There’s a store in the LES that sells both pickles and books. What a perfect collab. It’s only about a year old but it feels like it’s been here forever. Perhaps that’s because the store is narrow with random nooks and crannies haphazardly stuffed and feels like the former tenements that surround it. In reality, Sweet Pickle Books has only been around for about a year.
This store has a distinctly Lower East Side vibe. That’s partly because the stock of used books look like they’ve been long loved. Perhaps it’s the shelves of pickles, a food that was basically born in the LES. As the neighborhood around it becomes increasingly gentrified – it’s surrounded by cute restaurants and galleries that look like they belong in Chelsea or SoHo – it’s nice to have a spot that feels like the old LES.
I wouldn’t go to Sweet Pickle Books with anything specific in mind. The stock is random, at best. It’s as if they just grabbed whatever was lying around the apartments of various neighborhood friends who were moving but didn’t want to pack heavy books. That’s the charm of it, though. You never know what you’re going to find and the fun is in spotting a gem on the shelf.
I walked away with an adorable French children’s book, a YA novel that I’d had on my list for a while, and a huge jar of pickles. Total spend: $28. And FWIW, the pickles are great.
Peaches to Apples 