If I'd been asked this question last year, I would have voted for a tie between the Paris in Worcester Mass, and the Art Cinema in Troy, NY. Although not primarily bookstores, I think we've come to use that term rather loosely. Both were old HUGE turn of the century style downtown theaters with all kinds of nooks, crannies, balconies, and other places to hide out. Lots of people, lots of action. filthy. But no cement block, side of the highway porn place could ever have the atmosphere that these places have. Soon, there will be none left like this anywhere.
Unfortunately, both places were raided and shut down permanently within the past year(The Paris in November and The Cinema Art just last month) under VERY sleazy, crooked (and very similar) political circumstances. People were arrested and led out in big media feeding frenzies.
The postings I'd sent in about it were, no surprise, never published on this site
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