Borders, which has begun closing its Santa Cruz store along with 200 others nationwide, isn’t the only local bookselling casualty of this foot-dragging recession. Gateways Books closed its doors on Saturday, March 26, ending a 32-year run for the nonprofit spiritual bookstore. In the 5,000-square-foot emporium’s final days, its vast book collection dwindled to a few small volumes on mostly empty shelves.
Borders, which has begun closing its Santa Cruz store along with 200 others nationwide, isn’t the only local bookselling casualty of this foot-dragging recession. Gateways Books closed its doors on Saturday, March 26, ending a 32-year run for the nonprofit spiritual bookstore. In the 5,000-square-foot emporium’s final days, its vast book collection dwindled to a few small volumes on mostly empty shelves.
“It’s been like a funeral for two weeks,” said Gateways co-founder Ratna Sturz, adding that emotional customers kept coming up to her and using words like “icon” and “piece of Santa Cruz history” to describe the disappearing midtown destination.
Gateways first opened on the Pacific Garden Mall in 1978 and occupied three other downtown sites before arriving at its final location on Soquel Avenue, where it stood for the last five and a half years. The store was a project of Hanuman Fellowship, a nonprofit that also sponsors the Mount Madonna Center, the Pacific Cultural Center and the Sri Ram orphanage and school in India.
Three days before closing, a small crowd of frowning loyal customers leafed through the reduced-price remains of a store once filled with yoga guides, stunning nature photography, books about Eastern religion and even occasional community events. T.J. Bemis, a resident of La Selva, said she had frequented Gateways for 20 years.
“It’s always been incredibly unique and special… and Santa Cruz. I’m afraid I can’t think of any place like it in the States,” said Bemis, who has traveled across the country.
An inch-thick guest book for customers rested on a table next to a pile of hardcovers marked 50 percent off. The guest book’s pages were stacked with doodles, expired coupons and color photographs of the store. It also contained love letters and memories, some of them confused and morbid. Others were more humorous.
“I never thought this is what the Mayans meant by the ‘End Days,’ one fan wrote. “See you at the real gateway,” he added.
“We have learned so much from your shelves,” wrote another customer. “And again, I am learning, by this store’s closing, how to … accept change with peace and grace.”
