Montclair Book Center

I love the culture of independent shops in Montclair’s downtown and Montclair Book Center is one of my favorites. The smell of the wooden bookshelves and the paper books combine into something I wish I could bottle into a candle. I’ve bought many books through them, both off the self and custom-ordered. The process is always painless and seamless and I have easily spent hours just browsing their labyrinth of shelves. These guys know their customer base and the store is perfectly set up to cater to their needs, whether they’re there to just enjoy the magic of an independently owned book business or grab a companion to enjoy one of Montclair’s many food spots.

The Montclair Book Center is one of my favorite places to shop in Montclair. They always have inexpensive books on sale outside, and they have ample books and a cozy interior inside. When I lived in the area, this was the only book store I bought from. Highly recommend !

I was recommended to go to this place by one of my clients. If you’re a book nerd, this is your place! If you like music, this is your place! If you are a breathing person this is your place because you’ve enjoyed at least one of the two!

As soon as you walk in, it feels like your in a infinite space of neatly shelved books. Any criteria that you can think of it’s there. When you walk to the right side of the building, you’ll find a section with records and music merch. It has a vintage vibe with the TVs and record player to play any of the records that interest you. BUT WAIT....

THERES MORE! If you head downstairs it’ll be more records that are available. There are also CDs, cassettes, and there are even posters available in the far back in the basement. Went in there thinking that 30 minutes was enough, but stayed almost an hour longer than expected because I was enjoying all of the nostalgia.

Since my experience there, I have recommend this place to the rest of my clients that live in Montclair. If you’re looking to rent/buy/sell a home in the area, visit my website and reach out to close on the property you’re looking for!

Montclair is a very diverse and eccentric town. One of the places that adds to the charm is the Montclair Book Center. Since the new ownership took place (a little over a year ago), a majority of improvements have been made to enhance the bookreader and customer experience. The MBC transcends the imagination of an antique bookstore. Readers of all genres and ages are welcome. The collection of new books follows current trends, and the vinyl collection is something to be seen! The staff is more than knowledgeable, helpful and accommodating. Highly recommend!

Did some book shopping there with my niece last weekend. Great selection of new and used books. Very friendly staff. I’ll definitely be returning. 📚👀

Super happy I stopped on by when I was in town. A great and peaceful area for hobbyist! A fantastic place for readers and music lovers! Will stop on by in the future!

Nice bookstore. I have been going there since 1986, and they have always had a wide variety of titles and subjects. Highly recommended for the bibliophile.

This bookstore reminds me of a simpler time- less hustle, hurry and the idea that you can get lost in a good book! Known around town for selling used books and vintage records, they have a good selection (classics, niché, and some college texts) at a fair price point.

Truly an amazing place and the “Ultimate book store”!

Great treasure in Montclair and if your not sure what smart smells like then step and and take a deep breath. It's a hit and miss on books and records but that's part of the fun however they do have some gems.

Such a great place!! Definitely a gem, with a little bit of everything.. Literally spent over an hour just looking around.. Left with some great finds.. will definitely be back and tell my friends about it!

Shop here! This place is so unique, and makes book shopping pure joy! Great owners and staff too!

Nice place with a good selection of children's books at reasonable prices. We will definitely be back

Such a nice and beautiful place. The people that work there were also very nice and welcoming. I would highly recommend going there!

I am so glad I stopped. This place is a must for anyone who loves books or music. The staff was very kind. Wish I could have spent all day exploring.

This is my favorite bookstore. It's got a great chaotic but organized energy... you can easily spend an hour here and the prices are fair. Every few months my sister and I try to stop in for our semi-annual MBC crawl.

Incredible bookstore, independently owned. You will want to spend hours here browsing, eating etc. A community gathering place.

From the moment we entered it was as though we walked into a newly discovered 'space' in our own home! With a vast library to explore. The ALBUM collection alone would take several days to fully appreciate the choices available and a decision would probably take longer. My wife spent a lot of money (for her) there. Most importantly Clare greeted us as though we were family members returning to her home and quickly found the keys to my humor and literary interests and turned them both to open my desire to explore this library available. Prices are very reasonable and rare finds are readily (pun intended for Clare) at hand. Recommend it for every visitor to Montclair and surrounding communities...love it and we will return as often as we can.

Terrific place. Many good titles are on display.You can get lost there.

So many books! You’ll easily spend over an hour in here just browsing through titles. I found several books that I have been looking for for many years, and at a great price. Parking is a challenge, so make sure you’re aware of the parking situation before heading there, because you might need a backup plan.