- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Regulator Bookshop & Cafe
Rating Details »
Categories: Bookstores, Cards & Stationery, Newspapers & Magazines [Edit]
720 9th StDurham, NC 27705
(919) 286-2700
8 reviews for Regulator Bookshop & Cafe
Regulator is a cool two-story book store on Ninth Street..with a cafe? I dunno, that part seemed closed when i was there. But the shop has a good selection of arty and underground magazines and zines. The store is also popular for its numerous author readings and book events.
Their book selection seems pretty comprehensive and represents some more interesting categories than usual..like Caroline Z said. But it has all the standard fare that you would find at a big book store (politics, art, fiction etc.). My favorite part of the store is the interesting magazine and zine selection up front. There are a lot of interesting art, poetry, and political stuff that you won't find elsewhere in town.
The employees don't seem to acknowledge your existence much..but thats better than being overly harrassed by them.
Probably the best independent (new) bookstore in the Triangle. This place is for new books what Ed McKay is for used: they have everything and the staff know where to find it.
In addition to the books, the Regulator has a magazine section with a good selection of mainstream and more obscure publications.
The cafe in the bottom floor is pretty ok. Not the best coffee, but it's a nice quiet place to sit and read your new purchase in the comfy chairs that are mixed in with the bookshelves.
While I was waiting in line with my wife to get the last Harry Potter book on the night it was released (don't you dare judge me) at a Barnes & Noble among a few smatterings of jubilant Potter fans that were maybe a little bit dressed up, we were receiving texts about hilarious scenes and pictures of elaborate costumes via the phone contraptions from a friend at The Regulator. Our friend won Harry Potter night.
There's a reason that The Regulator attracts a more interesting class of customer than the suburban book chains out there. They have a great selection of books and a staff that will engage you about reading the way that video store clerks (the enthusiastic ones, who think of themselves as filmmakers in waiting) talk about movies.
Downstairs, they do have a cafe. It's pretty forgettable unless there just happens to be a representative from Loco Pops with a cooler full of delicious. If that's the case, you may very well want to find a comfy seat and something to read (if you like it, The Regulator probably has it or something like it) with a nice pop.
The Regulator Bookshop is one of my all time favorites. It was a key locale for my political education from 1982 to 1983. That magazine room rocked back then and it remains one of the best, if not the best, magazine selections in the Triangle.
Though still full of great political volumes, The Regulator offers a full range of publications and some related items. The buyers know how to go deep without becoming inaccessible and you'll be able to find what you need as well as what you want.
Unfortunately the downstairs Cafe has been closed. I recently asked Johnny Valentine, one of the longtime store owners, and he said they just never got enough business. Fortunately The Regulator's 9th St. location means that food and coffee are always near at hand.
There's free parking on the street and in a parking lot across the street.
Great local bookstore that features local writers.
Sometimes you'll get to meet an author (Anthony Bourdain, Jimmy Carter, etc)...
Sometimes you'll get a great book on sale...
Sometimes you'll get ignored as the staff pretend to have happy chit chat with a crazy half-dressed homeless guy...
i've always liked indies over chains, but in this case it wasn't just principle that won me over.
i knew i was gonna love this store. knew it. i even put off going in because i was broke, but i'll spend money on books no problem. but after a ridiculous charade at one border's, i ambled in to the regulator on a christmas gift mission. no idling in the magazines or just published.
i marched myself down stairs (there's always something romantic about stairs in an old book shop, no?) and immediately spotted my booty. two days before christmas, as is my way, and i had scored. i shoulda known that the regulator wouldn't let me down. the staff was upbeat and even sassy (in the best possible way) despite the pre-holiday chaos.
i will be back, to the dismay of my thinning wallet.
This bookstore has been around since the 70s, and the building even longer. I love how all indie bookstores have a certain personality about them -- and this one definitely feels like a well-worn, comfortable sweatshirt. Very student friendly with steady traffic, thanks to it's 9th-street locale. There's always some kind of author event happening, so check the website if you're looking for something new to do on a weeknight. They also do occasional parties -- I loved the Christmas party that was held on the downstairs level last year. They had open bar beer and wine and tables set up with cheese and crackers and other nibbles. I ran into some old familiar faces, so it wound up being a great way to reconnect with literati folks as well!
The Regulator is a popular local bookstore on Ninth Street. It's two stories, which makes it larger than most independent bookstores tend to be, and the floorplan is open and bright . The books are arranged into interesting categories, like "society" and "teen issues." There' s a section devoted to regional authors - I was even able to find novels by my creative writing professors, books that don't usually show up on the shelves at Borders or Barnes and Noble, so I appreciate that. There are sections for staff picks, books seen on the Daily Show and heard about on NPR. Best of all, their discount program is $10 for a lifetime membership. With this program, you get access to members-only sales and discounts (30% on NY Times bestsellers, 10% on hardbacks and 5% paperbacks every day).
