Fighting For Life and Surviving

Photo credit: Pixaby.com

Today we stop in New York City and are standing across the street from the New York Times Building.

From the sound of such an environment, you would be correct in assuming this is prime property. Any small business that had its start in 1917 and found its way to this location would logically struggle to stay solvent when surrounded by mega companies.

Such is the true case of a bookstore. A bookstore so amazing it received a Tony honor for excellence in 2011.

So why is such a famous store struggling?

Manhattan rent increase. Prime property. The law of economics.

The bookstore is called The Drama Book Shop and has been a family-run store since its beginning in 1917. Success enabled the owners to move the store to bigger buildings with better locations until it finally landed on 40th Street. After the bookshop settled there, The New York Times building sprouted across the street. As did other large companies. Of course, online book buying also increased.

News of the owner's decision to close the doors reached a successful producer, a theater owner, and an actor/composer/playwright. The actor, Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of Hamilton and star in Mary Poppins Returns, spent hours as a teen in this bookstore. "It was a place to go." He and three other Hamilton Musical colleagues purchased this book shop from the widow owner to keep this treasure alive.

The store will still have to vacate the 40th Street property. The new location will be announced in the fall. If you'd like to read more, here is the link to the BBC article

While shopping online is convenient, there is so much more that awakens the mind and engages the social spirit by physically walking into a brick and mortar store. Kudos to Lin-Manuel Miranda and his three colleagues!

This year, plan to visit a bookstore. A library. A brick and mortar store of any sort. Meet people. Hear the sounds. Smell the atmosphere. Much better than being sucked into cyberstores.

This post has been brought to you by the one-word: AwakenTheMind

Until then, I have two great book ideas for you:

Both are available here: Click Here To See!

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