The Tenderloin has a bookstore again. Niebla, a bilingual bookstore and cafe at 374 Golden Gate Ave., near Larkin Street, opened about two months ago. Mission Local reports it is the neighborhood's only bookstore.
Who runs it
The owners are Marífer Ramírez and David García, a couple from Mexico who bonded over books. Ramírez has a background in translation and literature and worked at a university publishing house, the Tenderloin Voice reported. García is a software engineer and writer who studied writing in Mexico City. Niebla means “fog.” Ramírez told Mission Local she grew up in Xalapa, in a town surrounded by cloud forest.
The couple received a $50,000 Storefront Opportunity Grant from the city to open the shop, Mission Local reported. Mayor Daniel Lurie and District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood attended the grand opening, the Tenderloin Voice reported.
What is on the shelves
Niebla focuses on Latin American literature. A “bilingual table” at the center of the store puts Spanish and English editions of major works side by side. Horror written by women is the bestselling category, according to Mission Local. Ramírez's favorite is Horacio Quiroga's “La Gallina Degollada.”
The pastry case holds Mexican sweets from two local bakers, Amidulce and Norte 45. The coffee comes from Oakland roaster Proyecto Diaz Coffee.
Why it matters
“We want to show that there are many different ways of being Latin American, many different ways of being a Spanish speaker, a San Franciscan,” García told the Tenderloin Voice. Ramírez told Mission Local that the neighborhood has many families and children and needs spaces like this.
The store is usually closed Sundays but opened on Nov. 1 for the Tenderloin's Día de los Muertos celebration.
Nearby: the Tenderloin Día de Muertos street fair and the Tenderloin Museum.