Carturesti "Book Village"

Open at the very beginning of the new millennium in Bucharest in a 19th century traditional house, Carturesti has become more than just a chain bookstore - it is a miraculous cultural space where we can enjoy the benefits of leisure, high-quality taste - of books, audio and visual materials and tea - and the personalized creative style which is simply enchanting.
Nicoleta Dumitru and Serban Radu (at 30 years of age) are part of the young Romanian generation who had the courage to innovate and re-think the social context around them and, with a lot of passion and faith in clear concepts, they managed to build a company worth 20 million euros at present. According to the owners, "Carturesti" is "a high-standard cultural platform" which was not cut out for high profits. This cultural product is an 'in-house' project and the staff consists of art lovers who eventually turned into shop assistants, Art students and newly-graduates who let their fresh creativity become reality and even Romanian writers and scholars who even donated their favourite chairs when there wasn't enough at the beginning.
Carturesti proves to be a highly creative undertaking where young energies come together and inspire everyone. What drives people to this space? There's only one way to find out by simply visiting their site...

Until 15 July, if you are in New York, you can check out the temporary Carturesti Cafe Society on 38th Street and Third Avenue, as part of the Romanian Cultural Institute New York, according to this article in The New York Times.