Green Apple Books

Green Apple Books is the kind of bookstore that dreams are made of, a sprawling, multi-building labyrinth in San Francisco's Inner Richmond neighborhood that has been drawing devoted readers since 1967. The store's layout defies easy description: three interconnected buildings create a warren of rooms, hallways, and staircases where new and used books mingle on shelves that reach the ceiling, and where every visit yields discoveries you could not have predicted. The used books section is magnificent, spanning an entire building and covering every imaginable subject with the kind of depth that comes only from decades of careful buying. The music section reflects San Francisco's legendary cultural history, while the philosophy and history shelves attract UC professors and curious autodidacts in equal measure. The rare books room, accessible through a low doorway in the back, houses treasures that draw collectors from around the world. Green Apple is not just a bookstore but a beloved San Francisco landmark, the kind of place where you walk in for one title and emerge hours later with an armful of books you never knew you needed.