Three Lives and Co. plays it by the book downtown

With one glance at the windows flanking the bright, cherry-red door, a passerby can easily tell that West 10th Street’s Three Lives and Co. is a bookworm’s bookstore.

These windows aren’t filled with children’s toys, board games, or flyers about upcoming events. They’re lined with row upon row of books, from modern fiction to literary classics—and offer an excellent preview to what one will find upon passing through the red gateway and into perusal paradise.

Three Lives and Co.’s shelves are, quite literally, covered with books. Though seating is readily available and the red brick walls and hardwood floors add a nice architectural touch, the focus here is clearly on the products on display—so much so that one can hardly see the register, as the cashier is hidden behind, yes, more books.

Not far from a surprisingly well-stocked travel section (the only apparent deviation from what is essentially a bookstore for literature) is one small sign amid a few black and white photos. The sign reads, “I cannot live without books.”

Perhaps this is what the bookstore’s owner, Toby Cox, has in mind as he runs his shop. He noted that part of the appeal of Three Lives comes from “the selection, the setting, the neighborhood, [and] the customers.” But he emphasized that “the staff here all like to read and share the joy of books,” choosing to focus on the give and take between customers and store employees (who are, indeed, incredibly earnest and helpful).

What would draw a Columbia student so far downtown? “The neighborhood is really wonderful,” Cox said. Hearkening back to a time in which small book vendors ruled Manhattan, he continued, “If they’re interested in literature and a great book well-written, this is a great place to be... we’re more than just history.” Beaming, he concluded simply, “I think it’s a great place to shop.”