POWERHOUSE on 8th

It's a small, local bookstore but one that can be better described as more of a long hallway sparsely lined with bookshelves rather than a bookshop as such. Emphasis on the small: the selection has some interesting items, but there's really nothing interesting, and not much to see overall. The children's section, on the other hand, is a good fifth of the store and has a great, varied selection. There are a lot of parents in the neighborhood (or visitors looking for gifts) who would be happy with these, but there's not that much for adults. It's still worth popping in and taking a look. The staff working is pleasant and helpful.

Sweet little bookstore that carries a really nice selection of children's books and gifts and then some nice books for adults here. Everything they offer is well curated too. Plus they have a small stock of cards, stationery, coloring books and home decorations.

I am a huge fan of local bookstores and do my best to support them instead of online retailers. I’ll happily pay a bit more and wait a bit longer for my books to support a brick and mortar community of book lovers. However, I’ve been very disappointed with PowerHouse Books on 8th Avenue for their overall lack of communication and seeming disregard for their customers who go out of their way to order books from their store. I ordered two books over one month ago at the bookstore and was told that it would arrive in about two weeks. I didn’t receive any follow-up emails, calls or texts about my books being delayed. I’ve had to call about 4 times once every week to check to see if my books arrived, and each time was given a very general answer as to why they weren’t yet available. I have ordered from other local bookstores in the past, and they’ve been much more communicative and strived to create a sense of community with their customers. No such effort was made here at PowerHouse Books. There are other bookstores in the neighborhood that I would recommend supporting over this establishment.

A cozy neighborhood bookstore with thoughtful and trending new titles, covering urban/NYC/progressive themes. Signed copies and first editions of some titles are usually available. It's a small but well curated (not overwhelming) selection, including a nice children's section in the back with a reading table and seats. A perfect stop for a meaningful birthday gift (gift wrapping is available) or just to spend some reading time with the family. Support local storefronts!

Support your local bookstore please! They are a dying species. Great thoughtfully curated selection of fiction and non-fiction works, usually of contemporary importance. Also an ideal place for gifts, as well as children's literature. Check out story time for kids every Sunday morning, usually by the author them self.

Friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable staff. Consistently hosting authors, interactive events, storytelling, discussions and more. They cater to both children and adults. Entrance is wheelchair accessible. They take credit cards, debit cards, and of course cash. There isn’t any parking lot or structure and only street side parking.

Powerhouse here in the slope has a old school neighborhood vibe just like our other independent book stores. And they have nice cards!

Very nice and cozy store with a small but very good choice of books. I wish their selection were bigger

I've bought 5 books from two Powerhouse locations in the last 8 days, and regularly go way of my way to buy from here instead of Amazon, so I have to say I am disappointed that the staff would not allow a 7 year old with a bathroom emergency to use the bathroom -- you know, the bathroom located in the children's book section and that previously has been available for this purpose over the last several years. Literally, half the store is children's books, it's just a matter of time til this new policy backfires spectacularly and unhygienically. Who does that? Who sees a little kid desperate to use the bathroom and tells them to go across the street to some cafe? Who treats another human being that way? And I bought two books anyway, because you have to support independent bookstores if you want to keep them, even if they treat you like human garbage.

A few weeks ago, I stopped into this bookstore. As a patron and supporter of independent book stores it's great to see local ones thriving. That said, I found the staff unhelpful and condescending.

The store reopened today and the hours are 11-6 (seven days/week). The following rules will apply until further notice: Everyone must wear a mask Practice social distancing Store capacity will be limited to 50% Browsing will be limited to 15 minutes No sitting or reading Please limit touching books as much as possible To welcome people back to the store, everything in-store will be discounted by 20% from today through Thursday.

I am so completely enamored with this shop. In fact, the only downside its going going for it is the unfortunate fact that I can't claim it as my own neighborhood shop. But even that's on me, not on them. :) The atmosphere is utterly charming, the staff is friendly, and they've got a great collection of work from NYC's best illustrators adorning the walls. They also overlook a completely adorable back garden which looks oh-so-lovely in the snow. Given the well-curated assortment of children's and young adult literature, I'd even go so far to say that this shop is the closest I've found to "The Shop Around the Corner" of "You've Got Mail" fame - if if it's nowhere near the UWS.

I don't understand the negative comments about Powerhouse (other than the ones by the crazy right-wing Trump guy). With one exception, I have always found the staff to be extremely pleasant and helpful. Several times I have wanted hardcover books that were not in stock and they special ordered them for me and sent me email and text updates. At least once, they ordered for me at a price less than what Amazon was asking. And yes, while other times I could buy for less from Amazon, I'd rather support my local bookstore.

Great bookstore, which isn't easy to find anymore, so let's make sure they don't go extinct! They have a bit of everything from bestsellers, to interesting finds, coffee table books and other little gift items like coloring books and children's selections. I like that it isn't too big or overwhelming. I always like to stop in to browse and take in the titles. The people who work here are very helpful if you need a gift or are looking for a particular genre. Over the summer I walked by and there was a table filled with random books for $1...such a nice find! They have authors come and other events just about every week. I haven't had the time to stop by but it always attracts a decent size crowd so if you're into that kind of thing, it's probably worth checking out.

Love this place but agree the staff here is hit or miss. It's 11:10am on a Thursday; the sign on the door says they open at 11am on Thursday but door is locked. There is a young gentleman sitting at the front desk playing on his phone. I knocked on the door twice and he didn't even raise his head. I love supporting local business so please make sure your staff treats customers like they want our business!

It's too bad this isn't a real bookstore for adults. That would've been nice. Instead, it's a kid's bookstore, dotted with merchandise and a handful of trendy novels tossed in. What the neighborhood needs, and what this place should've been, is something like Unnameable Books for South Slope. Unfortunately, you'll still have to make the trek to Prospect Heights if you want a real bookstore.

I really like the idea of a cute bookstore in the area. Yeah, they tend to be totally aloof and prices are higher than amazon, but still nice to be able to stop in and grab a book on the fly. I have to say, though, that I was pretty put off during the holidays when I asked the clerk if there were any books for Hanukkah after looking through the Christmas books, and was told, "no." One word answer. End of conversation. I don't think of myself as an "overly sensitive" person as an earlier notes that the poor reviewers must be, but this felt off to me and left me not wanting to go back.

I was visiting a friend in parkslope and stopped in on the way to the subway. The selection of books was great.. lots of old and new books from novels to coffee table reads and also children's books. They also carry cute novelty and gift items. However, the women in the store was very rude and did not say hello when I walked in or as I walked around. I had to ask for help 3 times before she thought it was appropriate to put her book down. I was going to spend over $100 in the store but decided not to because of terrible customer service. Also, not to mention I'm a woman of color and a Caucasian mom walked in after me and she was very friendly to her.

Powerhouse on 8th is unbelievably cute. I went in here on a whim, but ended up spending about 30 minutes looking through all of their super cute letterpress cards and journals. This is definitely not your average bookstore. I wouldn't go in here to try to find something specific, but it's a great place to browse and pick up something nice for yourself or for a friend. They have an especially cute and well-curated children's section that I appreciated as an elementary school teacher and general lover of books. The atmosphere here is such that I almost wish that they sold coffee so I could linger for longer.

I love this cute, independent bookstore. There are too few left and it feels so much better shopping here rather than Amazon. I think a lot of the negative reviews are from overly sensitive people. Personally, I prefer perusing through a bookstore undisturbed by the staff. They let you take your time here and I let them know if I need help. I also like the balance of books and other neighborhood-centric items like bags, mugs, art work, etc. Great kids selection, which is a must in Park Slope.

Small Store but Well curated With a large kids Section. Annex from the DUMBO bookstore.

I have to agree with the negative reviews of the staff. I came in looking for books for my third grade class. They did not make eye contact with me when I tried to say hello upon entering. Looked around for 10 minutes left without anyone asking if I needed help. Yes, I could have asked, but in all honesty it felt so uncomfortable to be in that store.

This is the kind of place that you walk in and think it will take 10 minutes to see everything and an hour later you are still discovery new books. The staff is helpful and provide good insight if you are looking for a gift or stopping in to find something for yourself. I would recommend for holiday gifts as well. They have great cards to pick up. It's a hidden gem on a residential street worth a visit.

I've only been here once and didn't buy anything. I was actually planning on getting something because I needed a birthday gift for a friend, but I didn't stay as long as I would have liked. The place is nice enough (perhaps a bit on the pricey side) but the thing is... it was freeeezing in there. I was going to browse and then pick something out to buy but I couldn't concentrate on choosing a purchase as I was chilled to the bone. In winter, my idea of seeking refuge in a bookstore involves being WARM. Once I realized I would be just as chilly indoors as I was outdoors, I left to go to back home my apartment, which -- crazily enough -- is heated in winter. Powerhouse ought to try some of that! I'll try stopping by again when the weather warms up.

It's important to support local stores. I mean who wants to live in a world ruled by Amazon? But this store makes it hard. Cutesy, pricey, useless stuff with a few books. And the sales person was just too aloof for words. Good place to avoid.

I love this sweet little bookstore and their wonderfully curated selection of kids books especially. I'm so grateful that they are in the neighborhood, especially when I need to buy a last minute gift! My only hesitation about this place is that the last few times I've been in there the staff has been aloof and not super friendly, making me want to spend much less time in the store.

Received two books from here as a birthday gift and exchanged one of them. (I already had the new Miranda July shhhh don't tell my friend) It was easy enough to do and now I have a credit and will be returning.

This was a very cute and, dare I say, quirky store. I liked the curated selection of books they offered. I think it would be nice to have a larger selection of cards - the ones there were nice but it wouldn't take too much space to add some more!

Well, I don't get the negativity. This is a lovely place and the staff person I met was very friendly and nice. Glad to have it in the neighborhood. Nice alternative to the Barnes and Noble (which I also like), much more charming.

This is a great place for people who love books. There are other places that have more books in store - but the books they have here are really amazing. Best of all, if you want to discuss books with the staff, this is the right place.

I thought the store was really cute and had great books and artwork, but the salesperson was not interested in saying "Hello" or "May I help you find something?". We were the only people in the store. I thought a small boutique bookstore was supposed to separate themselves from the Barns and Nobles' of the world.