A Visit to Book Trader's Café
Whenever I sonder around Down Town New Haven, there are places that I always have to visit. I will usually look around the Yale University art gallery to look at exhibits and pick up postcards before window shopping down Chapel Street. A look at the British Gift Shop, along with the purchase of unique pins and tickets, is also a common destination. My last stop, located on the far end of Chapel, is Book Trader’s book store café.
When I first discovered Book Trader’s as a college freshman, I found it to be bibliophile’s dream. It was a paradise. The café encompassed everything that the stereotypical English major, writer, or literary snob could want: books and coffee. I remember being mesmerized by the endless shelves of books, being charmed by the cozy atmosphere, and being hypnotized by the constant aroma of strong coffee. Though it has been a few years since that first encounter, I am still met with that same sense of wonder whenever I find myself walking into Book Trader’s.
On a sunny spring day in New Haven, a walk down Chapel street is charming. On the sidewalks surrounding the historic buildings, it is common to see couples loitering on city benches, the occasional street musician, flocks of fearless pigeons, and the filtering sunlight on the sidewalks. Outside Book Trader’s near the store’s is a rack of books for sale. Like the passing pedestrians, the books are enjoying the spring weather. Walking inside, I am welcomed by familiar sights, sounds and smells. The store has become an old friend.
The center of the store is flooded with scents of vegan pumpkin and lemon breads, vanilla lattes, mocha, chocolate cake, sweet cranberry iced tea, various soups, sugar cookies, and the dominant smell of coffee. Clusters of different people crowd around the counter: college students, probable professors, friend groups, couples, and spectrums of coffee drinkers and book lovers. I order my usual order of drip coffee with a small dash of cream. It is served in a perfectly portable cup, ideal for simultaneously drinking and looking for books.
The books are mainly kept in the left hand side of the café, but literature is present in every corner of the small store. There are books crammed behind the counter, books kept on display on elevated shelves, books packed into shelves surrounding tables and chairs, and long rows of books neatly organized by genre in the left room. Whenever I visit, I spend at least an hour and a half walking up and down the aisles, deciding on which books to buy. My rule when shopping at Book Trader’s is to not go in looking for a particular book. The stock is constantly changing and you never know what you’re going to find. So I always end up looking through all the shelves and sections from cult classics, to poetry, to classic literature. I pick up whatever I find interesting and narrow my selections down later.
Aside from compulsively picking up books, I tend to observe others around me. Cafés are some of the best places to quietly watch others and listen in on conversations. While looking through the literary section, I listened in on a small group of young women. They were students taking a break from homework. I heard them talking about a book called The Secret Life of Bees. One of them has never read it, another said how it was one of her favorites. I mentally added it to my reading list. By the store’s front window, I saw a man and a woman hugging. The woman had just returned from a trip to Turkey and her friend missed her while she was away. They drank coffee while catching up. I’ve never seen either of them before, but seeing the two friends was instantly heartwarming. As I prepared to check out with my newly found copies of A Clash of Kings and The Canterbury Tales, and older man with a greying beard and round glasses told me how he appreciated my outfit. I smiled and thanked him for the compliment while paying for my books. Perhaps someone in the café was observing this random encounter.
As I leave Book Trader’s, the sun soaked air was just as warm as the inside of the café. The coziness of Book Trader’s always relaxes visitors and makes them feel comforted. It has the same atmosphere as that of a long hug from a good friend. Leaving is like letting go of that hug because you’re still left with lingering warmth and renewed feelings. With my insides full of coffee, my arms full of books, and my mind full of wonder, I walk up Chapel Street in search of a city bus to take me home.
