Over the years, the most important facet of this charmingly creaky-floored haven has remained the same: an abiding love for all things literary. You can read it between the lines of the handwritten "shelf-talkers"—small, colorful signs detailing the staff's personal recommendations. You can hear it when you speak to the friendly booksellers themselves—according to Frommer's, the store's "extended sections in psychology, cooking, art, and history; collection of modern first editions; and rare graphic comics are superseded only by the staff's superlative service." And you can feel it in the air as you climb the winding staircase to the second floor to explore tucked-away alcoves surrounded by original gaslight fixtures.

The store's carefully curated and ever-changing inventory ranges from categories such as poetry and philosophy to sports and children's books. The enormous selection and the staff’s astonishing command of it all have earned Green Apple numerous awards, including the title of Bookstore of the Year 2014 in Publishers Weekly and was featured in 7x7's "What We're Reading Now. The owners spread the joy of reading beyond the shop’s overstuffed walls by partnering with worthy causes such as the Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program and Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. Green Apple also recently opened a smaller but equally charming store in the Inner Sunset. Customers find that at Green Apple Books on the Park, there's a great selection of mostly new books, a warm staff, and a little less dust.