SF’s Noe Valley Bookstore, which could open as early as this summer, will take root in the same address that once housed Folio Books.
When Folio Books — the queer-owned independent bookstore located on 24th Street in San Francisco — announced it would permanently close on February 29th, SF bookworms sighed in sadness. The decades-old shop evolved into a balm for many, not only for its purchasable literature but for the community Folio Books had consciously crafted; during the darker days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bookshop offered social distancing respite and escapism to worlds between pages that were unencumbered by then-novel diseases.
Instagram comments attached to a post announcing Folio Books’ closure were brimming with nostalgia, gratitude, and yearnings to reopen… or build something new. Well, as apparent divine intervention would have it, former owner Katerina Argyes and previous staff members have just announced plans to “bring a bookstore back” to the neighborhood where they slung and shelved books for years.
“Former Folio Books owner Katerina Argyres is on a mission to bring a bookstore back to the Noe Valley community,” reads a newly launched GoFundMe campaign started to help procure initial funding for the store. The name of the new bookstore is welcomingly simple; “Noe Valley Bookstore” already has social media accounts dedicated to providing updates on the store; ex Folio Book staff have already got busy “cleaning, painting, and replacing the outdated fixtures” — “even if [the space] feels slightly haunted without the books” — at the former address of Folio Books
“Katerina has made steady progress toward this goal, along with the help of former Folio staff members Andrew McIntyre, Isaiah Scandrette, and Kit Fitzgerald. Now, we need financial support to help make this plan a reality,” continues the copy for the GoFundMe campaign.
The group is “turning to […] the incredible literary community” they’ve helped build and nurture to help boost initial funding for the new bookstore venture; all donations will go toward costs associated with seeing the bookstore to fruition, which includes costs associated with “building maintenance, fixtures, inventory, and staffing.”
As of publishing, about $5,000 has been raised toward the campaign’s lofty goal of $150,000. Those who donate $5,000 or more will be known as “Bookstore Heroes” and receive special recognition and perks.
Should everything go according to plan, the hardworking and bibliophilic staff behind Noe Valley Bookstore hope to reopen at 3957 24th Street (read: the former address of Folio Books) later this summer or early fall.
For more information on Noe Valley Bookstore, including how to donate to the ongoing costs associated with opening, visit noevalleybooks.com.
