Cannot recommend City of Asylum Bookstore enough! They have a truly incredible selection of books with a focus on social justice and highlighting authors of different races an ethnicities. I do almost all of my book shopping here, and its especially great for buying friends childrens books! They have so many options for books that dont just have white, heteronormative stories/characters. They have a great online shopping option, and will always do their best to order any book for you if they dont have it in stock. The staff is so friendly, and its just a wonderful place to shop and support!

We came here for a day trip to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day (the last Saturday of April) and absolutely loved this store. If you live in Pittsburgh or even a ways away, this store is worth the drive. They have a great selection of wonderfully diverse authors and a large selection of socially conscious literature. If youre looking to diversify your perspective, skip Barnes and Noble, support this small store.

Great selection and thoughtful pandemic amenities and policies.

Excellent ambience and cocktails. Didnt have food but the menu looks amazing.

Amazing place. A little small but it looks wonderful and has a nice selection of books. My only complaint is I wish the signs that said which category you were in were a little bigger/noticeable. The staff was amazing Jen was our csr and she was very nice and helpful. I highly recommend!

Great space, great music, great books.

I bought a book online for one of my colleges classes here and it came in a decent amount of time for a good price and it came with a little sticker!! Always support local businesses! Cant wait to go in person when I have the chance!

Great book with much different matter, from all over the world. To have a place like this that can help open your eyes to other cultures and views of the world is a true jem.

Cool joint!

So helpful, great selection, safe setup during the pandemic. I’ve found my new go-to bookseller.

The books seemed alittle over priced but the concept was great and I liked the feeling of the store. No pressure chill vibes.

A place with very good mission. Yet I had a very disappointed time here. As a life long book lover, I visited many bookstores, big and small, they give peace and happy to my heart and soul. I just love books and the atmosphere inside a bookstore. But not this one. I went in ask the female staff in the front desk, Do you have Chinese book? The answer were only two letters, No. Then I saw, just by the front desk, there displayed a book with Chinese characters on its cover. Actually, there were more than one books related to China. When I stopped at the back corner of the bookstore reading an introduction of a book about positive thinking, then came this male staff, Are you Jennifer? I am suppose to have a meeting with her. No, there is no Jennifer, you just came to check on me. This is the very first review I write for anything. But I have to write this for I could not let this experience steals the special place books and bookstore in my heart. Books and bookstore connect souls of writers and book lovers, I could not find such connection this time.

Attended a free performance of Oliver Lake with an astounding array of poets and composers of word ! The music alternated and provided a backdrop for the word artists who hail from the world over. A great part of the culture here in Pittsburgh! Need to try the food next!

The whole package!!!! ALWAYS interesting artists - poets, musicians, authors; amazing mission for freedom to express art; they have a very good library; a comfortable social venue (great use of space!)! And, my friends and I love to make reservations to eat at Brugge on North during the shows we attend.Dont sleep this jewel in Pittsburgh!

Great

Youve got to check out this bookstore. Great works in translation. Signed editions. Relevant childrens books. You are bound to find something youll love.

Excellent selection of books and pick up service. Theyve been a joy to divert some money to support their work during these important times.

Great service at the cafe and the outdoor tables are perfect on a sunny day!Its too bad that their Residential program is only open to immigrants from other countries... and not to local writers, artists, and technologists.I wouldnt waste any time or money on this place - Pittsburgh has many privately owned bookstores, supporting local writers and artists, who are our own neighbors, family, and friends.

Definitely one of the coolest organizations in Pittsburgh! Proud to be from a city with an organization like City of Asylum.The last time I was there, we did a ceremony where everyone held up the name of a writer who was jailed, exiled, or killed because of their writing in the past year. The ceremony was so powerful.Check out their bookshop. Ive gotten some great books there that really opened up my eyes to the world.

Their book selection is terrific and their mission is wonderful, but Ive found that the implication and attitude is that, since the mission is admirable, customers should put up with unknowledgeable, unhelpful, and snarky staff. Theyre mostly young volunteers who must be fulfilling some kind of university requirement, since there are always several of them milling around at the front of the store socializing, because they have nothing to do.But if you ask them questions, they respond dismissively and know nothing about the store (see the review about the Chinese literature). When you check out, they dont know how to use the cash register and since they have no stake in anything, if you have an issue, they arent at all willing to help.I live in the community and want the project to thrive, so Im hoping this negative review will at least encourage management to reconsider its approach to volunteers and spend much, much more time training them. I wont be going back anytime soon.

This is my neighborhood venue the music,Poetry, book store, Brugge on North restaurants is fantastic.. I can not wait 2 c my calendar for the month 2 make reservations.

A very neat creative space- bookstore, restaurant, performance area....

This place is a jewel. Excellent programming of music, readings and various other performances. Hundreds a year and they are all free.

This center is a gem. We have only seen a movie, but hope to return for many more events. Pittsburgh is lucky to have such a place where cultures mix and share experience honestly and openly (I hope! - thats the way it seemed to me, at least)

I visit here often. Wonderful events.

Amazing place, really great mission, fun concerts and events a a nice restaurant. Im sure the book stores pretty rad too.

This is no ordinary place. Read the description on the photo. European food (sister restaurant to Point Brugge Cafe) and good music. Bravo 👏.

Great initiative. Innumerable free events with wide variety of genres.

Beautiful selection of books with a great mission.

Inspiring mission. excellent adaptation of historic architecture to serve modern function

Diversity offerings. Great bookstore.Bruge North and mussels!!

A small neighborhood thats making a big difference--empathy and support for the voices of all, and asylum for artists who would be endangered in their own countries.

Nice venue, free music, films and litetary!/poetry readings by authors from around the world.

I love the bookstore and community center presentations! This is a wonderful addition to Pittsburgh!

Very nice atmosphere; one star off for selection

Great venue and events - all at no cost!

Awe-inspiring selection!

Nice graphites, you should definitely stop by and chech it out special if you already visiting Mattress Factory Museum since its next to it.

Cool little place. Very eclectic. Its not really for the typical Pittsburgh local. Its very artsy and pulls on that crowd. Im betting they are expecting a large supply of urbanites to make their way. They will. Its worth while checking the place out. If I go back Ill write more. The north side, or as the newcomers call it, the north shore is still pretty run down. This place is right next to the old garden theater. The garden theater with its Marque is still there, but its closed for business. It was the last bit of the old pittsburgh red light district. Pittsburgh once had one, imagine? Hell, the brothels would throw bombs through each others doors. One of them was in market square, but those are the flavor filled memories from pittsburghs past. What a snapshot of a by gone time. I sometimes wonder which had been better? The sensible me would exclaim the Eclectic out of towners, dear I say carpet baggers and the children of white, privledge Urbana. Funny, these guys dont seem to like themselves. Guilt I think. The mad man stuck in the year 2017 believes something else. GO CHECK OUT CITY OF ASYLUM AND WITNESS THE CHANGE. SHOW THEM SUPPORT.

Good work and a good room to see a show.

We watched a movie about a jazz musician.

Excellent selection of new and used books.

Intimate venue coupled with curated bookstore.

Its a good place to look at.

No other place in our city has as much diversity and support for the voices of artists around the world.

Unbelievable experience and great food

Cool to walk through

Phenomenal Programs with International Affiliation

Neato

Beautiful murals and streets have a unique spirit, you can appreciate history and an energy that immediately invites you to explore the area

Beautiful bookstore, authors from all over the world