Tiffany Dockery knows that finding a pocket of NYC to call your own can be challenging, so she decided to step in to foster community in a unique way.
Owner of Gladys Books & Wine, the former tech guru pivoted from a decade steeped in software and data to create a gathering space for those in her Brooklyn backyard.
“I wanted to do something hyper-local and could give back to the neighborhood that I live in, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn,” she tells Secret NYC. “For me, the genesis of this, it felt like God was saying to use your gifts for work that you find truly meaningful.”
Only three months in, and the newly-opened space is already fulfilling its mission.
All about Gladys Books & Wine
The multi-level store serves two purposes: to provide great reads, like all bookstores in NYC, and to encourage a sense of belonging.
“Active community requires presence and actually requires [you] to be together,” Tiffany says.
Whether you’re meeting friends to pick your next read, or looking to grab a drink — tea or wine, depending on the time of your visit!— this is the place. But Tiffany takes things a step further by offering author programming, dating activities, and even political chats and watch parties.
Like her grandmother, whom the store is named after, Tiffany has an open door policy and brings that same inviting energy into her shop. She also works to spotlight those who’ve made an impact on her.
“The words of Black women have been a guiding light for me in my darkest moments,” she admits. “And I wanted to create a space to reflect the esteem I have for the work of Black women and Black writers, and particularly lift up the literary tradition of Black lesbian work.”
But at the heart of it all — books, a glass of vino, or a fun mid-week event — love is the reason behind it all.
“In terms of how we think of our community, we are steeped in the tradition of Black, lesbian, feminism, but we say, “You don’t have to be Black, or a lesbian, or a feminist, but you have to love us.’ And ultimately I think the ethic of love is what we try to center and how we curate the space and our programming.”
Stop by this new indie bookshop and make your way to other specialized bookstores in the city that have just launched: The Twisted Spine, Love & Legends, and The Little Bookshop, to name a few.
📍306 Malcom X Blvd, Brooklyn
⏰ Monday-Thursday 10am-10pm. Friday-Saturday: 10am-12am, Sunday: 10am-7pm