Upstate New York Welcomes Red Fox Books

Glens Falls, a scenic town in upstate New York, just south of the giant Adirondack Park, has its first independent bookstore in an estimated 40 years. Red Fox Books, named after husband-and-wife owners Naftali Rottenstreich and Susan Fox, opened its doors on October 19. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for December 7.

Naftali Rottenstreich and Susan Fox

The couple, who had been living in New York City, was attracted to the lifestyle offered by the upstate area, and soon discovered the absence of a general independent bookstore. To prepare for the launch of their new business, Rottenstreich (whose surname means means red stripe or strand) and Fox researched the local demographics, interviewed many other booksellers, and attended education courses at the 2006 BookExpo America and the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association trade shows.

They learned that the downtown Glens Falls location was targeted for redevelopment, which opened opportunities for loans. Through contact with the city's economic development office, local banks, and the Small Business Administration, they secured financing.

Rottenstreich and Fox completely renovated the 1,600-square-foot space, which occupies the first floor of a corner building, next door to a caf. Fox told BTW, "We've had the typical problems [in opening a new store], delays in construction mainly. Setting up the computer system went surprisingly well, better than I expected. We've already gotten lots of special orders," she continued. "The community has been extremely supportive."

Red Fox launched its BookSense.com website last week, and Fox said that they're pleased with how it works and, "people are impressed that we're part of a larger organization; we also have Book Sense Picks fliers in the store."

A reading by Russell Banks will be a highlight of the grand opening celebration on December 7, and Santa will arrive two days later. The store will host frequent readings, particularly by local authors, and a number of groups, including a "great books" group and a knitters group, are meeting at the store. Red Fox is also underwriting North Country NPR programming.

"We are actively developing our inventory," Fox said. And Rottenstreich's vocation, an English professor, currently teaching part-time at Adirondack Community College, has proven useful in selecting the store's 10,000 titles. --Nomi Schwartz