Taylor Books, on Capitol Street downtown, has been the cultural living room of Charleston since Ann Saville opened it in 1995. The shop occupies a long narrow corridor between two early-twentieth-century brick buildings: front room of books, middle room of cards and gifts, back room of cafe seating and a small attached art gallery.
The cafe serves good coffee, soups, sandwiches, and pastries, and stays open late on weekends with occasional live music. The bookstore is solidly stocked across literary fiction, regional history, poetry, and children's books. A reliable rendezvous for anyone passing through the city.