Downtown Book and Sound, Salinas, Calif., held its soft opening this past weekend. Monterey County Now reported that owner Trish Triumpho Sullivan "had just completed a Masters degree in arts administration before the market crashed in 2008, and she found herself underemployed with time on her hands. She decided to open a visitors center, Destination Salinas, to champion the city as a destination." The venture evolved into a book and music store, which featured "gently used books for all ages and interests and new titles with an emphasis on local authors."
"It turned out there was a big demand as more and more bookstores started closing," Sullivan said. The space, however, was cramped and poorly lit, and she kept searching for "a place that said bookstore."
She found it at 213 Main St., and with her partner, Dan Beck, bought books and shelves from Logos Bookstore in Santa Cruz when it closed last year. Sullivan plans to keep the visitors center going under a new name (TBD) with wine tastings, a gallery, a new stage and live music daily.