If you are longing to lose yourself in a good read and happen to find yourself in Columbus, Ohio, you might consider getting lost in a 32-room bookstore, The Book Loft of German Village.
The independent bookstore, which opened more than 40 years ago, is a maze of literature, selling everything from the latest releases and bestsellers to childrenโs and bargain books, from manga and horror to history and memoir.
The Book Loft is located south of downtown Columbus in the German Village neighborhood, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood was settled extensively by German immigrants in the first half of the 1800s. It was considered a slum in the mid-20th century but thanks to revitalization efforts is now one of the most sought-after real estate zip codes in Ohio.
The store is located in a small strip of handsome red brick, pre-Civil War buildings that once housed general stores, a saloon and a nickelodeon movie theater. Visitors will see a โWillkommenโ sign and a garden path lined with park benches, reminiscent of a European outdoor cafe. Above the entrance in a patio filled with low-priced books hang both U.S. and German flags.