06/24/2026
Eleven years ago, after years of online book selling, I took a leap of faith and opened the Urban Aftermath Bookshop on Hamilton Street in Albany, New York. When I first opened our doors to the world, I was a 27 year old starry eyed dreamer with my 2 year old son (Samy) in tow… for the next 11 years, I spent countless days hunting treasures, unpacking boxes, hanging art, spinning records, hosting conversations, and curating something far greater than a simple retail establishment.
Over time, this place became a refuge, a curiosity cabinet, a community living room, and for some of us, a second home.
Ideas and Hope formed here, New love flowered here. Artists found walls to exhibit works here. Collectors dug for great finds here. Children found new, funny, and strange things here. Strangers became friends here…. And somewhere along the way, the shop stopped belonging solely to me and became something shared.
Now, that big, beautiful, wild, rollercoaster of a chapter is coming to a close. The building we’ve called home for over a decade has been sold to a developer, and the spaces we occupy will soon be gutted and transformed into something far less magical.
So on July 4th, (Independence Day fittingly enough) we will lock the doors to our Hamilton Street shop for the final time. The circumstances are bittersweet, but places, like people, are not meant to stand still forever. Every story reaches a point where the reader turns the last page.
I have worn many hats over the years: father, husband, public servant, artist, entrepreneur, elected official, and of course… bookseller. Lately, though, I have felt the pull to create anew. To travel. To spend more time with family and friends. To chase ideas out on hold and rediscover parts of myself buried beneath the daily work of keeping a small bookshop alive.
I’m not leaving because I stopped loving this hustle. I’m leaving because growth always requires movement… be it “moving on from” or “moving into”.
To be clear, Urban Aftermath is not ending. The harbor may be closing, but our ship is still seaworthy. We will return to our roots: buying collections, rescuing libraries, selling books online, shipping treasures around the world, and operating from our OWN warehouse on Grand Street.
The form is changing. The mission remains the same.
Thank you for every purchase, every donation, every conversation, every shared story, and every hour spent wandering the stacks. Together we built something extraordinary.
The ask:
I’ve spent years helping other bookshops, collectors, estates, and small businesses navigate their final chapters; sorting shelves, packing boxes, finding new homes for old treasures, and helping people turn the page.
Now it’s your turn to help with mine.
As we prepare to close this chapter on Hamilton Street, these will be our final public hours before the ship sails on:
Week 1 sale: 3 books for $5
June 24 & 25 | 12–5
June 26 & 27 | 12–7
June 28 | 12–5
Week 2 sale: $1 books & bag sale!
July 1 & 2 | 12–5
July 3 & 4 | 12–7
So… come pay your respects and celebrate this occasion by wandering the stacks one last time. ✌🏼🫶🏼📚
Hassan Elminyawi
Owner - Urban Aftermath inc.
