I Guess This Just Proves That People In Astoria Don’t Read*

The dearth of bookstores in Astoria** is odd and Councilmember Vallone wants to do something about it:

After years of disappointment and frustration because his vibrant community of Astoria does not have a bookstore, City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr. recently renewed his campaign among the major bookstore chains to establish one here.

In letters to Barnes and Noble, Borders, Waldenbooks and others, Vallone pointed out that the closest major chain store is in Forest Hills, five miles from Astoria and Long Island City, even though there’s an existing market of 200,000 residents.

In addition, Vallone wrote: “Astoria is a vibrant neighborhood, full of young professionals, artists, writers and senior citizens — a perfect location for your business. Students need a place to buy their books; children need a place to explore their imaginations, and adults need a place to take a break from the world, sip coffee and read quietly.”

In his letter to Barnes & Noble, Vallone commented: “Within that [five mile] radius, there could be close to a million residents without a place to peruse the latest novels, magazines, music and movies. To put it into perspective, the Barnes and Noble bookstore in Edgewater, New Jersey is closer to Astoria than any bookstore in Queens. A Barnes and Noble in Astoria would serve not only the needs of my community and other undeserved neighborhoods, but also offer you an excellent business opportunity to capitalize on this untapped market.”

*Is it because of a high non-English speaking population? Relatively more expensive rents? Amazon.com?

**Not none, but few.