Oh, misery! New York greed has killed off Rizzoli

Oh, misery! New York greed has killed off Rizzoli

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norman lebrecht

April 07, 2014

One of the most convivial bookstores in the world has fallen prey to developers and will shut this week. I used to go there in my 20s most days, stressed out from work at NBC News. Within minutes I was a man restored, my head in a book, or locked in conversation with one of the polymath assistants.

There’s a protest going on, but it’s too late to save the store.The wrecking ball is ready to fall. Dammit.

Rizzoli-Bookstore

 

Comments

  • ed says:

    Rizzoli was one of the great bookstore venues of the City, but it is not hard to imagine that its owners were losing money, maybe lots, and were offered a bundle to leave. For those who value that system and seek deregulation, this was a direct consequence.

  • M. Hurshell says:

    Oy. This is just as distressing as the closure of Patelsen’s, a while back. Miseria!

  • James Brinton says:

    Very sad. But New York greed has killed off far more than Rizzoli, and continues to do so.

    And of course, vast numbers of independent books stores are being steamrollered by Amazon.

  • M.A. Steinberger says:

    The chains obliterated the independents before Amazon existed. Then Amazon killed the chains. I still have three good used bookstores around, but the closest is 12-13 miles away. Can’t just drop in on a whim. Sigh…

  • Gaffer says:

    The store may be relocated, according to The New York Times. Hope so. They used to carry a small but choice collection of classical CDs.

  • Russell Platt says:

    God this is sad. Hopefully the store can survive. Patelson’s gone, now this.

  • Mike Schachter says:

    Let’s hope it survives somewhere. A lovely shop.

  • Fabio Luisi says:

    I loved this shop! And we still need bookshops, real bookshops!!!!!

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