With the popularity of the iPad and Kindle, can hard copy books thrive? Andrew Stonebarger thinks so. After running the Book Escape in Federal Hill, Stonebarger this month opened a second location for the new and used bookstore at 10 N. Calvert Street.
The 2,000-square-foot store is the former site of urban apparel store Downtown Locker Room, which moved to the Gallery mall.
Stonebarger selected the downtown site because he saw that the area did not have a bookstore. With the courthouses and office buildings nearby, the business owner expects the store to attract good daytime foot traffic � something that is lacking in Federal Hill.
"It's not like Barnes and Noble, but it makes for a nice little bookstore," Stonebarger says.
"It's a little risky to open another bookstore in this day and age of Kindles and e-readers but I'm pretty sure there will always be a place for books," he says.
Younger folks who can't live without their cell phones and tech gadgets are among his primary customers, Stonebarger says.
"It's almost a novelty but they love it," he says. "You can't sign an e-book."
Classic books, like "Catch 22" and "Brave New World" are among the best sellers at the Book Escape, Stonebarger says. The store also sells rare and antique books.
The business owner declined to say how much he spent to open the downtown store. He says his Federal Hill store is breaking even.
Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Andrew Stonebarger, the Book Escape