Old Town Books, Alexandria

On a frigid December weekend, I set out for my final indie bookshop visit for this project. Not forever, just for 40 Bookshops Under 40. I had spent the morning as a guest speaker at American University, and I had carved out the afternoon for Old Town Books in Alexandria.
I briefly forgot one very important lesson I learned early on when I first launched this project: trying to interview booksellers on a December weekend is a losing game. The shop was busy and humming; exactly as it should be.

As my daughter and I walked in through the side door, I immediately realized that Old Town Books is actually two connected spaces: Old Town Books and Old Town Books Junior, linked by a narrow hallway that feels a bit like a secret passage. We turned toward the children’s shop first, and my daughter promptly disappeared into one of the reading nooks, perfectly content for the next thirty minutes.

Old Town Books Junior is the kind of bookshop that makes you wish you could rewind childhood just a little. The space is thoughtfully organized by age, by fiction and nonfiction, and by interests. That alone would be impressive, but what really stood out was the curation. Many of the titles were not just good, but genuinely beautiful. I struggled to narrow my choice down to a single book when I wanted to buy thirty.

I eventually landed on All the Stars in the Sky by Art Coulson. Not just because it is a lovely children’s book, but because it doubles as a reminder for community builders of any age.

The design of the Junior shop deserves its own applause. A reading tree turns one corner into a cozy reading spot, soft lighting tucked into its branches. There are nooks to curl up in, benches built into shelves, and that unmistakable feeling that lingering is encouraged. My daughter’s repeated request of “Just five more minutes!” felt like the highest possible compliment.

While she was absorbed in her books, I slipped through to Old Town Books on the adult side and found myself just as captivated. The main room near the entrance was buzzing. Bestsellers stacked high, a well-balanced general fiction section, and tables that invited browsing without overwhelm.

One display in particular stopped me in my tracks. Alongside staff picks, the team had curated recommendation lists based not on genre, but on reader identity. Notes labeled sections like “for the ever-evolving woman,” “for the poetry lover,” and “for the wandering late bloomer.” It was thoughtful, welcoming, and surprisingly helpful.

​Instead of asking “What do you feel like reading?” the shop gently asked “Who are you right now?”.

From there, the space opens into more rooms filled with romance, fantasy, nonfiction, and one of the loveliest selections of bookish accessories I have seen in a while. Journals, pens, candles, and all the small things that quietly enhance a reading life.

I wandered back into the Junior shop just in time to overhear a slightly panicked customer say, “I’m trying to buy a book for my wife and the booksellers are too busy. Can someone help?” Without missing a beat, the booksellers in the kids’ shop jumped into action and helped him find the perfect read. I was very close to tagging along and offering my unsolicited opinions.

Old Town Books is the kind of place that makes restraint difficult. I could have walked out with a towering stack of books, and honestly, it would have felt justified. But if I had to give one particular nod, it would be to Old Town Books Junior. The care put into that space, both in design and curation, is unmistakable. It is built for readers, for parents, and for the long afternoons that turn kids into lifelong book lovers.

If you find yourself in Old Town Alexandria, especially on a cold winter day, this is a bookshop worth lingering in. Preferably for “just five more minutes.”

What I bought at Old Town Books

• Heart the Lover, Lily King
• All the starts in the sky, Art Coulson

Old Town Books on Bookshop.org