Downtown Manteo has long been anchored by a bookstore. The latest incarnation is Downtown Books, which opened in March 2012 following a post-Hurricane Irene renovation of 105 Sir Walter Raleigh Street. A sister store of the popular Duck's Cottage Coffee & Books in Duck, their Roanoke Island location features a large hand-picked book selection of best sellers, mass market titles, fiction, cookbooks, spirituality, young adult and children's titles. An Outer Banks section is well-curated with history, nature, fiction and non-fiction titles on display. There's something for everyone in the Melissa & Doug toy department, from craft kits to puzzles, wooden toys to puppets and fun games for all ages. A wide range of greeting cards includes cards by local artists as well as Palm Press, Quotable Cards, Dirty Laundry and boxed notes, too. Chakra candles, feather balls, fun stickers and other bookish gift items also abound. Step inside the door of this truly independent bookshop and discover why books are better than ever!
