The Lit. Bar

As the self-proclaimed “official bookstore of Wakanda and the Bronx,” The Lit. Bar still shares the title as one of the only brick-and-mortar bookstores serving the 1.4 million people and 10 colleges of the Bronx. An impassioned project from owner and Bronx-native Noëlle Santos, the concept behind her business came about when the borough’s only bookstore (a Barnes & Noble) closed in 2016. Three years later in 2019, The Lit. Bar opened its doors, offering the area a bookstore, wine bar, and community center rolled into one. Pull up for a reading/signing event or explore the shop’s literary categories from Queer & Dear to Bronx Tales.

As the self-proclaimed “official bookstore of Wakanda and the Bronx,” The Lit. Bar still shares the title as the one of the only brick-and-mortar bookstores serving the 1.4 million people and 10 colleges of the Bronx. An impassioned project from owner and Bronx-native Noëlle Santos, the concept behind her business came about when the borough’s only bookstore (a Barnes & Noble outpost) closed in 2016. Three years later on April 17, 2019 (on National Indie Bookstore Day), The Lit. Bar opened its doors, offering the area a bookstore, wine bar, and community center rolled into one. Pull up throughout the month for reading/signing events or meander over for a solo date night and explore the vast literary categories from Queer & Dear to Oprah Made Me Do It.

The Lit Bar is a bookstore and wine bar opened by Bronx native, Noëlle Santos. When the 2016 closure of the Bronx’s Barnes & Noble left the borough without any bookstores, Santos saw an opportunity and need to create a sustainable and more accessible bookshop for the neighborhood. The former human resources director at an IT firm then traded in her six-figure salary to open The Lit Bar in 2019, and it’s been a community space for bibliophiles and wine connoisseurs alike ever since.