#2. Agricola Street Books
It was a beautiful day so I rode my bike to the second stop on my Bookshop Bucket List, Agricola Street Books, which is arguably Halifax’s most beautiful bookstore in the city’s north end. It’s also near Bar Kismet and Luke’s Small Goods (best deli sandwiches), a couple of my favourite North End restaurants if you’re in the area.
📍LOCATION: 2684 Agricola St, Halifax, NS B3L 2Z2
🏨 HISTORY:
The owners, Nick & Oona, are a couple from Ontario (both former teachers), who have called Nova Scotia home for the past six years and opened Agricola Street Books in 2022 during the pandemic (!)
FUN FACT: Agricola is a latin word that means farmer — Oona was a latin teacher so she wanted to incorporate latin along with her love of reading into the bookshop’s name, which is why the logo is of a farmer on a tractor 🚜
🪑 DECOR:
It’s a beautiful bookshop, clean and bright, with a homey, airy feel. I was immediately struck by the sky-high ceilings and the modern nine-tier stained glass chandelier spanning two stories when I first walked in
The cedar, pine, and walnut light wood accents throughout reminded me of a Scandinavian chalet
The space is uncluttered, and the shelves are impeccably organized, which made browsing their over 10,000 books a breeze. I had to remind myself that it was a second hand bookshop as every book was in pristine, just-like-new condition
📝 LOU’S NOTES:
They have a sliding ladder across the bookshelves (a dream of mine is to have one in my future home library) ~ reminded me of Belle in Beauty and the Beast & Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face
Dog-friendly! (They love it when you bring your pup) and family-friend bookshop with books for adults, youth, and kids across all genres, from fiction to YA to poetry to mystery to classics to history to nonfiction. They sell books by local authors as well as a variety of nature and hiking guides for Halifax and the province
They have a great Readers Reward Program ~ you receive points when you make a purchase, celebrate your birthday, or when you refer a friend to the store ~ as a member you will receive 5 points for every dollar you spend online or in the store, once you reach 500 points you get $5 coupon
Since launching during the pandemic, they also have an online platform where you can purchase books and browse their offerings from the comfort of home
Agricola accepts book donations and they buy books for store credit (but they ask that you email them beforehand and only bring in a stack of up to 15 books at a time)
The “Kid’s Room” (at the back of the first floor) was adorable, with stunning natural light, and the perfect place to bring your literary littles, with books at their eye level, bean bag chairs, and wooden toys
You can rent out the bookshop as a backdrop for any special event, bridal party, photoshoot, or book club meeting!
It’s easy to see why Agricola Street Books has become a neighbourhood staple with locals loving being within walking distance to such a stunning space to find affordably priced, good quality books
🕰 HOURS:
Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Monday Closed
Tuesday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Wednesday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
📲 SOCIAL LINKS:
