A popular Cincinnati bookstore is expanding to College Hill. Household Books announced it plans to open its second store in the neighborhood’s business district this fall.
Household Books opened its first location on Gilbert Avenue in Walnut Hills in 2021. The College Hill store will be its first expansion, coming less than a year after CityBeat’s readers voted it the best new store and one of the best independent bookstores in our 2024 Best of Cincinnati Readers Poll.
“We are excited that our business district will soon be complemented by all that Household Books has to offer,” Emmanuel Karikari, CEO of College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CURC), said in a press release. “The way in which Household Books seeks to welcome in the community through books, music and events gives us confidence that it will be a fantastic asset to our neighborhood for years to come.”
Household Books College Hill will be located in a 1,300-square-foot storefront on the corner of Hamilton and Cedar avenues, in what was formerly VIP Wireless & Smoke Shop. Apart from offering books, Household Books is also a literary venue, hosting book clubs, poetry readings, open mic nights and other cultural gatherings. It also sells a curated collection of records and clothes.
"Household Books is an idea that is meant to evolve — to show that the simple luxury of finding your next great read can also support the larger need for shared community space," Bobby Minelli, owner of Household Books, said in the release. "I’m incredibly excited to grow alongside the College Hill community. When you create something beautiful with intention and invite others to experience it, they’ll be inspired to create beauty themselves. College Hill and CURC seem like the perfect partners for Household’s next chapter, given our shared passion and vision for intentional growth."
Household Books says it expects to start construction in the coming weeks, with a soft opening planned for October.
Household Books, 2533 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills & 5854 Hamilton Ave., College Hill (Coming October 2024). More info: householdbooks.org.
