McNally Jackson Books will Remain at its Longtime Prince Street Shop

Pitching the McNally Jackson space, Photo: Winick Realty

It was the proverbial shot heard round the world – McNally Jackson Books was planning a move from its longtime headquarters in Little Italy. Or is it?

Word on the street is now that the bookstore is to remain at 52 Prince Street. Its home of fourteen years. Several readers relayed word last week that McNally Jackson won’t be moving after all. An employee we spoke to at the store later confirmed.

This would be a complete 180 from three months ago, when a Winick leasing banner was hung from above the entrance. At the time, co-owner Sarah McNally publicly revealed that the landlord had jacked the rent (i.e. $500K annual increase) on the new lease, and the store would be moving to an unspecified new location nearby come June.

Sarah McNally first opened the bookstore at 52 Prince Street back in 2004 as part of her family’s McNally Robinson chain. The store became independent four years later, when McNally split and teamed up with her husband Christopher Jackson. It later grew to include a cafe and in-house printing press.

The company expanded to Williamsburg last January.