New York, NY —
Even before the economic downturn, many of the city’s independent bookstores have been going under due to the combination of online shopping and rising real estate prices. But East Harlem is defying the odds, becoming a hotbed for book lovers. In the past year and a half, one Latino-centric bookstore opened, and the neighborhood’s cultural institutions, cafés and bars are hosting weekly literary events. Carolina Gonzalez has the story.