This woman's dream came true when she opened the Bronx's only bookstore
Noëlle Santos was not going to let the Bronx's only bookstore close without a fight.
In 2014, Barnes & Noble announced it was shuttering its lone store in the Bronx, the New York City borough that is home to more than 1.5 million people. It was also the only bookstore in the Bronx, and Santos joined thousands of others to protest its closure. They were successful in getting Barnes & Noble to stay open two more years, with the bookstore closing its doors in 2016.
Santos, a Bronx native, adored reading. As a kid, books were "my window outside of my little five-block radius, which many of my peers never expanded beyond," she told Inside Edition. "That was my door to see other cultures, to gain empathy, to learn different topics, different subjects, and I became addicted to that." The idea of not having a place to buy books in the borough bothered her, and Santos started looking into what it would take to open her own independent bookstore.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Santos quit her job in human resources, and spent hour after hour conducting research, coming up with a business plan, and figuring out financials. Last April, her bookstore, The Lit. Bar, opened on National Independent Bookstore Day. It's a bookstore, wine bar, and community center, and "our mission is to give the community additional access to literature and create intellectual visibility in the Bronx," Santos said. The Lit. Bar reflects the community with its inventory and staff, Santos said, and it's "incredibly touching" to hear from kids who see themselves represented in the books for sale. Catherine Garcia
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Is the next cold war a drone-swarm race between US and China?
Today's Big Question Both global superpowers are building up their capacity for surging robotic warfare. What happens next is anyone's guess.
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 17, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: April 17, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 Grammys
Speed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published