Well-read clientele

There are few places in Brownsville where information about French fashion, British politics and American recreational boating is all easily accessible.

At PubliArt, a book and magazine store on Boca Chica Boulevard, the topics occupy equal space on wooden bookshelves, inviting consumers as varied as the products displayed.

Alejandra Davila opened the store six months ago, after selling American magazines out of her Brownsville home.

“I’ve always loved to read,” she said. “I remember taking trips to Monterey with my family and buying three or four books at a time.”

Now, Davila enjoys spending her days around books and magazines from around the world—a collection, she says, that caters to a community with surprisingly diverse interests.

“I never thought I would see so much interest in art and literature in Brownsville,” she said, pointing out a braille art book, copies of Spanish language novels and the most recent edition of French Vogue.

But the store is not just a collection of esoterica. PubliArt stocks best-selling books and popular magazines for children and adults — and everything, Davila said, is 10 percent off while the business builds a consumer base.

“I don’t just want to sell books,” she said, “I want to provide a comfortable environment for people to read and spend time.” Recently, she started providing space for reading groups. The store also offers free wireless Internet and sells coffee and soft drinks.

Davila claims that the store’s selection is so interesting in part because of Brownsville’s bilingual population. They don’t just want American publications, she said. They want El Mundo, one of Spain’s most popular daily newspapers. They want periodicals from Monterrey and Mexico City. And whenever a customer has a request, Davila orders the publication — no matter how far the item has to travel to arrive in Brownsville.

“The only downside,” she said, “is that I’m so busy now that I hardly have time to do any reading myself.”

PubliArt is located at 2200 Boca Chica Suite 143. It is open Monday to Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.