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NEW ARRIVALS
Leigh Altshuler
Aug 18, 2026
Leigh is wearing the Uma Gown, Gwen Top, and Angel Denim Pant.
Meet Leigh Altshuler, founder of Sweet Pickle Books, the beloved Lower East Side bookstore where stories and community come together in the most unexpected ways. What began as a dream during the pandemic has grown into one of New York's most charming destinations, known for its carefully curated shelves, playful spirit, and unmistakable neighborhood feel. We caught up with Leigh to talk about life around the bookstore, the joy of discovering your next favorite read, and getting dressed for days spent among the stacks.
How did you know you wanted to open a bookstore? Have you always loved books?
I’ve always loved reading, but it was during my time as Strand Book Store’s Communications Director that I became a bookstore person. Working there was the best thing that had happened to me. I became inspired every day– by the books but also by the people working there. I admired the labor of love that was an independent bookstore. I fell in love with how different everyone was; How quickly we got to know one another through books. It enlightened me, in a way. I felt good about selling books– a type of capitalism I could get behind.
I grew out of that job in late 2019 and was hired by the McKittrick Hotel as “Special Envoy” (yes, the official my job title). It was a marketing/communications role. The job was colorful. I loved it. But, it came to an abrupt halt as COVID hit New York City. I lost the job in March of 2020- just six months in.
I spent the next few weeks reading the books that had piled up in my apartment. Falling asleep to Susan Sontag and Joan Didion. Finally exploring Balaño and Calvino. Finally reading Clarise Lespector. As bookstores were forced to close and liquor stores were deemed “essential”, I grew protective over the importance of New York’s bookshops. So much so, I decided to open my own.
What inspired Sweet Pickle Book’s business model of trading books for pickles?
I wanted the shop to be an homage to the neighborhood and to my heritage. The pickles are an homage to the neighborhood’s history. Once nicknamed “The Pickle District”, the Lower East Side was once home to hundreds of picklers– most Eastern European immigrants like my great grandparents– who sold their provisions in barrels via pushcart in front of storefronts like mine. The neighborhood became a pickle shopping destination.
When I first opened, I was buying used books at the desk like a traditional used bookstore. Folks came in with their books and in return were offered cash or store credit. Lots of folks, however, were so excited about the store’s opening that they wanted to donate their books; help build our inventory. As a thank you, I offered them a jar of our housemade pickles. Word spread. Shoppers came in with stacks of books and declined when I offered them money. Don’t I get pickles?, they asked. And that’s how the barter system was born.
Your store is in the LES, do you have a personal connection to the neighborhood?
My signature touch is adding color, and layers to every look and moment. Whether it’s layering jewelry or an item of clothing that is typically unconventional to the look - I always like to evoke a conversation piece to the styling of my clients' looks.
I’m local to the LES and felt the neighborhood didn’t have anything quite like it. The neighborhood is also rich with history, full of Eastern Europeans who fled the war and landed in its tenement buildings. My great grandparents were among those immigrating to New York and I grew up with them and with pickles. Kat’z, Russ and Daughters, the whole nine yards.
What are you wearing to the bookstore?
I fluctuate between sporty style and feminine style. If it’s a morning where I’m running around, I need lots of pockets to hold things like pencils, box cutters, hair clips, my keys. If it’s an evening and I’m going out after, I can get away with something a little more feminine. Every day is different. I do love walking to work and seeing all the different looks around the Lower East Side.
What’s the one book that everyone should be reading this summer?
I’m doing a year of memoirs only. My favorite this year was Dog Days by Emily LaBrage. I also loved How to Lose Your Mother by Molly Jong Fast and Strangers by Belle Burde. I’m not sure if these are necessarily summer reads though. For something quicker, read Assembly and Universality by Natasha Brown. She is a genius and both are a masterclass in the novel.
What’s something that opening and running Sweet Pickle Books has taught you?
Success is how you define it.
What does a typical day at Sweet Pickle Books look like?
There is no typical day. Some days are full of pricing books, others are nonstop on the register. We also do things outside of the shop like custom curations for movie sets or fancy apartments. Earlier this year, we expanded to the shop next door. Rare, Fine & Fancy is our new special editions shop, so that’s been on my docket lately. Whatever I;m working on, I always get to meet nice people and have a great time with my staff.
Who are the women that inspire you?
The women around me who are also hustling, doing their thing. My best friend Kelly owns a Joy Flower Pot around the corner on Hester Street. I have a great next door neighbor Katie who owns Reception Bar. I say hi to Eladr at Colbo on my way down Orchard Street. I practice yoga in the neighborhood and the studio’s owner Tricia always inspires me. My friends who do their thing around the city with their families. So many women who I read. I’m looking forward to Emily Ratajowski’s next book about the body.
Why is literature so important to you, especially in today’s day and age?
In a time that is plagued by same-ness, literature is a way to express individuality, thought, point of view. It’s a way to communicate beyond emojis and the phone. It makes you stop, slow down and actually think.
If you were a color, what color would you be and why?
Green? Pickles??? Have to!
