we've got the green light to do some good old-fashioned browsing

On this warm & golden fall afternoon in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn, a bookstore that hasn't even hosted its launch party had plenty of customers. Greenlight, the independent newcomer to Fulton Street that is Jessica Stockton & Rebecca Fitting's dream child come to life, is still receiving a few final touches--two men were tweaking the door jamb & a swath of paint remained on the entrance from when the space was an insurance company--but neighborhood readers are hungry, & the light-drenched place drew them in.

lots of books, yet lots of floor space, too

young customers window shopping

even younger customers window shopping

Although she's been working twelve-hour days, Ms. Stockton beamed good cheer & belied no trace of fatigue as she stocked new titles, greeted people, answered questions, or aided an employee with the register. Nor was there evidence of what had to have been a frenetic effort to get the store ready. Less than two months ago the interior looked like this:





For weeks prior to Greenlight's opening, volunteers pitched in with everything from sanding & staining shelves to helping with carpentry. From the beginning the owners have relied on such contributions to help make up for a lack of huge start-up capital, & were organized about it; rather than risk wasting time with soliciting a "Yeah, I might stop by," they asked people to sign up for four-hour shifts. Local artisans contributed a lot of custom work, & as the opening date remained unclear, Rebecca commented on the bookstore's website earlier this month, "It takes a long time to do a good thing right."

not really a "soft" opening anymore; the shelves are well stocked

Jessica, who rarely hold still for a photo, with new haircut & copies of A.S. Byatt's "The Children's Book"

reading nook for kids

Yet it turns out the store beat its deadline & will be bracing for the big celebration in a few days. Head to 686 Fulton Street on Saturday, October 24th at 7 pm for Champagne, giveaways from A Public Space, an appearance by Toure, & a big helping of cool book people. "I'm kind of afraid the party's going to be mobbed," Jessica said, with a happy-worried expression that meant she knew damn well it would. And that it would be a good, exciting thing done right.

Directions:
C train to Lafayette, G to Fulton
ANY train to Atlantic-Pacific

Also, check out these generous hours:
Greenlight is open from 10 am to 10 pm Monday though Saturday
and from 12 pm to 8 pm on Sundays

phone: 718.246.0200

More photographs of Greenlight Bookstore:




the cash wrap was active

a rare moment without a human figure in the frame

note that "The Kids Are All Right" is in stock!

perusing the new paperback releases

Jessica chats with a customer who'd come in to pick up a copy of "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." One of Stockton & Fitting's many intelligent business choices has been to publicize & solicit preorders for literary releases from favorites like Lorrie Moore, Jonathan Lethem, & Kazuo Ishiguro before Greenlight was open for business (some of these can be seen now lined up behind Stockton).


Brooklyn trees showing off

ballad of strangers