Even in the digital age, bookstores are a haven for learning and discoverability and act as the cornerstone of many communities. WORD Bookstore in Jersey City, located at 29 McWilliams Place, has been a part of the Jersey City literary community since 2013. The shop has since moved to its current Hamilton Park location, and just announced a partnership with the Grind General Store. The Hoboken Girl visited WORD to get caught up on everything happening in the sunny shop. Read on for more about WORD Bookstore in Jersey City.
About WORD
WORD Bookstore first opened in 2007 on 216 Franklin Street in Brooklyn, New York, and soon opened a second storefront in Jersey City in late 2013 after owner Vincent Onorati noticed that there was a great need for a bookstore in the area. Neighbors may have passed by the old location formerly located at 123 Newark Avenue, but as of April 2022, WORD has been calling Hamilton Park its new home.
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Vincent loves that this WORD location is in a residential area and corners one of Jersey City’s greatest parks. “We have a lot more regulars now.” He says. “We also have more access to families and schools.” WORD has even brought in more children’s books, board games, and products that suit a younger crowd to help cater to the family-friendly community around Hamilton Park. He says “Hamilton Park was ideal” for WORD to expand. This new location helps give the store a warm, relaxing, and family-friendly environment.
WORD’s atmosphere is serene, welcoming, and stacked with colorful arrays of products. The floor-to-ceiling windows bring in floods of natural light and create a sense of peace while browsing through dozens of shelves of books.
One of the exciting perks about shopping at WORD is that it sells more than just books. WORD also carries a one-of-a-kind selection of greeting cards, toys, candles, stationery, gifts, and other lifestyle trinkets.
WORD’s staff is incredibly knowledgeable and is always willing to help customers uncover stories in nearly every genre for children and adults alike. According to the WORD website “If there is anything we love more than reading books… it’s talking about them!”. The thoughtfully curated list of Staff Picks is sure to serve as some inspiration for your next great read.
And, in a newly announced effort to serve its customers, WORD has partnered with Grind General Store, located at 293 Suydam Avenue in Jersey City. Customers can order books on the WORD website and pick them up at Grind. Grind also has a small retail selection of some of WORD’s hand-picked books.
More Than Words
For the local bookworms, WORD Bookstore has a membership program for “WORDies all over the globe. WORD’s “Inner Circle” membership aims to make shipping with WORD as fast and as easy as possible while including shoppers as part of the team. WORD wants to help bring the best books and gifts to communities while fostering growth and continuing to be a safe space for everyone. WORD Inner Circle Members receive $25 to spend on anything in stores or online, a 10% discount storewide, advanced notice of events, and access to special sales and exclusive member perks throughout the year. To learn more visit WORD’s website.
WORD hosts several monthly community-based events in both the Brooklyn and Jersey City locations. From author talks, to book launches, open mic nights, and story time every Saturday at 11:30AM. The WORD team has a way of bringing people together.
In addition to local events, WORD also has four Book Clubs:
- “Multiplicities” meets virtually every fourth Wednesday of every month at 7PM.
- “Romance” meets every first Saturday of the month at 5PM. This meetup takes place at WORD’s Brooklyn location on 126 Franklin Street.
- “Well-Read Black Girl” meets virtually every fourth Sunday of the month at 3PM.
- “Queer Me Out” meets every second Monday of the month at 8PM at Mary’s Bar located at 134 Kingsland Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.
To keep a pulse on the latest happenings visit WORD’s event page or follow along with the store on social media. To RSVP for a Book Club meetup, click here. HG Tip: According to the WORD website, Book Club reading selections are 10% off in the month leading up to the meeting.
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Whether shopping in Jersey City or Brooklyn, WORD is open daily from 10AM-7PM. Shopping online is also an option for those who aren’t nearby. WORD’s website is filled with a wide variety of books (thanks to an advanced search system), gift cards, WORD merch, audiobooks, and e-books.
