Vroman’s Book Store in Pasadena: A Part of California History last of the Independent Bookstores and a Pasadena Institution

Vroman’s Book Store in Pasadena: A  Part ofCalifornia History last of the Independent Bookstore and a Pasadena Institution

Vroman’s Bookstore (http://www.vromansbookstore.com)     was founded in 1894 by a La Salle, Illinois transplant Adam Clark Vroman, he moved to Pasadena because of his wife’s health and the rest is history. After his wife passed away he sold his vast book collection to raise capital to start his bookstore. The independent bookstore remained family owned thru all the turbulent economic times of the 1930’s to the present. It survived merger mania, greed and economic downturns. They have expanded into having a stationary supply store and their most recent acquisition was the venerable “Book Soup” in West Hollywood. When the owner of Book Soup passed away Vroman’s bought the bookstore to save the West Hollywood institution.

Vroman’s is the go to destination place of Authors such as former President Bill Clinton, Salman Rushdie, Ann Rice and many more. It is one of the handfuls of independent Bookstores that are still in existence in the Greater Los Angeles area. As bookstores and the printed word are slowly fading into history it has become more important for me to personally to give support to this great bookstore.

Driving from Marina Del Rey it is actually a project, which I do not mind and I actually look forward to it. ( Even though I have to drive on one of the oldest and least favorite freeways of mine, the CA-110N in the greater Los Angeles area.)