Three Lives & Company

If you were to sit down and design a perfect independent bookstore from scratch, you'd probably come up with something like Three Lives & Company. Tucked into a quiet corner of the West Village, this cozy little shop comes with creaking floorboards, a knowledgeable, opinionated staff, and groaning shelves holding a well-curated selection of books ranging from current bestsellers to canonical tomes to obscure reprints. When last we were there, a woman turned to a staffer after paying for her purchase and said, "Thank you so much for still being here."