Shakespeare and Company
Shakespeare and Company can feel a bit cramped these days, thanks to the steady stream of tourists squeezing into the tiny shop, but it’s still absolutely worth a visit. Above the reading room entrance, the words ‘Be Not Inhospitable to Strangers Lest They Be Angels in Disguise’ capture the spirit here, alongside its founding motto: ‘Give what you can; take what you need.’ Since opening in 1951, this legendary bookshop has hosted young writers and artists in exchange for help around the shop, with an estimated 30,000 people spending nights on beds tucked between the bookshelves. You don’t have to stay overnight to soak in the atmosphere; the welcoming public reading room is a quiet oasis amid the city’s buzz. In 2016, the shop published its own history, with contributions from the likes of Allen Ginsberg, Jim Morrison, and Ethan Hawke.
