West Hartford's Park Road District To Gain New Bookstore

Courtesy of River Bend

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A Glastonbury-based independent bookseller announced Wednesday it is opening a store in West Hartford later this fall.

According to an announcement late Wednesday morning, River Bend Bookshop is expanding with a second location to open in West Hartford this November.

River Bend established its first shop in Glastonbury’s Town Center in 2018 and was recently named “Best Independent Bookstore” by Connecticut Magazine.

To be located at 161 Park Road, in the Park Road Business District, the new 1,200-square-foot space will feature fiction and non-fiction books for all ages, as well as a wide variety of gifts, stationery, puzzles and games.

River Bend also plans to host author events, story times and other literary and community functions in the new shop.

River Bend is known for its carefully curated selection, expert bookseller recommendations and inclusive environment.

“We really pride ourselves on the relationships we build with customers,” said Audrey Beatty, manager. “Our west-of-the-river friends have expressed to us, loud and clear, that they’d love for us to be closer. This is a fantastic opportunity to broaden our community and meet readers where they’re at.”

In its few years of serving the greater Hartford area, River Bend’s reach — even throughout the pandemic — has spread across Connecticut.

With their River Bend Book Truck, they drive books to festivals and events in towns across the region.

They have partnered with schools, libraries and other organizations including West Hartford Public Schools and Hartford’s West End communities.

River Bend has also hosted virtual events with authors around the world for schools and the public.

Owner Meghan Hayden said of the new location, “We began a wonderful partnership with Playhouse on Park in 2019, bringing themed book displays into the lobby for some of the shows. While spending time at Playhouse we fell in love with the Park Road neighborhood. It is a vibrant area filled with incredible restaurants and small businesses. We are so proud to join this community.

“Bookshops are wonderful places where the act of pulling a book off the shelf can spark a conversation that leads to authentic and meaningful connections. We look forward to continuing the conversation with our new neighbors in the shop.”

River Bend Bookshop is an independent bookstore located at 2217 Main St. in Glastonbury.

For more information, visit riverbendbookshop.com.