Dear The North Star Conductor:

Thank you for being a part of my dream.

When I first moved to Bed-Stuy 15 years ago, I was struck by how as a lover of books, my new neighborhood did not at the time have a single bookstore. As someone who has been transformed by literature, I thought it tragic in a community of such rich culture and history, we had to travel elsewhere to share space with our most acclaimed authors and thinkers.

So, inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, I started holding literary salons in my home, a way to bring writers and artists and creators into community. These lively cultural gatherings kept growing, spilling from my living room to my backyard as more and more people sought to become a part of them.

But there was one problem: To attend, you either had to know me, or know someone who knew me. And that's when I began to contemplate building a public space that combined my love of books, beauty, spirits and culture, a space that would draw our greatest literary and artistic talents into our community.

More than 10 years later, The North Star Books + Bar is ready to be born. The North Star is based on a simple belief: that books, ideas, conversation, and community are not luxuries — they are essential. Especially now, in this moment.

In supporting us as we prepare to launch, you have become a The North Star Conductor, helping us to create an elegant place of mutual liberation in dark times.

I cannot adequately express my gratitude for your faith and support as together we create the space that we all need. As a founding member, you’ll receive early updates as we build toward opening, invitations to select events and gatherings, curated reading lists, and a few special surprises along the way.

Thank you for joining me to, as my favorite poet Langston Hughes wrote, dream a world.

READ. DRINK. PLOT.

~Nikole

The North Star Conductors Founding Community

Join us at the beginning