Jaunted

Golden Years for the Globe

6/08/2006 at 10:05 AM
Tags: Bookstores, Prague (all tags)

It's not just newspapers that are suffering at the hands of the internet; it's bookstores, as well, especially landmark ex-pat bookstores. OK, that might be a bit of a stretch, but the changing times have certainly had an effect on the recent troubles of Prague's most famous (and first) ex-pat bookstore, the Globe.

The current owner, a German who bought the place in 2003, is looking to sell. He blames himself for many of the Globe's problems, which amount to a loss of $120 a day. But he also blames the Prague Post for outing him as a gay man in a profile when he bought the bookstore, which he says led to a drop in clientele shortly thereafter.

While that's a possibility, it's more likely a combination of smaller factors. One, as the Post notes, ex-pats don't need to leave the house to search for apartments; they can do it from home, even before they leave, instead of meeting each other at a bookstore. And they can order English-language books online, too. What's more, the café in the Globe was never great, and it steadily got worse in recent years--we were served spoiled food the last time we were there. So it was hardly a "destination".

Ultimately, though, let's blame the internet for this--it makes sure all those potential ex-pats never leave the U.S., instead finding cushy apartments in Williamsburg and Echo Park. They won't be missed abroad, we can guarantee that.

[Image via ruffnex/Flickr]

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