Bell Bird Books Welcomes Readers in Wedgewood Houston
Mary Ann Weprin grew up in a "bookish family." Her childhood was dotted with frequent
bookstore trips with her mom and sister, who are both librarians. To this day, she appreciates a moving story and pores over memoirs for inspiration. "I love to hear about other people's lives," she says. "I'm kind of obsessed with it."
Opening Bell Bird Books in Wedgewood Houston was a natural next step for Weprin, who's
always seen bookstores as gathering points. Named after her family's farm, the store is intended as a third place for locals and tourists — where they can find their next favorite reads in a cozy, home-like environment, furnished with antiques from Patina + Co. "I want it to feel like somebody's living room, and I want the space to just feel like exhaling," says Weprin.
Her husband Ben, founder and CEO of AJ Capital, has been developing Wedgewood Houston for about a decade. The growing neighborhood has welcomed both small local businesses and larger brands, such as Hermès, Zimmerman, Staud, Eberjey, and Pastis. But Weprin believes a bookstore was a necessary addition. "In my mind, a bookstore is one of the things that kind of grounds a neighborhood," she says. "I kept saying, There really needs to be a bookstore over here."
Weprin plans to host in-store events and add activations throughout the Wedgewood Houston neighborhood, aiming to strengthen community among both readers and other
businesses in the area. "I think it's really cool to be part of a new neighborhood that is being
developed super intentionally," she says. "Everybody's cheering for each other — the big
businesses and the little businesses."
Read the full story here
