Mount Airy, North Carolina, is a bustling community. The hometown of beloved actor Andy Griffith, and the inspiration for Mayberry, the town famously portrayed in the TV series The Andy Griffith Show, the town capitalizes on the connection with a vibrant downtown district full of restaurants, boutiques, souvenir shops, and even a museum all with a Mayberry theme. 

While the show was a mainstay in my household as a kid, it wasn’t nostalgia that lured me to the area. It was Pages Books & Coffee, a bustling bookshop and café with an impressive inventory of books, magazines, merchandise, and a variety of beverages and baked goods.

Pages fits right in with the welcoming vibe of the town. A friendly greeter was opening the door for customers when I arrived, and more than once I heard staff members helping customers with insightful recommendations and personalized assistance. 

The shop specializes in new books and has a great selection of titles spanning the usual genres. There’s also an expansive magazine rack, a large spiritual section, plenty of children’s books and toys, and some café seating for enjoying your coffee and books in the shop. While I didn’t sample the coffee, the books and the atmosphere at Pages Books & Coffee are worth the trip. 

A visit to Mount Airy – or Mayberry, as it’s affectionally known – is like a trip back in time. After you finish perusing the shelves at Pages, grab a cheeseburger at Barney’s Café or an old-fashioned chocolate egg cream at Walker’s Soda Fountain. And if you really want to immerse yourself in the experience, you can stay at Andy Griffith’s childhood home. As the sign outside Pages says, friends can be found there.

Pages Books & Coffee is located at 192 N. Main Street, Suite 200, Mount Airy, North Carolina. The shop is open daily.

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