Dash & Lily, the new Netflix series based on the YA novel Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, "bookends its central love story between festive Lily (Midori Francis) and grinchy Dash (Austin Abrams) at the iconic New York City bookstore the Strand," Deadline reported.
"Everyone knows the Strand," said Abrams. "It is a little bit romanticized in terms of a bookstore in New York, so I think it does lend itself to that."
Producer Shawn Levy observed: "I know that not everyone gets excited and enamored of bookstores, but I certainly do. The more unique the bookstore, the better. We know what a chain bookstore looks like. We know how the aisles look, the smell of the place, the feel of the floorboards. It's just different than independent, long-standing, baked-into-the-community bookstores and the Strand is that. You feel it in the bones of the place and in the details of the place. And that's what we tried to capture in the show."
Dante Brown (Boomer) said, "I love how they tied the Strand into the story and they're giving a business like that a chance to get some traction, especially right now."
Troy Iwata (Langston) added: "I've lived in New York for six years and the Strand is definitely a staple of the city. I know a lot of people that just hang out there. It's a place of refuge for a lot of people to go and find a new book."
Levy also noted that the production team has been doing its part to support the Strand's efforts to stay afloat: "It's just so great to have this beloved, iconic, New York establishment as the centerpiece to the series. It's especially poignant now to see the outpouring of love from New Yorkers and people in other states as well. It's really beautiful and I'm thrilled to play a small part in the love letter to the Strand the show provides."