This bookstore was a lucky find thanks to a last-minute tip from a friend. With four floors of mostly used books, Moe's Books is a Berkeley legend.
The first owner Moe Moskowitz (a character known to smoke a fat cigar behind the desk) opened the shop in 1959. The store looked to circulate new and used books with inviting selling and trading policies.This promoted an ever-updating collection that grew rapidly.
In addition to new and used books, Moe's has an impressive collection of antiques, out-of-print and rare books on the fourth floor.
Just down the road from Berkeley's campus on Telegraph Road, Moe's is located in a hip section of town that screams California. It's hard to say just what is so pleasing about Moe's, the library-like sections, the many vintage Modern Library editions, the breath of the collection (from Business and Economics to Western Americana), or the very reasonable prices. Whatever it is, Moe's now claims a sizable piece of my heart, and my paycheck.
photo credit: sarahjessicajohnson.com