Tattered Cover Book Store

One of my favorite local places in Denver. Great staff, enjoyable environment and delightful recommendations. If you love books you’ll love TC!

It’s not too often anymore that you can waltz into a bookstore — an independent bookstore, no less! — and stumble upon a compendium of the history of steampunk, grab a fine tea, and kick back for a few minutes in a comfy leather chair surrounded by cute women reading. If I had the money, I’d open up a store like this myself, in spite of how brick-​and-​mortar stores are on the decline, with the added critical component of a tabletop gaming section to the café. There’s just not enough places like this to hang out at anymore, and that’s really unfortunate.

Maybe a C for effort? Sad to say, on my last (both most recent & final) visit, I finally broken my unwritten policy of never leaving a bookstore without making a purchase. I’ve been shopping at the TC sporadically since the 90’s, and I’m aware they no longer take advantage of a 4 floor location. However, the stock used to be encyclopaedic and now seems to simply cater towards… things they haven’t been able to sell yet? A large Gardening section in the downtown metro area is very practical — a full height Philosophy shelving gives a sad nod to a declining trend, and is frightfully dwarfed (on a few levels) by the forboding religion demi-​aisle. The Sci-​fi and Fantasy assortment — smaller than religion and gardening (have you forgotten that the other half of people that buy books are nerds?) is handily separated between author-​sorted and series-​sorted, but whoever actually placed the books isn’t too keen on the difference — or the alphabet, for that matter.
In any case, I went to the store looking for a nice, softbrained fantasy adventure to help me through lunch, and what I got was a dose of what seems to be pseudo-​intellectual purchasing preference and a sinus load of dust hailing from pages that rolled off the presses around the same time I did (I’m looking at you, early 80s gardening section).
After my disappointment, I thought I could recoup and get a nice Reginald Hill mystery. After checking both the mystery and the fiction areas with nary a mention of RH (not exactly a nobody), I threw in the towel and shuffled back to the cube, all forlorn.

I find the 16^th Street location to be depressing. Not a lot of seating either, probably due to the homeless
Saddened by the closing of Barnes & Nobel

The place itself has an awesome feel once you step inside, that would get five stars alone had it not been for the lady that helped point me in the right direction for the used books. I mean she tried… not well but tried to hide her annoyance over the fact I interrupted her news paper reading. However the guy in his 40+ at the coffee shop, wow don’t ask him how his day is cause apparently too many people ask and why should he have to answer that typical type of question. And I couldn’t find something on the menu because it’s all spiffy designed (which I really do mean) and he was too annoyed and rude to answer so the other person working pointed it out to me. Wow I’m just so taken back by how awful every person I ran into there was I won’t be back to get books because the whole energy of the place is ruined for me. I’m just so bummed :(

As an avid reader and book store fanatic, stepping into this place was like a dream land. I was giddy the whole time.
There are sections designated for each type of genre, and there are even sections for sub-​genres. The staff recommendations are also very helpful! All of the staff members I interacted with (cashier, barista, in a few aisles) were very approachable and friendly.
I’m bummed to be an out of towner. If I lived in the area, this bookstore would get all of my attention and money. The people of Denver are lucky to have this gem!

I’d go to a local bookstore over a chain every single day of the week. It’s just an enjoyable experience. The Cherry Creek location was my fave until it closed and moved to Colfax. I still like it but my favorite location is downtown Denver. I love the friendliness and knowledge of everyone who works there. I always find something that I know I will love to read whether it’s staff recommended or something I’ve found myself. The coffee bar is good also :-) The only reason you don’t get five stars is the price. Yes, the books are generally more expensive than B&N or Amazon but to have an independent bookstore that’s loved as much as it is in the Denver Metro area, it’s worth it to spend a few extra bucks here!

What’s not to love? A coffee shop meets Denver’s best independent book store, this place is cozy and creaky, full of wood tables, wood floors, and nooks with bookshelves piled high. If you haven’t been here, get here! This is a great destination if you are in from out of town!

BOOKS!
I love Tattered Cover. I don’t read many dead tree books, but love coming and and buying other stuff. They’ve got so much cool stuff, and a tasty Café.
I haven’t tried it yet, but the POD book maker looks AWESOME!

We work downtown nearby, and some friends suggested going to the TCBS for coffee and a breakfast sandwich. My friend and I both order different types of chai, and after repeating herself 3 times to try to understand the differences between the chai, and specifying that she likes a spicier chai, the barista went to make her drink. The barista made the sweetest and least spicy chai for her, and when she brought up the issue at the bar, the staff just glared and brought out a bottle of the mild concentrate. There wasn’t even a sorry… I felt bad for my friend, since mine was ‘meh’ but drinkable. She had even asked if they could remake it, to no response… we were just ignored.
I tried going there a second time, to different staff to pick up a cookie, and the barista again, was extremely rude and disappointed that I wasn’t ordering a beverage. Treat your customers right and they’ll return. I won’t be going back… especially for a sad, dry, molasses cookie.

What a cool bookstore! Awesome to hang out and sift through all the books, which are well organized and excellently showcased. There are plenty of people here with the same idea as you, so finding a place to sit can be a questionable affair.
Lots of interesting characters, great bookstore feel.

I wanted to visit the Tattered Cover because quality book stores are getting harder to find. This was a wonderful place to roam around. I only wish I had more time to enjoy that old bookstore feel. By the way is the old guy in the corner reading the paper real or not? Stop by and find out.

Large new and used bookstore with a huge selection its neat and clean unlike some used bookstores. This place is a must see if you like books at all. I could easily see someone spending a few hours here reading with a coffee from their café. I didn’t have too much time to spend here but will be back next time I’m in town.

I am a lover of books. All the books. All the reading. Always have been. Tattered Cover is a lovely, locally owned store that is beautifully decorated/​organized and has a huge selection. I don’t think that their selection is common for a local bookstore. The price point is a bit higher, but for the overall experience, I consider it worthwhile.
This bookstore is a place I can curl up and love on my books. Many come by to do work or study. You can grab a killer coffee and pastry in their little café. The store also does book signings every now and then. Keep an eye out, do yourself a favor, and go!

It feels a lot like the model on which Barnes & Noble probably built their stores; it has a dark library feel, lots of benches and seats to sit in, many shelves of regally placed books. A large space in an awesome building. Wow, this place was great!
With a café right there, how can you not like bookstores like this?

I have a MFA in writing and I’m pretty picky about bookstores. This one passed the test. I wanted to get a copy of Dicken’s «Bleak House» and found 2 – 3 different versions (ranging in diff prices and sizes) in the fiction section. They have a pretty solid fiction section with a good mix of contemporary and classic writers. At the very beginning of the fiction section, they have a separate bookcase for classics (all the dead writers) with mostly Dover editions. Lots of seating area and a café, so if you’re not in a rush, you can sit down and leisurely spend time reading. We were in a rush so I stepped out after purchasing my Vintage paperback (only $ 10!) of Bleak House.
One of the things I loved the most about this bookstore was its location. The building is just where a bookstore should be. See picture below. Also, we didn’t have any problems finding street parking. It was a Monday afternoon though (around 3 pm) and the streets were not busy.
I must confess, for cost reasons, I am tempted to buy books on Amazon, but its independent bookstores like these that make the trip and the extra cost totally worth it. Having said all of this, I’m not sure if their fiction collection is as solid as other bookstores I’ve frequented (but I’m comparing this to Harvard Square or the Strand in NYC.)

Vast bookstore with a smaller sister store nearby in the train station.
Found some lovely books here as gifts. Complimentary gift wrap is a nice old fashioned touch that you don’t often find elsewhere.
Love the repurposing of the building. Reminds me of going to the library as a kid before it got modernized.
Great place to find a good read. Very happy with my purchase :)

The Tattered Cover Book Store is an iconic business native to Denver, established in 1971. I made a short stop to this Tattered Cover location while I was strolling along 16^th Street Mall. This bookstore feels lived in and whimsical. There’s lots of tables and chairs strewn about for your leisurely enjoyment, clean bathrooms, and a café with extremely reasonable prices. For two hibiscus lemonades, the total came to around $ 6. Mr brother-​in-​law said the lemonades tasted like liquified sour patches, which could be a good thing in my book. I thought the drinks were pretty tasty. My group of three easily found a table to sit down and relax at. The bookstore was quiet and fairly busy. When in Denver, try to visit the one of three Tattered Cover locations in the city.
Unilocal 100 CHALLENGE 2015: #203

I have a soft spot for Tattered Cover. It’s been my go-​to bookstore since I was in highschool. I have so many fond memories of sitting in TC and reading on one of the old chairs. It makes you feel like you might be lost somewhere in London (read: Harry Potter), getting ready to snuggle in for a good read.
I do wish their website was better. One of the things that has me going back to B&N is that I can pre-​order books online with ease. The Tattered Cover website is a dark and scary place.
I also miss when there were a lot more chairs. Probably better for them to keep transients out, but it definitely used to be a bit more cozy. Regardless, I am in love with this bookstore.

The Tattered Cover used to sell buttons and pins that read «I read banned books.» And rightly so, as this not-​quite-​underground business that is amazingly core to Denver’s character cannot be pigeonholed any more than any Coloradan can.
Categories that are threadbare at the populist chain stores here are swollen with landmark tomes. Fringe works by obscure geniuses that you can’t even find on Amazon or Abe are here in triplicate waiting for you to buy and drench yourself in them. Small-​circulation periodicals, publicational oddities, bizarre reference works, it is all here.
There is no substitute in this fading Republic for The Tattered Cover, and I am continually revived and invigorated by the mere knowledge that they not only survive, but thrive.

Quite a nice but not great bookstore, as I did find their fiction offerings to be somewhat limited. Nice café included. Some easy chairs for reading, but they filled up quickly. I was able to find a comfortable chair at a table. I only visited this one location, so perhaps the selection at other locations is better. Really nice guy staffing the «book info» desk. Their collectible books selection is at a different location. There was an interesting and fairly extensive poetry section, but almost all new books. Their travel and children’s books sections looked extensive. If you’re looking for used books, you might be disappointed, as I was. The number of used books is limited, perhaps only 10% of total volume, if that.

I recently referenced a restaurant being by tattered covered on a date and his response was «I don’t know what Tattered Cover is». That was our last date.
Sure it’s easy to order a book on amazon and have it show up two days later with prime, but it will never replaced tattered cover for me. I love this place.
It’s a great place to wander and find that book you didn’t know you were looking for.
I am sad that they have closed the second floor. Staff is knowledgable and friendly.

I think this is the best book store I’ve ever been to. What do they not have?! They have restrooms, chairs, tables, and a café — a great place to get away for a bit. There are all kinds of books, organized by types and genres. They have souvenirs, posters, cards, a printing station, and so much more. I didn’t have enough time to browse the whole place, but this is a must-​go-​to if you are in Denver. If you live in Denver, lucky you.
This is a big store, just ½ a block from Union Station, which has a mini version of the store. It’s right where the 16^th St Mall runs its free mall bus, what a convenience!