The Corner Bookstore
The Corner Bookstore became an instant mecca for a book-hungry Carnegie Hill when it opened in 1978. We interviewed Hélène Golay, the owner and co-founder of The Corner Bookstore in honor of Small Business Saturday on November 25th.
1. How did the Corner Bookstore come to life?
Ray, my late husband, and I bought 1313 Madison Ave. in 1976, the same year we married. We bought it in order to have a secure place to live, not to open a business, but shortly after we bought it the occupant of the commercial space, a drugstore, went bankrupt and everyone we considered as a tenant would have gutted the interior and ruined the architectural integrity of the interior.
The original drugstore had been started in the 1920s by the then owners of the building, and it still had all the original features—terrazzo floor, tin ceiling, wooden fixtures. I believe we’re the only space in Manhattan that remains the same as the original renovation that took place during that time—the 1920s.
We felt the only way to preserve the space was to open our own business and Ray suggested we open a bookstore. We live in a residential neighborhood full of young families with children We were both avid readers, I had a background in publishing and Ray had excellent taste in literature.
Ray (who was a craftsman—professionally he was a freelance architectural model maker) repaired and restored the interior creating an amazingly beautiful space.
That’s how The Corner Bookstore came to be.
2. Did you have any background in books?
I had extensive experience working in various aspects of publishing.
3. What are the challenges of having a bookstore in this day and age?
It is a challenge to have a website--that shall not be named--that can source any book you are looking for at a discount and in a similar (or faster) timeframe. But that is also an opportunity to be conscious of the value that you are adding to the customer experience. For us, that comes from having a personal connection to our customers. Anytime any of us are reading, we have a mental rolodex of customers who will, or will not, like the book. Also, little touches like free gift-wrapping and free delivery in our neighborhood.
4. What makes your place unique?
The space is unique, there’s nothing plastic about it. We are not computerized and our cash register is over 100 years old.
We cater to every member of a family—close to half our books are children’s books. We have in-house accounts for children so they can come in and say, “I have an account at The Corner Bookstore.” (Parents deposit something like $20 on account for them and the children’s purchases are charged against the amount on deposit.) We also publish a twice-yearly book review for children, it’s called The Corner Bookstore Kids Review, By Kids, For Kids. Twice a year, spring and fall, the children come in and pick up an advance galley of the book they’d like to review. Then they read the book, write a review of the book, and we publish their review. The ages range from 6 to 15. The review is very popular!
5. Do you have a book or two you’d like to recommend to our community?
Rare is the book that you can put in anyone's hands regardless if they read literary fiction or more popular fiction. Demon Copperhead and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow are books we can whole heartedly recommend to anybody. For the more tailored recommendation: come see us!
6. Are there any upcoming gatherings at the bookstore you would like our followers to attend?
We have an event on September 19 with Nick McDonell author of Quiet Street and an event on September 21 with Douglas Brunt, author of The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel.
