Three Arts is Arlington’s small independent bookstore, tucked between Savona’s Trattoria & Bar and the Juliet on Collegeview Avenue. While this is the Three Arts that the Arlington and Vassar community knows now, it was not always here—and, with its tall windows giving view to shelves of colorful books, it did not always look this way. Today, when you venture into the cozy store, you might get your newest books checked out by Walter Effron, the man behind the operation. If Effron is not working in the front, you might find him behind the shelves, among excess stacks of books atop a small white table embedded in the back. Though Effron keeps the wonderful store going today, he was not always the face of Three Arts. The neighboring college store, the Juliet, did not look the same either. Working alongside and often collaborating with the Three Arts, the college store was once an independent book cooperative run by a group of Vassar community members. The co-op no longer exists, and has since been replaced by the Barnes and Noble owned college store—but its long time partner in bookselling the Three Arts remains.
Three Arts was originally opened in downtown Poughkeepsie on Cannon Street by Jesse and Lilian Effron—Walter Effron’s parents—in 1946. Another employee, Therese, ran an additional satellite store in Arlington, which set the foundation for the store’s complete consolidation and move to Arlington in 1964. The same year, the Effrons expanded their Arlington location, adding space for their art gallery in addition to the bookstore. “They always had an art gallery, and with the growth of the area, they wanted a separate space for it,” Walter Effron explained.
While the store was run by both of his parents, Lillian Effron held a special interest in the art gallery side of the business. Effron explained, “My mother ran that gallery. The show changed every month. Artists showed every two or three years, some came in later. She had contacts in the artist field.”
The art gallery was a part of the store’s history that I had never heard of before speaking with Effron this past weekend.
In the ’70s, the business district of Arlington was growing, and the store grew with it. That is, until a fire destroyed the building in 1975. From the remnants of the fire, only the Juliet movie theater was rebuilt. The movie theater started with four screens before taking over the whole building, including what had been Three Arts and a neighboring linen store. The old Three Arts space was taken over, and the store had to move.
“My parents moved what was left from the fire into the current building,” explained Effron.
From the conglomerate art gallery-bookstore came the current Arlington staple in its quiet and nestled spot. In 1982, Effron joined his parents at the store’s new location.
Effron still runs the store today, working with customers to help them find books or provide suggestions for those asking for recommendations. He stocks the store through “frontlisting,” which means collecting new and unknown books from publishers to promote recent and upcoming publications. “You try your best in anticipating what you think is a good book, what you think is important. It’s interesting, I don’t mind doing that work. I never have,” Effron remarked.
The Three Arts and the Effron family’s dedication to the independent store also serves as a reminder of the importance of the unique and personal experience at a place like the Three Arts. The experience of receiving book recommendations from a local owner like Effron reinforces the feeling of community. In addition to the tasks and responsibilities of running the store, I learned from Effron about the history of the bookstores within the Arlington and Vassar community.
Before the college store was owned by Barnes and Noble, it was a Vassar bookstore cooperative that was shared among the Vassar community though faculty, students and alumni. The co-op was run by Marion Bacon, who worked there for decades until its closure in the 90’s, and was once President of the American Booksellers Association. The co-op is important to the history of the college bookstore, and specifically to nearby independent booksellers like Three Arts. When I asked about the relationship between the co-op and Three Arts, Effron replied, “Marion Bacon encouraged my father to start the store. They would trade books back and forth. If something was needed there and vice versa here. She was happy to have a store here as well. They had a very collegial relationship.”
Effron continues to run the Three Arts bookstore, and demonstrates the importance of small independent booksellers among the very quickly changing bookselling world. Three Arts survived a move between neighborhoods, a fire and the shift to conglomerate or online bookselling, yet it continues to provide for a community of readers. Next time you walk by, consider stopping in for your next read or an insightful conversation about the world of books.