Wahrenbrock’s Book House

Bad news for book lovers. Chuck Valverde the owner of Wahrenbrock’s passed away sometime ago and the store has been closed and the inventory sold off. Alot of us will miss Chuck, his wonderful shop and his staff.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
I was shocked and gutted to see the empty storefront where Wahrenbrock’s once stood. I had been looking forward to coming here for months, and stared in disbelief when I saw the shell of one of my favorite used book stores in the country laying fallow. Rest in peace, Wahrenbrock’s, I hope that your stock lives on in other great book stores around the nation.

Wahrenbrock’s was by far the best bookstore I have ever been to. My cold cold heart broke when I heard the news. I went to one of their final sales and the windows were boarded up with plywood and the shelves were empty and getting emptier; even the Modern Library section which was always one of my first stops upstairs had been ransacked by book dealers. I think its pretty much bullshit that book dealers were invited first.

LAST CHANCE
I hold in my grubby mits a flyer saying that wahrenbrock’s will be open 3 last times before disappearing forever.
10am — 4pm
Saturday 11−21−09 (today)
Friday 11−27−09
Saturday 11−28−09
It’s a a sad-​happy day for me. This will have been one of the greatest bookstores I have ever been in, but am happy to be able to go in one last time as it finishes it’s 74 year run.
The American book-​house is an endangered species, and Wahrenbrock’s is one of the best.
So this is our last chance to see book-​nervana one last time.
—edit—
I just got back from Wharenbrock’s and found out that they are planning to open every friday and saturday untill Christmass. There’s still plenty of good pickings on the shelves. even after my raid today. I came away with a shopping bag chock full of Sci-​fi goodness for about 50 $

Sad news.
I just started checking out used bookstores recently and reading the reviews of this place had me all giddy in anticipation of scouring their selection. Before school was back in session, I decided it would be cool if I could just wander around Downtown in the morning, eat breakfast at some local eatery, walk around some more, browse Wahrenbrock’s selection for an hour or two, then kick back at Pierre’s before heading back home.
My plans all came apart when I walked by Wahrenbrock’s at 7am and saw that it was all boarded up. I was pretty devastated and the rest of my day just wasn’t as cool as I thought it would be.
I’m giving this place 5 stars to preserve the rating that drew me to it in the first place. I really, really hope it reopens, man.
PS.
There was only one bright spot of my little adventure: the BLT that I got at BB’s Deli was absolutely delicious, Highly, highly recommended.

That there can be such a place as Wahrenbrocks in San Diego keeps me hopeful. The place is teeming with authenticity.
Never mind the huge selection of books, I love that while going through sections I have to look at all the stacks of books scattered across the floors in order to be sure I don’t miss anything.
I love that there is a door upstairs that seems to invite you inside, pulling you inside. That it was locked drove me crazy because I was sure that Narnia was waiting for me on the other side.
I love that the guy gave me a book for free because some kid had written on the cover page.
The next time it rains I’m going to get some coffee, go to this store, get some books and get lost in the corner all day.

Ah, a near-​perfect large-​scale used bookstore (this is the category just below mega-​sized cathedrals of used books such as Powell’s of Portland and The Strand).
Right smack in the middle of downtown – two blocks from my hotel! I saved this visit for late in my trip to limit my book-​buying. Luggage space is precious, and after my research, I knew that I could really go nuts in a place like this.
For a store of this size, Wahrenbrock’s occupies the perfect location on the cluttered/​organized continuum. They have three floors for your browsing pleasure, and believe me, it is nothing but a pleasure. Neither shiny and slick nor filthy and cramped. Juuuust right.
The have a very healthy fiction section, but it doesn’t dominate the store (or even the second floor where it’s located) like in some shops. They have TONS of history books, of all subgenres imaginable. I noticed a very robust religion selection, comprising several shelves in two different parts of the first floor. On the third floor, it gets really detailed – for example, two whole shelves of «Western Womanania.»
This is the kind of store to which I would return again and again to spend an hour or two – if I lived anywhere in town. As it was, I had to limit myself to only a few books. The gems that I found included:
Nathaniel Philbrick’s Sea of Glory, in good shape for $ 5.75. This was in the «Sea Exploration» section, which is separate from but adjacent to the «Nautical» section on the first floor.
The Grove Press edition of Tropic of Capricorn, in mint condition for only $ 6. Finally – I have been looking for this specific version all over the place, and they are usually way overpriced. Now I need Tropic of Cancer from somewhere.
A dusty old John Fowles paperback for $ 2.50.
Harry Potter 1 paperback in very good shape for $ 4. I am trying to form up a collection of all seven for when my nephew is old enough. (But yeah, I’ve read them – so what?)
Prices are better than expected, staff satisfactorily personable, selection excellent, intangibles very good. The best of five San Diego bookstores that I saw, it MUST be the best in the city.

After traveling all over Europe for the first decade of my life being dragged into every used bookstore we came across (thanks, Dad!), probably from Paris to Athens, I guess I got it into my blood. When I first moved to San Diego, this and the other used bookstore that USED TO BE on 7^th Ave, near was it Woolworth’s and the old shoe shine stall became my favorite weekend haunts. That was around 1974 or so.
Well, the bookstore on 7^th is long gone, as is Woolworth’s or whatever that was, and the shoeshine stall I think disappeared about the same time. However, Wahrenbrock’s is still there. Unfortunately, in my estimation, prices have quadrupled, but what better place to spend an afternoon if you have nothing else to do.
Over the years, I am not as interested in buying or listening to music, don’t watch as much TV, can’t stand loud bars and nighclubs or dancing all night, and can’t/don’t feel like doing a lot of things as frequently or as much as I used to, but reading and shopping for books remain high on my list.
For years, I also did Crown Books regularly… worked a few doors down from the one at LJV2 for awhile, spent a few hours every week paying full retail at various bookstores in the 90s, then rediscovered how to save BIG $$ shopping used or at Costco.
These days, I find most of what I want to read at Costco. But when I need something that can’t be found there or online, I still, after 35 years always cruise down to Wahrenbrock’s. In my estimation, that part of town has gone downhill more than others, and you have to be more careful where you park and how you navigate there, but once you get inside, despite the renovations it seems to have gone through, it is till the familiar crack in the wall that takes you to another dimension. Prices being what thye have become, I walk out more times than not empty-​handed, but still find irresistible nuggets that I would be hard-​pressed to find anywhere else.
If you love books, this is a most worthy destination.

If he got any hotter, the clothes would incinerate right off his body. My heart was beating so fast, that I finally understood what Mel Brooks meant by ludicrous speed. As the sweat trickled… If you want to find out more then you will have to go to Wahrenbrocks. If Los Angeles is the city with a million tales then Wahrenbrocks is the bookstore with a million more.
Wahrenbrock’s exterior is deceptive, it looks like a mild meek bookstore when in reality it is Aladdin’s cavern with a myriad of treasures. Some reviewers have felt other bookstores in other cities are more impressive. Piffle! Wahrenbrocks has a San Diego sensibility — it doesn’t take itself too seriously and has bounced back from adversity. It has had a fire, a move and a visit from Michael Jackson. Michael’s visit was prior to his desire to emulate the Sphinx and lose his nose. They carry hard backs, paperbacks, but no audio books. Wahrenbrocks is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:30 to 5:30. Monday and Sunday it is dark.
Visit the first floor Artist area, which has coffee table books from various artists and countries. The colorful plates will have you sighing with pleasure and wondering why your parents income is insufficent to purchase an original Fra Angelico. Traverse the stairwell where every tread has a stack of books. Wahrenbrocks has a unique collection of artwork, which it has dispersed throughout the store. Art posters, photos, wanted posters and original artwork grace the walls. These works tease and tantilize! Who is that man in the photo/​wanted poster? And why does he resemble one of your exs?
The second floor offers a large selection of paperbacks, both Sci-​Fi and Mystery. They have an impressive group of books on the topic of war. Whether it be the Punic, Peloponnesian or Civil Wars, they are bound to have a copy. Mysteries, however offer the best form of recreation for the mind. After a tough day of customers (tricky blighters), fatally flawed co-​workers and despotic supervisors, a touch of homicide is quite welcome. The third floor has more mystery novels but in a hard back format. Be sure to pick up a copy of «A Streetcar Named Expire» or «Silence of the Hams».
People frightened of battling for parking, can tuck their vehicles away in the Horton Plaza Parking Lot. Be sure to get validated for the free three hours from the validation kiosk. It is within walking distance, but try not to purchase the entire store or you will resemble a camel loping across the dessert. Prospective jurors can spend their lunch break purchasing books with frightening titles like, «I Miss My Man but My Aim is Getting Better». This title might cause an attorney to think that you are possibly more of a walk on the wild side, then they want for their jury panel.
Follow the advice of Shakespeare and «get thee to Wahrenbrocks». At least that is what he should have said! I will always love Wahrenbrocks, since it was the first bookstore my late father introduced me to. I hope that more fathers will introduce their children to Wahrenbrocks and that this store will remain a touchstone for the community.

I almost don’t want to share about this place. I want to keep it a secret, just for me. A jewel tucked away downtown waiting for me to wile away hours. Multiple stories of books, stacked two or sometimes three deep on shelves. A book lovers bookstore.

The best bookstore in the city, without question. In fact, it’s a darn good bookstore by any standards — maybe not up there with Moe’s or Powell’s, but still pretty respectable.
I’d heard that a guy at work used to be a novelist — not only did they have his last book, they had the first edition, for $ 6.00. Plus Truman Michelson’s Fox grammar. And a Dutch-​Spanish bilingual dictionary. And Moore’s reader’s guide to the Recognitions. And they have a whole section for «Plagues and scourges». And, and, and.
I always say… San Diego has anything you could want in a big city. You just need to know where to look for it. This is definitely one of the places to look for, well, «it».

amazing fun old bookstore with character, charm and interesting fellow browsers — hard not to leave with an armfull of books and why should you? support your local bookstore.

amazing. i could spend all day in here. excellent selection of books.

Quite a huge store in downtown San Diego, and they have not only lots of books, but lots of old books. While this is not the cheapest way to get reading matériel, it can be a goldmine if you’re into that sort of thing. A great place to waste 15 minutes, or 3 hours.

This is my new favorite book store. I can’t believe I have been depending on 5^th avenue books all this time when Wahrenbrock’s has been sitting there on Broadway waiting for me to discover it.
I wish I had had more time to browse. This place has an incredible book selection and three floors of literature to explore. I only had a little over an hour and didn’t get to comb through the books nearly as throughly as I would have like.
The prices are fairly awesome. I left with nine books for only $ 19.27 and now I have a good selection of reading for the next few weeks. That $ 20 didn’t include the $ 30 ticket I got for not feeding the meter enough change (whoops). Won’t make that mistake twice.

Wahrenbrock’s is much more than just an amazing bookstore, it’s a landmark, a memory of what downtown once was before it turned into an obnoxious mini-​Vegas.
The bad news about Wahrenbrock’s— it’s pretty disorganized. The first floor isn’t too bad, but the second floor is pretty hectic, and the third floor looks more like your senile pack rat grandma’s attic than a legitimate business. Proceed with caution, time, and patience.
Nevertheless, Wahrenbrock’s deserves an enthusiastic 5 stars. Book nerds could easily spend an entire day looking through the racks. I have found the useful, the irreverent, the funny and the thought-​provoking. I once found a 1960’s booklet on the dangers of smoking marijuana with a note written on the inside cover: «Please read this, we love you. Mom and Dad.» I bought «A Sand County Almanac,» a book on card games, a guide to herbal medicine, and many others. Book collectors may find some steals here. Prices are the standard half-​off cover price.
If you need a specific book in a hurry, go to Borders. If you need something with a little more soul, go to Wahrenbrock’s.
**Yoink! Another Unilocal first under my belt. Carve another notch on the bedpost. Hehe.**