Richard Magat, Man in Manhattan: Bronxville Tops Manhattan in at Least One Important Respect
By Richard Magat
Aug. 26, 2015: When this column was launched, it was not intended to pit the Village of Bronxville against the mammoth metropolis to its south. But it turns out that Bronxville tops Manhattan in at least one important respect.
That is, its lone bookstore--Womrath Bookshop--has survived seventy-eight years, while the number of bookstores in Manhattan has dropped nearly 50 percent from 150 in 2000. Even mega-bookstores have regularly been closing stores; Barnes & Noble has closed more than half of its Manhattan locations since 2007.
The decline in bookstores reflects the advent of the Internet and mass market giants like Amazon, as well as technological developments like audiobooks, e-books, and e-readers, such as the Kindle.
The casualties include the ornate 107-year-old building that housed Rizzoli Bookstore, an architectural gem on 57th Street, which failed to win the protection of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The novelist Ann Coulter compares its demise to the Taliban's destruction of the Buddha statues. (But note that Rizzoli Bookstore has just opened its new flagship store in the NoMad district.)
Among the notable survivors is the Strand Bookstore, which claims to house 18 miles of books. More intimate but closer to my heart is The Corner Bookstore, on 93rd Street and Madison Avenue, nine blocks from my apartment. Occupied by Z Pharmacy for 50 years, it boasted an exquisite interior that was grist for the handyman co-owner Ray Golay. He and his wife also restored its brick-and-brownstone façade.
Bronxville's Womrath Bookshop is under the tutelage of Gene Sgarlata, who has fostered several best sellers, including a thriller, The Thieves of Heaven, written by a neighbor, which is to be released as a movie. Sgarlata is reluctant to read manuscripts by customers who are aspiring writers. "I am not an editor," he noted, "but you have to be very polite or brutally honest in fielding these requests." (Although Gene has declined to display any of the books I have written, I remain a fan of his.)
Pictured here: Womrath Bookshop.
Photo by A. Warner
Government & History Directory
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Link to Village of Bronxville One Square Mile Monthly Newsletter
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
337-6500
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Police Department
337-0500
Open 24 hours
Bronxville Parking Violations
337-2024
Open 9:00am - 4pm excluding holidays and weekends
Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400
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