an academic and independent bookstore located on 112th street between broadway and amsterdam in the morningside heights neighborhood of new york city.
Chris is the president of book culture, inc and the managing partner of book culture on columbus. When book culture launched, doeblin said, independent bookstores were. Signs of literary life for two booksellers on the upper west side. Bookstore owner takes on a union, shocking a liberal bastion. Book culture is an independent community bookstore with two locations in the morningside heights neighborhood of new york city on 112th street and 114th street and broadway. Chris doeblin, the president of book culture, said he emptied out his retirement savings to help pay for the lease on a. Chris began his career in the early 1980s with a brief stint selling books for.
The strand will move into book cultures old upper west side. Jan 22, 2020 book cultures location on columbus avenue will not reopen following its eviction on jan. Jul 02, 2014 bookstore workers walk off job to protest fired colleagues. Book culture owner chris doeblin announced on the book chains facebook page that his columbus avenue location, one of four he owns in manhattan and. Book cultures owners claim that four of the employees fired because they voted to unionize even though they were classified by book culture as managers. Book culture owner accused of mismanaging store into really. I began work in the book business in the early 80s at papyrus, now book culture on broadway.
Jun 25, 2019 according to the owner of the beloved uws and toy store, book culture may be closing. View chris doeblins profile on linkedin, the worlds largest professional community. Jun 30, 2019 book culture owner chris doeblin has elaborated on an email he sent last week asking for government help to keep the companys four stores afloat. Jun 30, 2014 college bookstore allegedly fires workers after union vote updated. Bookstore chain and columbia mainstay book culture is in danger of shutting down, according to an open letter written by owner chris doeblin published in the west side rag earlier this week. Chris began his career in the early 1980s with a brief stint selling books. Fans posted encouraging notes on book cultures door. Mcnamara said she was intimidated by owner chris doeblins niece, who was acting as the employers observer at the 112th.
This news comes despite the fact that book culture recently expanded in the past few years, now occupying two locations in morningside heights, one on columbus, and. Chris began his career in the early 1980s with a brief stint selling books for papyrus book store at 114th and broadway, and then as the receiving clerk in the basement of the old book forum which was located across from the main gate of columbia on broadway. Uws book culture finance woes could shut down entire chain. Labyrinth books at 112th street, between broadway and amsterdam. Book cultures journey to closure began this past june when owner chris doeblin issued an open. Sep 02, 2014 signs of literary life for two booksellers on the upper west side. Chris doeblin book culture chris doeblin grew up in buffalo, new york and took up work in a bookshop in the early 1980s. Bid in manhattan, and an executive member of the long island city partnership, where he sits on the retail committee. The national labor relations board forbids supervisors or managers to align themselves with a union, as it would be a conflict of interest. Strand to take over former book culture location on uws. Chris doeblin, owner of book culture, inside his store on w. Chris doeblin, the owner of book culture, which has four stores in new york city, now says he may close the stores by the end of summer if he doesnt have enough money to pay vendors and stock shelves, according to the columbia spectator, the student newspaper at. Book culture 112th street bookshop morningside heights.
Beloved upper west side shop book culture closes for good. In addition to the original location, chris doeblin opened a second book culture in 2009 on broadway, which was much more of a neighborhood bookstore with a wide range of book titles. Book cultures location on columbus avenue will not reopen following its eviction on jan. Book culture on columbus, courtesy of book culture. The store that used to be in that location was book culture, but due to a dispute between john macarthur, who is the president of harper magazine, and chris doeblin, who is the primary owner of the new york times, the store closed, and now strand will occupy the location. He is currently on the executive board of the columbus ave. The real killer, though, was amazon, which arrived in full force in 2000. Book culture owner says uws location will not reopen. Once seen as a dying business, city bookstores are gaining ground.
Struggling independent bookstore chain asks new york. May 02, 2016 in the summer of 2007, chris bought out cliff and renamed the store book culture. Beloved upper west side shop book culture closes for good 6sqft. Perhaps you learned your ethics from chris doeblin, my dishonest partner in book culture on columbus, who conned a lot of ordinary people, including some i know personally, into lending him money that theyre probably never going to get back. Jan 10, 2020 book culture owner accused of mismanaging store into really big hole. Book culture on broadway is an independent, community bookstore in the morningside heights neighborhood of.
Jun 28, 2014 book cultures owners claim that four of the employees fired because they voted to unionize even though they were classified by book culture as managers. Book culture blog a 100% local and independent bookstore in. Nov 18, 2014 meet the staff at book culture on columbus. In the summer of 2007, book culture became a completely independent. Jan 21, 2020 book culture on columbus, courtesy of book culture.
844 1554 1211 1226 799 1583 483 1551 1291 856 1381 658 837 1552 983 296 195 1204 1581 1489 1344 1478 1471 1538 64 497 1223 502 853 808 684 1482 850 271 679 1024 907 1444