On Dec. 19, 2024, Still North Books & Bar — an independent bookstore and cafe located at 3 Allen Street — celebrated its five-year anniversary with a public event featuring food, games and an open mic. Approximately 100 people attended the celebration, which lasted from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“It’s crazy that it’s been only five years since Still North has opened,” patron Dulce Silva ’25 said. “They’ve done so much to just be a part of the community and make people feel at home. Just being here, it’s a wonderful experience, and people get to just … exist and be in one place at a time and be present with each other.”
To Still North operations manager Andrea Stevens, who joined the staff three years ago, the anniversary event was a testament to the “outpouring of love [she has] seen for not just [Still North], but the individuals that make it what it is.”
“As soon as we opened up the doors to the party portion of the day, everyone was coming in,” Stevens said. “… It was just something different. In five years it’s really just incredible to have all this space for the people and the community.”
Still North was founded in 2019 by Allie Levy ’11. After the Dartmouth Bookstore permanently closed in December 2018, Levy told The Dartmouth she wanted to provide a “community space/bookstore/bar in Hanover.” According to Stevens, Levy has since forged connections across the Upper Valley — bringing in “great regulars and even more interesting events.”
According to its website, Still North offers readings, a “curated selection of books … the best coffee in Hanover … a menu of light bites highlighting local, seasonal ingredients” and an environment to “[curl] up in cozy spaces with a book and a mug of wine and [meet] with friends over coffee.” Still North barista Alicia Williams ’28 added that the local shop also offers an inclusive environment.
“[Still North is] more open to all communities,” Williams explained. “It’s a safe space for LGBTQ+ [people] and people of color. … It celebrates everyone just like we celebrate it, you know? Go in. There’s so much love around.”
Barista Will Pittman ’28 added that Still North’s “relaxing environment” creates a unique ambiance — one that would be “really hard to replace.” Silva also cited the “atmosphere” as one of Still North’s greatest assets, pointing to the store’s “cozy and welcoming vibes.” According to Silva, the store provides a “perfect place to study and chill and talk to friends” — as well as a strong community.
“I appreciate … people who work here, the people who you get to meet and just people that you know,” she said. “[Still North] contributes to a lot of what I think Hanover is, and that’s the community. … It’s so much fun to be a part of that.”
Some patrons have even introduced the Still North community to out-of-towners. Orla Brigel, a student visiting from the University of California at Berkeley, said her best friend — who lives in New London, N.H. — brought her to Still North “because she loves it.” Brigel called the locale “warm” and “focused.”
“There’s not an open chair or table here, which is awesome,” Brigel added.
Beyond the store’s anniversary, Stevens noted that Still North maintains a commitment to “advocat[ing] for everybody as much as we can” and doing the “best for the community as a whole.”
“Books are a tool of education, and I think that we have really found a way to help show that to everyone … whether it’s an event, whether it’s what we are carrying in the store or how we are supporting the community,” she said. “And I don’t think that you see that very much at all anymore.”
