Wolfe & Kron Books: A Queer-Owned Bookstore in Asbury Park, NJ Centered on Community, Access, and Storytelling

Location: Uptown Asbury Park, New Jersey
Owner: Alexis "Fin" Finch
Opened: March 2023

Wolfe & Kron Books is an independent, woman- and queer-owned bookstore in Uptown Asbury Park, NJ — a space built for readers to discover books, find community, and actually see themselves on the shelves.

It started as a 20×10 ft stall inside a flea market and has grown into a full storefront in the heart of Asbury Park's LGBTQ+ community, next door to Georgies, one of New Jersey's most iconic queer spaces. It's become a go-to destination for LGBTQ+ literature, speculative fiction, and gifts made by queer artists.

The Story Behind the Name

Fin named the store after her grandmother and great-grandmother, both devoted readers who believed in books as tools for learning, imagination, and survival. She grew up surrounded by books and librarians, endlessly frustrated by what mainstream "general interest" stores chose to stock — and what they quietly left out. So many authors she loved had gone out of print or never got reprinted at all. Wolfe & Kron started as a used bookstore built on a simple goal: make meaningful, overlooked books accessible and affordable, and give overlooked authors more shelf space.

As the store grew, Fin brought in new titles alongside used ones — with a strong focus on LGBTQ+ and BIPoC authors, especially in speculative fiction, a genre built entirely around the question "what if?"

Why the Pride Flag Actually Matters

For Wolfe & Kron, being visibly queer-friendly was never about aesthetics.

"Identity is complicated, and it's not always something you can see," Fin explains.

A Pride flag is a clear, immediate signal that a space is safe. It's not enough on its own — but it shows intention, and it opens a door. For a lot of queer, trans, and marginalized people, knowing which spaces are safe is a matter of self-preservation. A visible flag removes that uncertainty. It tells you: not just tolerated — welcome.

Built Around Access, Not Just Aesthetics

Every decision at Wolfe & Kron is made with the LGBTQ+ community in mind — from the books on the shelves to the brands the store partners with. The shop regularly offers mask-required shopping weekends, off-hours shopping to reduce sensory overload, and virtual shopping with curbside pickup or local delivery — making the space genuinely usable for disabled, immunocompromised, and neurodivergent customers.

For Fin, one of the best parts of running the store is watching people find a book they love, or one they've never seen themselves in before. Representation isn't theoretical here. It's tangible.

What Makes It Different

Beyond queer and BIPoC-authored books, the shop stocks stickers, bookmarks, totes, and gifts made by queer artists — with a strong emphasis on Tri-State-area creators. Rather than buying mass-produced stock in bulk, Fin chooses to support individual artists and small makers directly. Every item has a story: who made it, what inspired it, why it matters.

Community First

Wolfe & Kron is as much about connection as commerce — regular Book Swaps at local venues, and an Asynchronous Book Club Fin created specifically for ADHD readers and anyone who struggles with traditional book club formats. Instead of assigned reading, members share their BIR (Books I've Read) lists and turn them into someone else's TBR — low-pressure, high-connection. The store also hosts author events and signings, positioned right between NYC and Philadelphia — an easy hub for bringing queer authors and readers together.

A Bookstore With Stated Values

Wolfe & Kron is proudly woman- and queer-owned, and says so plainly: science is real, abortion is healthcare, women's and trans rights are human rights, Black lives matter. At its core, it's a bookstore built on the belief that everyone deserves to feel safe enough to find their own story.

Stop by 808½ Fifth Ave in Uptown Asbury Park, or shop online and support indie bookstores at once through their Bookshop.org page. Follow along on Instagram for hours, events, and new arrivals.