After being closed for remodeling, La Playa Books is back up and running in a more spacious, freshened space with a new floor in Point Loma Village.
The success of a small independent bookseller is all about networking, noted Amy Hesselink, manager of La Playa Books at 1026 Rosecrans St. “We have connections with Cabrillo Elementary, with Point Loma Assembly, and the Point Loma Association and with our other brick-and-mortar neighbors,” she said. “We create events. It’s an active part of the community and that’s important for us.”
Asked how they compete in a rapidly changing corporate retail environment, La Playa bookseller Marianne Reiner replied: “We cannot, and we’re not trying to. What we are is a community hub. The way we differentiate ourselves is by offering events and a community place for people to get together.”
Offering a recent example, Reiner said La Playa decided to try something trendy, an after-hours “silent” reading club. “People came in for an hour of quiet reading with their comfortable chairs and pillows and we didn’t even allow snacks because we didn’t want chewing sounds,” she said. “It was extremely popular. We had 15 people the first time we did it. We’ve been requested to do it regularly, so we’re going to do it once a month.”
Reiner, who previously operated Run for Cover Bookstore at 4912 Voltaire St. in Ocean Beach, noted she and Hesselink both can provide that personal touch you can’t get online. “Algorithms can be good sometimes,” she said. “But if you come in here and tell Amy or I what you like, we are more likely than an algorithm to point you in the direction of a book you really will enjoy.”
Hesselink noted it was time for a remodel as nothing physically had changed in La Playa since the 1990s. “We opened it (store) up (removing a long bookcase) and created our little secret book annex in the back,” she said.
Hesselink noted she’s the one who deals with antiquarian (rare) and out-of-date books, and old things. “Back there (annex) is everything that we used to have in storage,” she said. And it is something for someone who is looking for a treasure. They can come back there with me and I’ll show them some goodies.”
With the remodel, Hesselink pointed out they also wanted to put more focus and emphasis on their children’s section near the right front of the store. “We’ve had a lot of young families coming in with birthday parties, etc.,” she said adding, “They (kids) run in here, find a great picture book, and we can put it in a little bag for them, and off they go. That’s one of our specialties.”
“More and more people are asking for books with their baby showers,” added Reiner.
“We work with teachers in the community,” pointed out Hesselink.
“And we love when kids come in,” chimed in Reiner noting a third-grade teacher at Cabrillo will bring in her class for La Playa to do a story time with them.
Are La Playa’s clients mostly local? “Yes, mostly,” answered Hesselink. “But one of our best customers is from La Mesa. She just calls us up, orders a handful of books and we ship them out to her and she loves it.”
La Playa also has a website, laplayabooks.com, where people can order online and come and pick up their books in-store. “It’s so great,” noted Hesselink. “They can come, get their coffee, drop the kids at school, come here, and there is pilates on the corner.”
“We have more and more people coming from OB realizing there is a book store here,” noted Reiner.
“We’re members of Ocean Beach MainStreet Association, and we’re the nearest bookstore to OB,” said Hesselink.
LA PLAYA BOOKS
Where: 1026 Rosecrans St.
