The right place at the right time: Northport Books on Main Street set to open this month

The idea had been forming in Jennifer McAuliffe’s head for a while – though she hadn’t said it out loud just yet. A long career in media and digital publishing had kept her busy, but the feeling kept creeping in: what’s next?

“I was just sort of getting tired of it, doing it for so long,” McAuliffe said. “And I started thinking, as my kids are off to college now, maybe it’s time to see what I want to do.” What she wanted was to open a bookstore – a natural next step for someone who reads for hours each night, runs a neighborhood book club, and has even authored and self-published a series of children’s books.

Now, McAuliffe is just days away from opening Northport Books, a warm, welcoming space in Northport Village designed for reading, gathering, connecting and just hanging out. The kind of space that makes you want to stay a while.

The idea came to life quickly, and a bit serendipitously.

McAuliffe, who lives in Bethpage, had always loved Northport. “It’s been a place that we’ve been bringing our kids to since they were small. The sunsets are beautiful, the boats are awesome, and it’s got the ice cream,” she said. “And we’ve been bringing our dogs; this is such a dog-friendly town. To walk the dogs here on a summer night, it’s so nice.”

So when she started to seriously consider her next chapter – one with more community, more connection, and less screen time – Northport felt like the right place. She wasn’t sure a retail space would even open up. Then LaMantia Gallery closed. “It was very serendipitous that it all sort of happened at the same time,” she said.

Once she saw the space, McAuliffe’s vision snapped into focus. “I had such a great vision of one side being for adults and the other side for the kids,” she said. The hardwood floors in the front? That’s where the books will be. The carpeted back room? A lounge space, a reading nook, a kids’ play area. “Two separate sides, they won’t interrupt each other,” she said. “That vision was so strong, and I thought: this has to be it. We have to figure out how to make this happen.”

And so she did.

Books, purpose and life off-screen
McAuliffe has spent nearly three decades helping big-name companies like Hearst and NBC launch digital products. But these days, she’s craving something offline, for herself and for others.

Her husband, a U.S. Army veteran, runs a nonprofit called American Corporate Partners, which helps transitioning service members find meaningful careers after the military. McAuliffe once volunteered with the organization and loved the feeling of helping people, something she realized was missing from her own daily work.

“I just didn’t feel like I was doing something like that,” she said. “So I started asking myself: What would give me that same sense of purpose?”

That question, combined with her deep love of books and experience as a parent, started to form an answer. With her own children now in college, McAuliffe had seen firsthand how easy it is for young people to become absorbed in their screens, and how hard it can be to pull them away.

“There’s no greater thing than a bookstore to get kids off their phones,” she said. Creating a physical space that encouraged curiosity, connection and conversation – something that reminded people of how good it feels to engage in real life – started to feel like a calling.

McAuliffe is a board member of In Real Life Ventures, a nonprofit that helps kids understand the effects of social media and the value of face-to-face interaction. She also supports Mothers Against Media Addiction (MAMA), a grassroots movement focused on promoting healthy, real-life experiences for children and teens.

“It’s about being present,” she said. “I want to talk to people about books. I want people to give me recommendations and I want to give them some, too.”

McAuliffe is planning events that help foster that kind of shared energy: silent book clubs (bring your own book, read quietly together), social book club meetings and trivia nights and, eventually, open mic nights and workshops. She’s thinking cozy winter storytelling hours, summertime acoustic music and whatever else the community asks for.

“I want to hear what people want,” she said. “This is not about my books. It’s Northport Books. I’m taking feedback and making sure I’m representing the people who come in.”

A calm, coastal vibe
The space is already coming together: hand-crafted bookshelves, walls painted in deep nautical blue and green-blue hues, dark walnut floors sanded and stained, and a large wood counter that anchors the space.

“It has to feel cohesive, tidy,” McAuliffe said. “The vibe is community-oriented, welcoming, chill, a place you want to hang out in. And aesthetically, it has to be pleasing.” She describes the look as understated coastal; think warm wood tones, greens and blues, and a book wall that invites you in. There’s talk of a mural on the children’s side and an area with vinyl records on sale. 

She’ll serve drip coffee – “just enough to get cozy” – and wants to be mindful of the other coffee shops already anchoring Main Street. “This isn’t about taking away from what’s here,” McAuliffe said. “It’s about enhancing it.”

She’s already thinking about pop-ups, partnerships and membership perks – including discounts (40% off best sellers and new releases), early event access and free coffee for annual members. Store hours will stretch later into the evening, especially during summer, to invite people in for a post-dinner browse.

A family affair with Northport roots
McAuliffe’s daughter, who recently graduated with a degree in fashion merchandising, is already on board to host children’s storytime. Her son, a college student, will help with stock and behind-the-scenes setup. Two stepchildren – one in France for a semester, one in Seattle – are also offering help and inspiration. Her parents, both in their 70s, are ready to pitch in wherever they can. 

And though McAuliffe lives in Bethpage, her connection to Northport runs deeper than ice cream nights and dog walks. She once worked with a Northport-based illustrator, Arch Carey, who encouraged her to check out Cow Harbor Day twenty years ago. Carey illustrated the children’s books McAuliffe wrote and self-published, inspired by her picky-eater son, and she’ll be selling those at the store, too.

Now, with Northport Books, McAuliffe is ready to create something lasting in the place that’s always felt like a little escape. It’s a space rooted in her love for reading, shaped by her family’s support and inspired by her desire to give something meaningful back to the community.

She’s keeping her vision flexible, open to what the neighborhood wants, what it responds to and what might grow organically from there. Workshops, pop-ups, events – all of it will evolve, she said. The goal is simple: to get people inside, away from their screens and busy lives, and into a space where they can share time.

“There seems to be an appetite for this,” McAuliffe said. The early excitement and feedback, both online and in person, have only strengthened her belief that this is something Northport is ready for.

Northport Books, located at 127 Main Street in Northport Village, is expected to open by mid-July. Visit their Instagram page for more information.