There is a reason Emmaus keeps showing up on lists of great small towns. The borough's Main Street is compact, walkable, and packed with independent shops that give it a personality all its own. You can park once and spend an entire afternoon moving from store to store without ever feeling like you have run out of things to discover.
The Bookstores
Let's Play Books at 379 Main Street is a three-floor, woman-owned independent bookstore with two resident cats, a no shushing policy, and a Lehigh Valley Author Program that supports local writers. A few blocks away, Apport Used Books at 12 South Fourth Street is the kind of place that rewards curiosity. Owner Ben Roylance stocks a substantial selection of books on occultism, witchcraft, UFOs, and esoteric topics alongside mainstream used books. The name Apport is a term for an object that materializes at a seance. Comfortable leather chairs invite you to sit and browse.
Home and Style
Cottage and Bloom at 379 Main Street specializes in home decor inspired by garden, vintage, farmhouse, and industrial design. Owner Sheri started with a pop-up shop in Bethlehem back in 2019 and graduated to a permanent storefront in Emmaus. The inventory includes vases, planters, candles, industrial lighting, blankets, pillows, plants, and a terrarium bar. It is the kind of shop where you walk in for one thing and leave with a bag full of ideas for your house.
Beyond the Shops
Emmaus Run Inn caters to runners in a town with deep connections to Runner's World magazine, which was formerly headquartered here. Triple Sun Spirits Co. offers small-batch craft cocktails and spirits. Herbein's Garden Center on Chestnut Street has been one of the largest garden destinations in the valley since 1974. The Emmaus Farmers Market runs on Sundays with a strict local-only policy: everything sold must be grown or made by the person selling it.
Emmaus is proof that great retail does not require a big city. It just requires a community that values independent businesses and a Main Street worth walking.
