The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

Winged Post
Newsletter

Posman Books attracts Chelsea Market visitors with whimsical trinkets and literature

A customer at Posman Books buys a book at the cash register. With a large range of books available for purchase, the store prides itself on having something for everyone. (Isabella Lo)

NEW YORK — Standing directly inside the Highline entrance of Chelsea Market, Posman Books opens its doors to customers. With vibrant walls and matching LED lights, the store offers books and fun knick knacks to explore.

Walking into the store, customers are first greeted by an array of books. The range is immense, from American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis to A Sloth’s Guide to Mindfulness by Ton Mak, all laid out across several tables. The books are all reasonably priced for their new condition and laid out in a manner that facilitates easy customer perusal. 

Further in, customers can browse through the selection of stuffed animals, candles, mugs and more. With columns of magnets boasting lines such as “Not A Morning Purrson” and a bucket of pins to sift through, the trinket selection is also diverse. Macy, a customer, was browsing through the take-apart erasers and commented on the ambience of the store.

“I don’t read enough to be honest, but [Posman] has a lot of really cute knick knacks — all the stuffed animals lining the walls,” Macy said. “We were just fixating over the take apart erasers. We flew in for a show tonight, but it was canceled. We’re just trying to make ourselves feel better by walking around Chelsea Market, and this store is very cute.”

The welcoming employees, who are always willing to help a customer find a book or otherwise what they may be looking for, form a key part of the Posman experience. Alex, a customer-turned-employee at Posman books, loved the experience so much they submitted a resume. 

“The customers can feel that the staff love each other and love our job, which in turn helps the customers feel welcome,” Alex said. “We all hang out on the weekends, we all go to each other’s houses for sleepovers, we watch Cars and SpongeBob together. We’re truly family, and that helps bring the store up.”

Posman books sells a collection of paperback books, arranged in neat tables around the store. Its selection ranges from bestsellers like Colleen Hoover to location specific books covering Chelsea Market and New York. (Isabella Lo)

The fun atmosphere of the store makes it worth revisiting. Customer Dayanara and her boyfriend’s first date was at the bookshop, and the couple returned twice to reminisce over the nostalgic memories.

“This was the first place me and my boyfriend ever came to,” Dayanara said. “Every time we come to [Chelsea Market], this is the place I always look forward to visiting. I’m always like, ‘Oh, it’s like the first time we came here.’”

At the end of the day, a combination of the location, the customer base, and the workers allows Posman Books to find success as a business. In addition, with a selection of unique party games, a variety of washi tape and cards with catchy slogans, the supplies at Posman Books fits any niche.

“Everyone’s able to find something that they love, whether they’re one year old or 90 years old,” Alex said. “There’s something for everyone. What makes this place special is the overall vibes, the happiness that I felt back when I was a customer coming in here.”

Leave a Comment
More to Discover
About the Contributors
Isabella Lo
Isabella Lo, Co-Opinions Editor
Isabella Lo (11) is the co-opinions editor for Harker Aquila and the Winged Post, and this is her third year on staff. This year, she hopes to take better photos and design more creative pages. She likes to play basketball and read in her free time.
Jessica Wang
Jessica Wang, Co-Opinions Editor
Jessica Wang (11) is the co-opinions editor for Harker Aquila and the Winged Post, and this is her third year on staff. This year, Jessica wishes to cover a greater breadth of content in the articles she writes and publishes, as well as improve on her illustration and photography skills. In her free time, she enjoys making up new instant ramen recipes (influenced by her YouTube Shorts content) and playing with her cat (of which she is unfortunately allergic to, but loves all the same).

Comments (0)

All Harker Aquila Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *