Strand Annex Closing

Purchasing Sloane Closley’s essay collection I Was Told There’d Be Cake at the Strand, the best bookstore in the world, the cashier absent-mindedly handed me the flyer I’ve scanned above, which reports the store’s Financial District offshoot, the Strand Annex, is closing on August 31st. According to a blurb in The Real Deal about a month ago, it’s because “construction in the area has decreased foot traffic around the store, lowering profits,” although the flyer notes it’s because the store lost its lease. Whichever reason, it’s a bummer; I hate to see any bookstore bite it, especially the kin of one of my favorites.