The only one I can think of was Gene's Books in King of Prussia Mall. It was a mall bookstore but an independent one and had a pretty large selection. However, they closed two years ago when the owner retired. I can't think of anything as big as Portland's Powell's (which I've never been to - tried looking for it when I was in Portland but couldn't find it- but I've heard it was great) or Seattle's Elliot Bay Bookstore. I imagine you're referring to a large bookstore that sells new books as well as used. I think Robin's is as close as it gets. That said, I've found Farley's Books in New Hope to be pretty good (an independent bookstore with a good selection of new and used) as is Macawber Books in Princeton but again they're not as big as Elliot's in Seattle and they're not in the city. Another good bookstore is the Princeton U book store. Don't bother with the Penn and Temple bookstores - they're both run by B&N.

what about the architect's bookstore near rittenhouse?

I don't think that's what he's looking for. I think he wants a large general purpose but independent bookstore which carries books which would be considered esoteric to most people. If you've been to Seattle, there's the Elliot Bay Bookstore which is like this. Here, I'd say Gene's Bookstore in KoP was the closest but it is quite a bit smaller and now tis closed. Robin's is probably the closest in Center City but it isn't as big either.

I'd be guessing but i'd think the megas basically copied the powells approach. Massive selection, coffee shop, liberal exchange policy etc. Of course the original is still better, better selection, better coffee and much better looking people to help. Ok it's portland they aren't that good looking and not very hygenic. They sell used and new on the same shelf.

Powells is worth a trip to Portland if your a book lover. I used to go every saturday when they were still dead got a coffee and just wandered the empty aisles. Like a college bookstore, several indy bookstores, a b&n, all rolled into one. Their politics are a little left as well as you can tell by their magazine selection but most of Portland is.

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Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard. - H.L. Mencken

Don't know about B&N but the first Borders in the world with a cafe was the one on Walnut Street (now moved to Broad Street) which opened in 1990. I think B&N copied the concept from Borders so it is arguable that the mega bookstores getting on the coffee craze started here. Did Powell's have coffee before 1990?

Where is it. I tried looking for it everywhere when I was in Portland. I assume it is on Belvedere Ave. (sp?) but I was not able to find it there.

Powells has been around since the early 70's. I'd guess as it's the nw they probably served coffee most of those years. Can't say for sure.

History
http://www.powells.com/info/briefhistory.html

Here is how to get there.
http://www.powells.com/info/places/burnsidemap.html

Here is a store map.
http://www.powells.com/burnside_map_oct2003.pdf

__________________
Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard. - H.L. Mencken

The "architect's bookstore near Rittenhouse" may be Joseph Fox, which is in the 1700 block of Sansom.

Over at Penn, there's A House of Our Own in the 3900 block of Spruce and the Penn Book Center (which is NOT the Penn Bookstore run by B&N) at 34th and Sansom.

In Fairmount there's a nice place at 22nd & Fairmount whose name I can never remember, dag nabbit.

William Allen, which used to be in the 2000 block of Walnut, was a fantastic place to find old academic publications, the kinds of things you might expect to check out of a university library. I got some real finds there in medieval German lit/history (my general area of interest in grad days). Then, inexplicably, W Allen moved out to Delaware County about 2 years ago. I've not visited them out there.

And let's not forget the Book Barn outside West Chester. Anyone been there? It's very unusual & quite fun. Worth the trip.

None of these places, of course, qualify as "mega" (well, the Book Barn is pretty big, but not - mega), though they're all indy as far as I know.

No, its a different bookstore. The "architecht's bookstore" is the AIA Bookstore at the NE corner of 17th and Sansom (Joseph Fox is in the middle of the 1700 block of Sansom on the south side).

Adding to the list of used bookstores, a new one opened last year in Univ. City between 39th and 40th along Walnut. It's called The Last Word Bookshop. I've been in there a few times, and it's pretty good.

Check out Book Corner, on 20th Street behind the Central Branch -- it's run by the Friends of the Free Library, and sells donated books (used and new). It's got three big rooms of books, comfortable chairs, and monthly sales & events.

(I volunteer there one afternoon a week, to help shelve books and dust and see what comes in -- amazing stuff.)