Third Place Books/Commons050

Third Place Books, a cavernous independent bookstore located a block west of Lake Washington and about 15 miles north of downtown in the leafy town of Lake Forest Park, was obviously once a department store. Walk in the front doors and you can see all the way to the back of the building; the bookstore is part of a large open complex that includes restaurants (another incarnation of the fabulous Honey Bear Bakery and several ethnic food joints), seating areas, and a stage where local musicians play regularly.

The Third Place Commons, as the whole shebang is called, aims to be a comfortable place where the community can read, eat, listen to music, and just hang out. It's a comfortable place to bring kids; no patron or employee failed to smile at our children the day we visited, and the vibe in the place is tolerant of the excitement that kids sometimes bring with them. This is a great place to spend one of our long rainy days.

The store stocks over 200,000 new and used books, and has a nice little children's area that absolutely lacks any corporate slickness. Instead, the kids' section feels like a well-used schoolroom, with its old wooden front desk and kid-sized chairs.

An engaging, well-attended storytime happens on Fridays at 10am. Make sure to stop by the Honey Bear Cafe on your way out for fortification for the drive home, or check out the giant chess game by the escalators.