13 Weeks of Adventure: Week 12 - The Lit. Bar

An independent bookstore and wine bar that’s as vibrant and multifaceted as the community it serves.

Welcome to Love + Travel, where adventure is a lifestyle, or welcome back if curiosity gets the better of you.

Check out my latest, 13 Weeks of Adventure: Week 11 -US Open, for an ending you wouldn't expect or the entirety of my writing, here.

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Sending high-fives and heaps of admiration to ✨

Brittany

✨ for adding Black Women Writers at Work to my shelf.

Thank you for generously supporting my love for this craft!

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Have you started pulling hoodies and denim jackets out of storage yet?

It’s officially the final week of summer in the Western Hemisphere, so only one more adventure stands between me and my return to your inbox with regularly scheduled programming.

I’ve missed sharing the pieces that likely drew you in from the start and the brilliant reads I come across weekly.

Jacquie Verbal

seemed to be clued into that fact when she highlighted the Community Corner of Love + Travel’s newsletters via BlackStack.

Cheers to another week of resonating with the world around you.

-RL

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After crossing the Third Avenue Bridge connecting Harlem and the Bronx, I parked half a block away from The Lit. Bar and laughed quietly to myself. The glassy high rises let on very little about the neighborhood my mom described as “bombed out and burnt down” during the late‘80s. The landscape is so different from a decade ago that I was sure I’d turn a corner and run into a certain green supermarket.

My shoulders relaxed slightly when I passed a Spanish restaurant with music and patrons spilling out on the sidewalk. They dropped again when the vintage store three doors down didn’t have eye-popping price tags. And they returned fully to their original position when the graffiti I admired from across the street was where my GPS’s little blue arrow was taking me all along.

The puffs. The sneakers. The standing on a book.

The Lit. Bar is an independent bookstore and wine bar that’s as vibrant and multifaceted as the community it serves. They don't just sell books. They curate experiences for all ages by blending literary exploration with social flair. I adore many elements, but what takes the cake can not be found in-store. Their mission, found on their website, is written in a poem and begins:

Lit. like literature
Lit  like drunk

It’s a place I want to spend more time.

Hip Hop is heavy throughout shelves and displays.

The first thing that grabs your attention after stepping through the brick and glass façade is the wall-filling artwork that mirrors the graffiti outside—it stopped me in my tracks. I think the word “cool” might have escaped my mouth.  The life-sized artificial tree in the children’s section was a close second, and completing the trio are the elegant and enchanting orbital chandeliers that lead toward the back of the store.

Books are categorized under clever section names like “Dear White People”, “Bronx Tales”, and my personal favorite – “Classics (Not up for debate)”. Toni Morrison, Sister Souljah, and Zane were all rightfully featured. The real dopamine hit comes from The Lit. Bar’s book selection, which feels like scrolling through the best of BookTok. I had to pretty much beg myself for restraint and still walked away with four new additions to my shelf.

Their gift section is so cute, there are stickers of literary legends, greeting cards, and puzzles. Pictured: Bookmarks and Obama-themed lip balm.

Plainly put, this place is a vibe, and while I might selfishly wish The Lit. Bar had more square footage, it’s clear there’s no shortage of vision when it comes to the thoughtful decor and intentional use of space.  The balance of community warmth with literary purpose is a duality that founder Noëlle Santos knows well.

When the last brick-and-mortar bookstore in the Bronx closed its doors in 2016, Santos saw the deep disservice to her borough and community. She sprang into action to meet the unique needs of her neighborhood, adding a flavor that big-box retailers couldn’t imitate. Three years later, The Lit. Bar opened its doors for the first time on National Independent Bookstore Day, April 27, 2019.  As a lifelong reader and a Boogie Down native, the proprietress couldn’t resist the chance to curate a place that was as multidimensional (hello, spray paint and chandeliers) as herself. Since arriving near the intersection of Alexander and Bruckner, the store has redefined the literary culture of the Bronx.

Points for the wavy couch.

In the back, the space opens up, and cocktail tables and armchairs replace the standing bookshelves of the front half of the store. The open shelving has an industrial feel with its pipe-fitting attachments and dark wood. Rows of wine bottles and recipe books line the display.

A wood bar with high-top stools is the room's star and is decorated with the spines of books. If you haven’t done so already, posted “Splash Zone” signs remind customers to purchase their selections before settling into the lounge.   

The Body Keeps the Score has been on my TBR list for years.

You can spend a few moments, hours, or even an entire evening at The Lit. Bar, making it the perfect "third place" — that ideal spot between work and home. It's a dope setting for a happy hour, catching up with a friend, or even a casual first date—especially if book recommendations are your thing. Personally, I enjoyed it as a space for some quality time alone. Nodding along to R&B hits, I settled in to wait out traffic with a good book in one hand and a cold glass of Chardonnay in the other.

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LET ME KNOW

What was the last book you read that was hard to put down?

Bookstore meet-cute. Cool or cliche?

In your largest haul, how many books have you bought in one visit to a bookstore?

Red, white, or rosé?