I am a foodie.  A die-hard foodie.  So when I first came to Wellesley in the Fall of 2009, I was incredibly glad to see that there was a cheese shop in the Ville and made a mental note of its existence.  A month into my first semester, my shampoo supply was completely depleted, thus forcing me to make a pit stop at CVS.  As I was browsing through the Burt’s Bees products, its yellow packaging with its honeycomb pattern had reminded me of cheese–oh yeah!  The Cheese Shop!  At the checkout line, I ran into my friend and convinced her to accompany me on my little excursion four stores down.  We had not even made it to CVS’s neighbor when I caught myself involuntarily scrunching my nose.  Man, what was that stink?!  If smell could be visually represented, I imagine this is what it would look like:

Goodness gracious.  Approaching the cheese shop only made the scent stronger.  My friend was clinging to my arm and pulling me back toward the other direction.  But I had to keep going–I will do anything for cheese!  (Even if it means dragging dead weight to the store).  We had approached the storefront, and now the smell was making us both contort our faces into strange expressions.  Normally when there is a strong smell, one usually gets acclimated to it.  At least, that’s what I told my friend in an effort to convince her to stay in the store with me.  But after 5 minutes, she was still gagging and said she would wait for me in The Body Shop two doors down.  Thus, I made my rounds around the store alone.  The layout and authenticity of the store reminded me of the cheese shop in my hometown Ville.  Perhaps that’s why I was inclined to stay–a touch of nostalgia coupled with a fabulous amount of cheese is enough reason for anyone to linger.  Although the store is called The Cheese Shop (known to the locals as Wasik’s), I was surprised to find a ton of other goodies.  On the right side of the store, there was a shelf housing local jams, various chutneys made in the shop, golden honey, crackers, chocolate, premium olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, coffee, tea, etc.  This side reminded me of my pantry at home–only bigger.  On the opposite side, there was a deli counter that housed charcuterie, wheels of various cheese, and an assortment of olives.  The two sides were separated by a small table that displayed gift baskets and other treats that one might take to a housewarming party.  In other words, this was the ultimate foodie heaven!

For the purposes of this review, I decided to refresh my memory and make another visit this past week.  Everything was just as I remembered it: dry foods on the right, perishables on the left, and a table to bridge the two sides together.  But one thing was lacking: the stink.  Where had that distinct smell vanished to?  I don’t know if the winter weather outside made my nose go numb or if ventilation improves in the winter time due to the makeup of the particles (yes, I am clearly not a science major), but the smell of the shop was not as prominent as I had remembered it.

The space was very easy to navigate, and that contributed to my positive experience there.  Although my sole purpose in visiting the store was to browse, the ease at which I could find specific products definitely made me want to come back again.  I am someone who enjoys seeing all the products and then determining my path through the store, rather than winding through various aisles and being surprised by the products I encounter.  Additionally, the storeowner is incredibly helpful, but not overbearing.  The owner, Mrs. Wasik was happily chatting with and assisting another customer with planning a dinner party, yet she still gave me her fair greetings when I entered the store.  And while I was browsing the shelves and taking in all the various products, Mrs. Wasik ducked behind the deli counter and gave me my space.

Bookstores have always been my favorite place to go in my spare time.  As a child, my family and I always used to go to Barnes N’ Nobles after dinner and read.  My mom found her way to the magazine stand, my dad found a chair in the travel section, and my sister and I would both run to the children’s corner and browse through all the Nancy Drew books.  As we grew older, more and more books were becoming available on the web as physical bookstores began closing their businesses.  Eventually, the nearest bookstore I could find was a 30 minute drive away!  That’s when I started getting exposed to used bookstores.  I enjoyed the fact that these smaller stores were more intimate and that the books had character.

This is why for the first review, I have decided to look at Raven Used Bookstore on both Newbury St. (Boston) and JFK St. (Cambridge).

Last weekend, my friend and I strolled along Newbury and popped in and out of random shops that caught our eye.  We had made it halfway down the street when we stumbled across Raven.  Outside the shop, there was a rolling cart housing various classics for $3 each.  Eager to score a bargain, we hurried on inside.

I walked into the store and began to make my way down the stairs when suddenly I saw someone sitting right below me.  Oh, it was the store employee.  What an awkward place for a store manager to be—usually they are in plain sight as you walk into the store, but this one was hiding in a corner.  No matter.  I make it down and am impressed with how many books there are in this deceptively tiny-looking store!  Any genre you could possibly be interested in is represented here: fiction, American history, European history, travel, cookbooks, classics, contemporary works, references, study prep, art and design…. You name it!

One of the main things I noticed upon entering the store was how clean this place was.  Well, I would have expected nothing less for a store on Newbury, but I guess my previous experiences with used bookstores had me lower my expectations a little bit.  There were no traces of trash from previous browsers, the hardwood floors were glossy, and there were plants on the bookshelves to make you feel that even the air inside was clean!

The structured rows of bookshelves with their appropriate sections also made the store very easy to navigate.  I was able to weave in and out of various sections without feeling that I missed anything.

The cleanliness of the store does not stop here—it also extends to the books themselves.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the quality of these books were all incredibly high.  My previous experience at a used bookstore consisted of tattered covers, yellow pages, and spines so creased you couldn’t even read the title.  Yet, the books here were all in pristine condition—some of them looked like they haven’t even been opened!

The last section I found (and the section I spent the most time in) was the huge wall of architecture and photography books.  These books usually retail for $60+, so I was determined to hunt and find something for my collection.  Man, I wanted to buy everything on this shelf.  I was finally able to narrow down my choice to Global Danish Architecture for $16.  What a steal!  My friend also picked up a brand new copy of The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan for $5.  That’s significantly better than the listed price of $10.17!

Overall, I was very impressed with this store and enjoyed the fact that the employees of this store remained to themselves.  I personally like to browse and discover the products for myself without being pressured to purchase anything.  However, if you’re looking for recommendations, don’t be afraid to ask!  If you ask for help, the employees here are ready and willing to help you find the perfect read.

Since I had such a positive experience, I was incredibly excited when the employee from the Newbury store told me that there was a second store in Cambridge.  With the same friend, we decided to venture out to Cambridge together.

Like the shop on Newbury, we were surprised to find that this Cambridge Raven was right next to the boba shop that we had been frequenting since Day 1 of First Year.  Oh wait, now I remember why I never wanted to go in—the store front is not very appealing.  Every time we went to Harvard Square, it was always at night, so this shop looked super dark and dingy.  Nevertheless, my experience at the Newbury Raven prompted me to get past the gritty storefront and venture inside.

Wow.  How could two stores of the same name be so different?  Compared to its pristine, hardwood-floored sister, the Cambridge Raven Bookstore was—not going to lie—pretty gritty.  At first glance, it reminded me of the grungy European lounges where all the hipsters hung out.  The metal pipes scattered throughout the walkway, the coarse flooring, and the visible screws in the bookshelf also add to this character.

We made our way around.  I browsed through the books and found some interesting titles that I definitely wanted to read.  The quality of the books were very good—very similar to the books in the Newbury store.  I completed my route and was quite shocked to find that there was no architecture shelf.  Thinking I might have missed a section (this store is a bit more difficult to navigate since there are more crevices), I made a second round and voila!  Found it.  Behind the black pole.  How am I supposed to reach that.  I don’t know.  I wasn’t able to capture the best picture, but here’s an illustration of what the shelf looked like:

After spending 10 minutes trying to maneuver the books so that I could reach the title I wanted to browse, I decided to give up.  I don’t  even know how they got the books on that shelf in the first place because they were packed so tightly!  I decided it wasn’t worth my time (and also didn’t want to risk breaking the entire shelf—it was rickety), so my friend and I decided to leave.

It’s interesting to see how the store layout and design can definitely change the atmosphere.  The shop on Newbury was very structured, with all the bookshelves lined up to make a neat grid.  Also, there was a lot of ceiling space, so the whole atmosphere felt very light and airy.  In contrast, the shop in Harvard seemed cluttered, as the bookshelves were placed around the black pipes and the awkward shape of the store.  Additionally, the fact that the bookshelves went all the way up to the ceiling gave the space a more intimate feel.  However, as the original store, the Harvard shop definitely has more character.

Readers, what do you think?  Would you prefer the Raven on Newbury or the Raven in Cambridge?  Leave your thoughts below!