The Cody's on Telegraph is closing. I don't even live in the bay area anymore, and that still makes me sad. I was enthralled by Cody's when I was a high school student--the sheer size and the number of books sent me into bookworm heaven. I remember a day when I was 15 or 16, wandering with a friend along Telegraph Avenue, where we bought little necklaces that said "peace" in different languages, browsing stores like Cody's and Amoeba. Finally we walked up to a coffee house, I think Cafe Strada, where I ordered a coffee drink that I didn't really like (and that probably made me sick later, as I've never coped well with caffeine) and hoped that people would mistake us for Cal students.
I'm sad to see that Cody's go, but in a way I also feel guilty. I want to support independent bookstores, but honestly, I do most of my book buying in used book shops or on Amazon. When I lived in Santa Cruz, I never entered the Borders that opened on Pacific Avenue, but continued to shop at Bookshop Santa Cruz and Logos. Now that I'm in DC, I love Politics and Prose, and I even like Kramerbooks, although it's really just not a good venue for browsing. When holidays come around, though, or there is a specific book that I decide I need, I order from Amazon.
But when I'm at home in the bay area, visiting friends in Berkeley, I love to stop in to browse and maybe pick something up at Cody's or Moe's on Telegraph, or the Cody's down on Fourth Street. I'll miss the main Cody's. Let's cross our fingers that the other shops are able to stay open.
3 comments:
What happened to the blossoms? They were nice... you are an awesome writer!
Wow, how sad. I didn't even know this. I feel so guilty about it, but I buy most of my books on Amazon. It's just so... easy. Bookstores and kids don't always mix. Darn. Cody's is (was) a Berkeley institution. :(
Amoeba Records on Telegraph will probably close soon, too. My friend Hannah's boyfriend was just made a manager there, and she said they're going to try one last push before they close their doors. Their SF and LA stores are doing really well, but Telegraph has changed so much that it's really hurting most of the businesses there. I'll have to tell you a story she told me in private... it's a little too racy for a blog comment. Eeeew!
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