The New York Times reports that in 2007, Newark, NJ “ranked last among the nation’s 69 largest cities in the number of bookstores per capita, with 15 stores for 281,000 people, or 0.53 stores per 10,000 residents.”  That sounds like an irresistible call to action for an enterprising independent bookstore owner hopeful or indy looking to expand.

For a while there, it seemed our hometown of Asheville, NC had an easy 10,000 bookstores per 0.53 residents, but that’s begun to change slightly over the past couple of years.  Seriously, off the top of my head, I can think of at least 9 in a city with a population of about 70,000, making for 1.3 stores per 10,000.  And, guess what?  Those are just the independents….

Incidentally, if Newark isn’t the place for you, but you’ve got that irrepressible urge towards brick and mortar bibliophilia, Asheville’s Reader’s Corner is for sale.  So c’mon to Asheville, folks!  We’re hospitable – we promise.  In fact, if you let an underpriced first edition sneak out on to your sales floor, we’ll even tell you about it.

After we’ve bought it.