Shopping in University City

Within a historic Victorian-era house built in 1863, a friendly staff, an amiable cat, and a documented ghost oversee The Book House's selection of more than 350,000 books. Culled from hundreds of collections, auctions, suppliers, and rogue librarians in the past 25 years, the books range from new to rare to out of print. They nestle into every nook and cranny of the store’s nine rooms and three floors, which are connected by winding staircases. Thrifters and fans of alliteration can venture down to the Bargain Basement to discover discounted reads, and other bookworms search the first and second floors for tomes about any subject from history and philosophy to science fiction and children's books.

A portion of each purchase goes to support the Second Chapter Life Center, which helps young adults with developmental disabilities. The Book House also accepts used-book donations any time during regular business hours.

The archery range residing in the basement of N&M Sporting Goods provides budding bowmen with a safe and fun environment in which to nock their arrows. The range stretches to 20 yards and features drawings of deer, hogs, and piles of unwashed dishes lurking amongst branches and foliage, lending the space an outdoorsy feel. The targets can be moved as requested, and novice archers can move in a step to the 19-, 18-, or 10-yard lines.

Inside Moris Fashion's airy boutique space, neatly pressed garments enjoy plenty of elbowroom on the racks. Shopkeepers prioritize quality over quantity, and as a result the shop holds a carefully curated inventory of items that earned it the title of Best Men's Clothing from CityVoters in 2010. Well-tailored polos, tees, jeans, and blazers for gentlemen bear the labels of top designers such as Ted Baker, Theory, John Varvatos, and Hugo Boss, all with classic styles that are equally appropriate for job interviews, dates, and renaissance fairs.