Peace

May 30, 2007 3:55 PM

Left-wing/radical/hippie/communist/revolutionary bookstores and places in DC.

I'm going to DC with my very conservative family for the next 6 days, however, I'll have opportunity to have an afternoon or two to myself hopefully.

Looking for names and places of left-wing /radical/hippie/communist/revolutionary bookstores in Washington DC I can go to. Ideally pick up a few souveneirs, some books, chat with some like minded folks. I'm espescially interested in black panther books/posters/buttons.

Thanks!

posted by skjønn to Travel & Transportation around Washington, DC (10 answers total)

Politics and Prose

Left Bank Books
Lambda Rising

Must visit each and every one. P&P also has a sweet cafe.
posted by Toekneesan at 4:13 PM on May 30, 2007

If you can make it up to Baltimore ($7 one-way on the MARC train weekdays only), Red Emma's will be perfect for you. It's a communist/anarchist bookstore/coffeehouse. They accept euros.
posted by Airhen at 4:50 PM on May 30, 2007

Ummmm. I mean Bridge Street Books not Left Bank, which is a fine establishment on the other side of the country...
posted by Toekneesan at 5:06 PM on May 30, 2007

Politics and Prose is a nice enough bookstore, but I wouldn't call it radical. It's more or less Clinton-esque in its politics. Also, its real specialty is upper-middle-brow fiction, not politics, despite the name.
posted by craichead at 5:14 PM on May 30, 2007

True enough. Those these are still great places to meet folk. There are few radical places left. I can only think of a couple nationwide. These are at least leftist indies with great books to browse. What you may not find is mucho radical spirits. More of an America 2.0 issue than a book or Washington issue.
posted by Toekneesan at 5:53 PM on May 30, 2007

Busboys and Poets! I'd go there first.

Politics and Prose is a wonderful bookstore but radical, it is not.

Also maybe try Vertigo Books in College Park, used to be in Dupont Circle.. so sadly rather a pain to get there if you're staying in the city.
posted by citron at 7:50 PM on May 30, 2007

I'd really suggest Red Emma's, even though it's in Baltimore. The days of radical bookstores in DC are mostly gone.

Vertigo is a decent suggestion, but not great.

I managed P&P for years, and I would recommend it as a great bookstore, but as someplace that would disappoint in this context.
posted by OmieWise at 5:45 AM on May 31, 2007

I was kind of disappointed in Red Emma's. I went there looking for a book on the Spanish Civil War and they had bupkis. Not to mention their staff is surly and unhelpful, for the most part.
posted by electroboy at 7:48 AM on May 31, 2007

I'd really suggest Red Emma's, even though it's in Baltimore. The days of radical bookstores in DC are mostly gone.


The days of radical anything in DC are gone (for now). ;-)
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 11:34 AM on May 31, 2007

wow. those are not radical at all. good bookstores, yes. but not radical.

Brian MacKenzie Infoshop
1426 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC
http://www.dcinfoshop.org/

this is pretty surely what you're looking for.
posted by kneelconqueso at 1:49 PM on May 31, 2007