The historic Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago has a number of excellent bookstores, but 57th Street Books is one of the best. It is located near several restaurants and other bookstores on 57th street, making it a great place to spend to a weekend afternoon. The bookstore carries a wide selection of literature and popular non-fiction, including a large children’s section. Though 57th Street’s sister-store, the Seminary Co-op, carries most of their joint inventory’s academic titles, the selection at 57th is still geared for their intellectual clientele from the nearby University of Chicago. The classic literature section is large and inclusive, but doesn’t cramp their selection of more popular genre fiction. Their sci-fi/fantasy and mystery selections include all the popular authors, as well as a few that are less well known, so it’s a great place to find new authors to enjoy. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful, and there are notes pointing out their favorite books throughout the store, which is also helpful if you are browsing for something new to read. All in all, it’s a wonderful bookstore for a true bibliophile to spend lots of time browsing. The only downside to the store is that they are located in the basement of their building, so you have to walk a narrow staircase in order to enter the store, which means handicap access is limited. Don’t limit yourself to what’s in the phonebook, find local business listings online with globalYP.net.

Frazetta’s Fantasy Store located in East Stroudsburg, PA is nothing short of a trip into another world. Owned by the son of famous fantasy artist, Frank Frazetta, it appeals to people of all ages. While walking past the storefront, the first thing you notice is the glass display case that is always decorated for each holiday with different costumes and novelties. This is just a taste of what you will find on the inside. Upon entering the building, you walk up a flight of stairs which is decorated with a variety of different paintings and sculptures ranging from supernatural, to absolutely horrifying! The store’s main attraction is the large selection of high quality costumes and wigs. You will almost surely pay a few extra dollars for their merchandise if comparing to Wal-Mart or Party City, but the quality of the items cannot be beat by the cheaply made alternatives offered by competitors. The store also offers a unique selection of gags and gifts, as well as an outstanding selection of high quality Halloween masks. The collection of costumes is perfect for all ages, from a child’s first Halloween to beyond. The employees are very knowledgeable about their products. They were all very helpful and seemed to love the atmosphere of the store just as much as the customers. The decor of the store is also something to be noticed. Upon every wall, you can’t help but notice the classic horror move relics and the creepy statues of ghostly characters lurking around every corner. One item that you definitely won’t forget is the life sized mannequin sitting in a fake electric chair that sporadically begins to shake violently every once in a while. It can and will catch you off guard! All in all, this costume shop is definitely one to be remembered. The atmosphere along with the nature of the merchandise will make you feel like you have stepped into another dimension for the duration of your shopping experience. If you’re interested in the miraculous and the metaphysical, a trip to Frazetta’s Fantasy Store should definitely be on your to do list. If you’re interested in finding yellow pages online, globalYP.net should be on your to do list too.

Back before I lived in Boston, Pandemonium Books & Games was always on my list of things to do while visiting. It’s an independent bookstore devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy, with everything from children’s books to role playing games, and all the good stuff in between. And best of all: they sell both new and used books. I can’t even count the number of hard-to-find out of print sci-fi books I’ve been able to get there. These days, they also sell a bunch of fun add-ons too, things like t-shirts, stuffed animals, dice, and decorations. Even my four-year-old niece likes to come in with me (she goes for all the shiny fairy postcards). The staff all really know their stuff: tell them that you like Robert Heinlein and you’d really love to read something similar, and they’ll recommend Lois McMaster Bujold. And if they don’t happen to have whatever you’re looking for on hand, they’ll be happy to special order it for you. If you’re into RPGs, not only do they have an impressive collection of books and materials, there’s also an entire room downstairs where they have tournaments, from Magic to Dungeons and Dragons to Monsterpocalypse Miniatures. They also frequently have book signings with some of the best current sci-fi authors; even Terry Pratchett has come through before. As a sci-fi fan for life, I hope Pandemonium always lives long and prospers. Don’t spend a long time looking for something in a phone book, visit globalYP.net, yellow pages that are online, instead.

Back before I lived in Boston, Pandemonium Books & Games was always on my list of things to do while visiting. It’s an independent bookstore devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy, with everything from children’s books to role playing games, and all the good stuff in between. And best of all: they sell both new and used books. I can’t even count the number of hard-to-find out of print sci-fi books I’ve been able to get there. These days, they also sell a bunch of fun add-ons too, things like t-shirts, stuffed animals, dice, and decorations. Even my four-year-old niece likes to come in with me (she goes for all the shiny fairy postcards). The staff all really know their stuff: tell them that you like Robert Heinlein and you’d really love to read something similar, and they’ll recommend Lois McMaster Bujold. And if they don’t happen to have whatever you’re looking for on hand, they’ll be happy to special order it for you. If you’re into RPGs, not only do they have an impressive collection of books and materials, there’s also an entire room downstairs where they have tournaments, from Magic to Dungeons and Dragons to Monsterpocalypse Miniatures. They also frequently have book signings with some of the best current sci-fi authors; even Terry Pratchett has come through before. As a sci-fi fan for life, I hope Pandemonium always lives long and prospers. Don’t spend a long time looking for something in a phone book, visit globalYP.net, yellow pages that are online, instead.