Beacon Hill Books & Cafe
Growing up, I never truly found my “place.” That’s why I couldn’t wait to come to Emerson, study writing and publishing, and make friends with similar interests. Nestled on Charles Street, inside the walls of a classic, triple-decker Bostonian brownstone, there is a whimsical haven for literary wanderers just like me. It’s the perfect destination to find your next favorite read (or iced chai latte.)
With my visit to Beacon Hill being my first post on A Literary Life (which began as an assignment for Digital Publishing last semester), I feel obligated to share that I was minutes away from pitching my blog’s original topic when the idea sparked: weekly reviews of not only book titles but also of places and bookstores where people can purchase these books and enjoy them amongst a community of like-minded individuals. One year later, an opportunity to revive the blog through YourMag was what reignited my passion for creating content that encourages readers to actively support the smaller independent bookstores in the Boston area, to eagerly explore the city through a literary lens as I do day and night – one page, one street at a time.
I’ve chosen Beacon Hill Books and Café as the subject of the blog’s very first bookstore review because it is the closest to Emerson’s campus downtown. After I spent a few hours journaling in Commonwealth Park (and making friends with the pigeons that aren’t afraid to get close!), I took a short walk across the Common, where I found myself in a world that looked much different than my dorm in Paramount. I looked up from my phone to see the street adorned with brownstones and stained-glass windows overlooking green meadows. As I continued on across the street, I found myself enveloped inside my surroundings, a new neighborhood where the sidewalks were lined with bricks instead of concrete, forced to narrow as large windows inside the stores boasted products I couldn’t afford.
I continued walking down Charles Street until I found myself in front of it; a pastel blue sign with engraved gold lettering read, in all its beauty: Beacon Hill Bookstore and Café. I walked up a small set of stairs into the bookstore, and the staff greeted me with a smile. Walking in, I was met with a staircase that sits directly in front of the door, leading up to not one but two additional floors of books. Yes, just books.
When I reached the top of each level, I was greeted by a new maze of vibrantly hand-painted bookshelves spanning entire walls inside each room. They truly cater to the tastes of every single kind of reader, and there is a section for almost any genre you could think of: poetry, fiction, non-fiction, travel, cooking, children’s, sports, art, music, romance, YA, foreign languages...the list goes on.
The staircases are narrow (that’s Boston for you) and while walking up them, I felt as if I was in a tunnel from Alice in Wonderland; vibrantly painted walls invoke excitement, and through a small circular window, a bright red bookshelf commanding the entire space of a small reading nook is eye-catching. Owner Melissa Fetter purchased this centuries-old building in the heart of Beacon Hill in September of 2019. On the store’s website, a beautifully worded paragraph embodies their mission; Beacon Hill Books & Cafe is Boston’s newest hangout around the corner, where a lovingly curated selection of reads meets a warm atmosphere, pop-ups and literary events, and a full-range menu of locally sourced fare. This shop is our love letter to Boston.
Two years later, the store officially opened its doors in October 2022 and has since received nothing but praise from natives of the city. After about 40 minutes of browsing the shelves and getting hypnotized by the gorgeous new editions of my favorite titles like Letters to A Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, I decided to head back downstairs to the café for something to drink on my walk back towards Emerson. When I stepped inside, it was busy, and for good reason; although they told me they usually only accommodate guests by reservation, I was still able to purchase an iced chai latte with almond milk and extra cinnamon (is there any other way?!) and I walked back out onto the brick-woven sidewalk to enjoy my delicious, dairy-free delight.
As I sipped my iced chai latte on my way back toward Emerson, I reflected on how this charming bookstore really embodied the essence of what it means to immerse yourself in the world of books and reading. The cozy ambiance, with its narrow staircases and maze-like shelves, offers a sanctuary where book lovers are able to lose themselves in a world of words. Melissa Fetter’s vision of revitalizing this space into a literary gem is a tribute to the enduring magic of bookstores amidst the looming, ever-evolving digital age of today’s world.
A Literary Life: Official Bookshop Rating Scale
Overall Title Selection: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Atmosphere: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Location: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Prices (perspective of a 21 year old broke college student): 🌟🌟🌟
Revisit? Yes, absolutely!
