Submitted by John on Thu, 08/26/2010 - 12:07pm
Eric Asimov recently tweeted that he couldn’t imagine a world without bookstores. My first reaction was that I couldn’t agree more, but then I thought that bookstores might indeed be an endangered species. Amazon and big box stores are pushing out smaller independent books shops as they offer shopping from the comforts of consumers’ homes and convenient overpriced coffee while in store customers pillage through the magazine racks (another species on the brink).
Although the world is becoming increasingly gentrified by plastic corporate chain stores, there still exist safe havens for those who enjoy a tangible experience. Nighthawk Books in Highland Park is one such place. Having opened earlier this year, owner Steven Hart opens his doors at noon six days a week (closed on Mondays) and always seems to welcome in the locals who appreciate his deep used book collection. The store is stocked with all the usual categories – fiction, non-fiction, biography, history (where I spend most of my time) and even has a back room full of comics and graphic novels. And if you are in the mood for entertainment, Nighthawk offers movie nights and live music during the week and on weekends.
Coffee, tea and snacks are available for purchase if you wish to spend part of your afternoon or evening at one of the window seats or tucked away in a back room safely hidden from the foot traffic of the store. There is also a well laid out and lit seating area behind the store which evokes memories of my high school days playing chess in the backyard of Café News (reincarnated as Café 52 before the flames came). I prefer to sit in the window while I read or study as you never know what you are going to see happen on the streets of Highland Park. Sadly, it seems less and less is happening in Highland Park, but that is for another time.
What does Nighthawk Books have to do with wine? Not much. I haven’t yet found a book on wine in the store. However, what is most important about Nighthawk Books is that it is an independent business that is forming, what my friend Francis calls, a locus of community. To walk into a store and find a few hidden gems while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea with friends is exactly what every town needs. With any luck, the barren store fronts in Highland Park will soon be filled with similar destinations. Perhaps then the town will have a true sense of place.
Nighthawk Books
212 Raritan Avenue
Highland Park, NJ 08904
732.339.8920
