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Categories: Bookstores, Music & DVD's, Newspapers & Magazines, Jazz & Blues [Edit]
Neighborhood: Glen ParkMon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
"I knew about this store before I ever even stepped foot in it. My sister is a DJ on the side, she used to live right behind Cha Cha Cha's…" read more »
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B&B is the heart of Glen Park.
Thanks to their Cultural Legacy project, B&B brings in poets, novelists and musicians throughout the week with readings groups held at the bookstore on a regular basis.
Friday nights there's live jazz, some wine, some eats, neighborhood people. In the midst it all, there's a cluster of kids looking at books or being read to in a section of the store where they are surrounded by a diverse collection new and "previously owned" children's books.
Eric & Nick are the father and son/dynamite bookstore duo. They, along with the rest of the staff, are impressively knowledgeable and have been known to border on almost-psychic when recommending gift books for people based on your descriptions. Stocked (to the brim) with used and new books, they will help you track down a book and order whatever you want if they don't have it.
Take a look at some of the journals, cds/dvds by local artists, poets, musicians, novelists who performed at the bookstore or old records, with lots of jazz choices.
For a relatively small establishment, they have a rich and substantial presence.
Bird and Beckett Books & Records (the City Lights of Glen Park) is outstanding.
Decent for a book store, but it's a little small and cramped. The staff is very friendly, and the place gets really lively on the weekends, because they bring in singers and whatnot.
I'd rate it higher if it was easier to find stuff there, but the organization of the books is relatively poor and, like I said, the place is very cramped.
I brought in a bag of my used books here and got a decent amount of cash back. I was able to get a couple books with credit, and the staff there was kind of enough to give me back the rest in cash. The selection is not abundant, but it is pretty organized and cute. I just get a nice feeling inside the store-it's got atmosphere.
Unfortunately smells like cat pee, however this is a good bookstore for browsing mostly used books at very good prices.
This was the old Glenn Park Library location. I remembered how cramped this place was a library, so I wondered how it would fare as a bookstore. I was also drawn in by a crowd standing outside.
I don't get why this place got such rave reviews. Maybe my timing was off and shouldn't have gone when they were having some jazz performance. And maybe next time I go, there won't be a bunch of geriatrics drinking cheap ass wine leering at me as if I stole something.
The lone solace for this visit was the guy behind the counter did stop talking to a customer (or drunkard) and asked if I needed help finding anything. No help needed this time, thanks. I can see the exit quite clearly.
Hello Book Lovers!!! This is a really cool book store with a friendly staff, a great selection of books, and a laid-back atmosphere that fits in well with Glen Park's charming collection of independent retail shops.
Who can complain about great, great live jazz twice a week. I mean 4 or 5 guys on a stage, not just one guy playing a kazoo (don't get me wrong, that's cool, too. But this is live music at its finest). You can hang out and chill without having to buy watered down/over-priced drinks. Come on now, how can you complain about that?! No cover charge and just a suggested donation.
Oh, and they sell books...
Books and jazz - good peeps -- interesting crowd at free music nights and Sunday lazy afternoons. Wine, some don't like it from the reviews, can I have their wine please? The old SF "beat" feel. Maybe that's one reason I like it.
Just a cool place to visit and browse. I never leave without a book in hand.
Helpful and friendly staff. The problem is I go to a bookstore for books and to a jazz club to listen to music. Combining the two just doesn't work for me.
Whoa! There are too many books in this place! Okay, yes it is a book store, but I mean there are stacks everywhere. Between the random piles and the 6 people hanging out and talking about jazz, I had a crazy hard time finding what I was looking for. Plus, I couldn't tell who worked there from who was just killing time and even when I looked obviously confused, no one volunteered a hand. I did find what I was looking for, but I am not sure I will go back.
Pros: Sheer volume of books in this tiny store ensure what you are looking for is probably there somewhere.
Cons: Not for the claustrophobic or shy.
Revised 10/01/2007
With B&Bs new location, it has gained a star! Absolutely fantastic space and wonderful layout. They also carry The Guardian (UK), Wall Street Journal and New York Times at the front desk -- so awesome! Then again, when they were at the old space, they probably carried them but I didn't notice. In any case, the space is perfect for the Jazz Fridays. Love it, love it, love it!
*******Original Post*******
I'm back into the Yelp swing of things. I've been off the wagon but I'm trying to hang on for dear life because I do miss yelping more frequently! Before I get to the good stuff, I gave this place 4/5 stars because, everyone who knows me knows I'm an art hoe bag! Sadly, the art section isn't that great. Some rare finds but, for the most part, the art mags are more impressive!
In any case, as promised, the Bird and Beckett is a pretty gosh darn awesome place. I got a Dickey Moods record for $5.00, Foucault's 'This is Not a Pipe' soft cover and a Schopenhauer bio for about $20. All of the items were in stellar condition and sorry for being pretentious with my selection but I couldn't have possibly made this purchase at your local super mega large bookstores.
Rare finds, fantastic old school jazz playing in the background, wonderfully print made cards old wooden book shelves and some of the best selection of art mags makes this a superb Glen Park gem shine.
I definitely hope that more people support this great place. There's a strong sense of community, jazz ensemble every Friday (so much fun to listen and watch) and book discussions really make this place stand out. So, the next time you hear the ding on the BART train, hear the conductor say "Glen Park" and you find yourself with a bit of extra time (okay, okay, not after work), please pop in and have a browse. You might find a pleasant surprise find!
Multiple finds of new-used books and records.
My favorite was being able to find creative writing-essay small magazines in their stand. Fantastic for a weekend read-find.
The ambiance of the store is quite nice and the local-friendly attitude is a plus.
The new venue represents a huge step forward for B&B. I found the previous incarnation to be cluttered, confused, somewhat grubby and too intent on creating a hip ambiance to the detriment of providing a high quality niche retail environment.
The new location puts the books first. There's a good selection of rare titles on the shelves and the setting is bright, airy and clean. It's a huge improvement and B&B is at last a place to go because it offers a great service, not just because it feels good to support a local business.
I have a crush on Glen Park. This bookstore is one of my crushees. I don't even ever buy books because I come here for my muni pass and then rush onto the BART, but it is the only time buying a muni pass is a totally pleasant experience. Unngh you're cute!!!
I live in Glen Park, very close to this bookstore, and it's a great place. The owner, Eric, is friendly and helpful, and he's worked hard to create a comfortable space to shop for books and listen to live performances. There are regular appearances by authors and musicians alike, and the store also hosts a book club and political book discussion group. Support your local bookstore!
With so many Barnes & Noble and Borders bookstores all over the place, it makes me all the more happy to know that places like Bird & Beckett still exist. They are a tiny little bookstore that has an eclectic mix of titles, with any especially big poetry selection. They host frequent events and have a wonderful community/activist vibe. I always like going to my friend's poetry readings and browsing around afterwards. A must-visit when you're in Glen Park.
Have you thought about the name and the juxtaposition of a former secretary of James Joyce who was driven around by Andre the Giant (no lie) and a Kansas City bluesman who died watching TV in a European Baronesses' home? Huh? The combination of Sam and Charlie has improved tremendously since Eric moved to his new location in the former Glen Park Library -- if you haven't been there, ask yourself this question: "do I know what the best independent book seller in San Francisco looks like?" The answer is Bird & Beckett.
The only thing better than the physical plant and all the activities that go on there is Eric's emails - so be sure to get yourself on his email list.
Long ago, in the fabled times prior to Borders and Barnes and Noble, patrons roamed freely from, to, and between independent book and record stores. Reasonably priced printed treasures and knowledgeable staff were plentiful---quite a contrast to bins stuffed with bestsellers and employees brimming with blithe indifference. Well, one of the old-school haunts still does exist in a remote corner of Glen Park. God bless the protective veil of obscurity. New and used books and classic records make the trek worthwhile.
I just love those neighborhood, indy, bohemian bookstores. Bird and Beckett fits that description. Yes, its kinda small but the staff is friendly and helpful. Parking can be a pain in the ... but if you like orbiting around the block you might get lucky here. I meant lucky in parking, not lucky in something else.
hip bookstore with lots of off-the-wall items. Friendly owner and staff.
But, you MUST check out the Friday evening live jazz! 5:30-8:30 (and sometimes on Sundays). Drop a fiver in the bucket for the band, and a fiver in the bucket for the wine, pour yourself a big glass or two or three, and just chill and look coooollllll.....
Bird and Beckett is my favorite bookstore in the city--not because of the size or inventory, but because of Eric, the owner. If the book you want isn't there, he'll order it, no sweat. It's like http://Amazon.com, except there's a real person on the other end of that phone/email/face-to-face conversation. This is one of the city's BKS, and that's too bad, because everyone should be shopping here, whether they live near Glen Park or not.
this is a really hip, interesting place. Lots of new and used books and records. Poetry readings. Cool greeting cards (some of them mine). AND the best thing is the jazz on Friday evenings at 5:30. There's chairs set up and refreshments. Very nice way to end the week. A stone's throw from the Glen Park Bart station. Voted best neighborhood bookstore by the SF Weekly. Check it out!
This is another of my favorite little bookstores around the city, and this one is a true neighborhood spot. On a random exploration of the Miraloma Park neighborhood, I wandered over here and found a little strip of interesting shops, restaurants, cafes, etc. within easy walking distance of the Glen Park BART station. Of course the one I chose to investigate was the book & record store--no great surprise if you know me and/or have been following my reviews. Bird & Beckett is a quiet, comfortable little place, verging on messy...in a fun way, not in a headache-inducing way. Like most of my favorite shops, they've managed to squeeze a solid and enviable inventory into their limited space, with magazines and cards as well as a fine variety and depth of books. Additionally, there is a small but intriguing inventory of records stocked in various places around the store. The general emphasis here is on classical and jazz, but there is also a fair bit of vintage pop, blues, rock, folk, etc. I walked out of here with purchases from Louis Jordan, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Clifton Chenier, and David Grisman, if that gives any sense of what you can expect to find. As with many small shops, it's not the first place to look for something specific, but it can be a very gratifying place to browse slowly, perusing the nooks and crannies with deliberation and care.
As if the great new space and selection of books on the shelves weren't enough to smack five stars all over Bird & Beckett, Eric can get you pretty much any book, new or used, in about a week.
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