Copperfield’s Books has a new branch in the Marin County town of Novato. It opened on April 13. I was going to wait until next week to go visit it, but it’s a bookstore! Of course I couldn’t wait, so I drove down on Friday.
The store is located at 999 Grant Avenue, which has the benefit of being easy to remember. Grant Avenue is a nice shopping district. Take the De Long exit off 101 and head west. Turn right on Redwood, and right again on Grant. The new store is on your right in the first block. The store is easy to find. Parking may not be. I drove to the end of Grant Avenue, just past Scott Court, and parked in a small public lot next to a boarded up depot. That’s about four blocks from the store. You can also turn right on Riechert from De Long, and turn left into the public lot across from Whole Foods.
The store is a big square with a crescent bitten out of it, covered with a porte cochere. The place is big, as big as the flagship Petaluma store, or maybe a little bigger. It is very light and airy, having three walls of windows. The staff were hustling to ring up the lines of customers.
999 Grant Avenue
This particular day the shelves were spacious, one might even say a bit sparse. Orders came in late, and staff were busy learning a new inventory and point of sale system (this store is piloting a newer system). As one of the counter workers said that over the next week the shelves would become more “snug.”
This is facing the children’s section.
As it was, I managed to find $50 worth of books to buy, including one for Spouse.
I was especially impressed with the Non-fiction Current Events section; a lot of good selections there.
This store has a nice location. Along Grant Avenue I found several restaurants, including a Thai restaurant, several bars, a toy store, some cute boutiques, a few gift shops, and two places to get coffee drinks. A destination, in other words, and Copperfield’s fits right in.
The town is happy to see them there; I think I read that the deputy mayor is going to come read at Story Time. It’s the headline of the weekly paper, and the cinema across the street has a Welcome Copperfield’s on its marquee.
On the way home, I wanted to get off Highway 101 with its glut of traffic. I took San Antonio Road, south of Petaluma. It’s been four years since we’ve had a spring this green, and surrounded by the lush hills I felt like my eyes were thirsting for green, drinking it up.
