Atlanta Memories Since 1970
By Ashleigh Woody
The movie You’ve Got Mail comes to mind as I recall this memory. The classic American romantic comedy stars Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. Kathleen, Meg Ryan’s character, runs an independent bookstore that vividly reminds me of one I religiously visited in Atlanta.
I remember several independent bookstores from the 70's and 80's, before Borders and Barnes and Nobles became overcrowded chain duplicates of traditional mom and pop bookstores. I found one in particular absolutely wonderful.
The first Oxford Books sat at the corner of the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center. It has been over 15 years since its closing. The atmosphere was multicultural and intellectual with separate sections for used, collectable and comic books. Its creaky stairs led to the coffee shop where they served pastries and Dr. Brown’s sodas. It opened early in the morning to passionate readers and book lovers and held a lot of Atlanta memories, including my own.
Like any bookstore, it was a safe haven for customers to read uninterrupted. Simple things about Oxford Books made it unique to me.
I remember no computers to list the available books. You just simply asked an employee about a book. Chances are, he or she could tell you because he or she had read it. Non-mass-market books were easy to find in this independent bookstore. Those that weren’t were ordered and delivered directly to the store.
Weekly discussions were held, transforming the store into a successful meet market. It became an easy way for men and women to met one another and exchange common interests.
In 1989, the company expanded to Pharr Road. Oxford Too became the newest meet market right next to the Atlanta Fish Market. It had a massive used book section and an even larger coffee shop that eventually grew into a full-size restaurant. It held daily book signing for famous authors.
Not long after the opening of the second location, it closed after a short battle with Wall Street sharks. Non-mass-market books found their way to online shelves, but memories of Oxford Books still linger in the minds of long-time Atlanta residents.
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