Bookstores are a special kind of place. People looking to learn, or escape or unwind. I have always loved book stores. My dad used to say that if you read a "foot of books" (measured all stacked together) on one subject, you might actually know something about that subject. Every now and then he would take me to the book store, let me fill a basket with whatever my heart desired and buy it for me. He bought for himself, too, of course.
Now, I still love to go to the bookstore and fill a basket or a bag with treasures. This new Barnes and Noble, I have been many times since they opened and I have some feelings.
It gets high marks, because it is a bookstore. It has a fairly good selection. The employees are very nice and helpful. It has a lot of fun gifty type items.
Heres what I don't like- when they moved locations, they cut the square footage nearly in half. Now, instead of cozy nooks and relaxing spots, it's like aisles. The selection is much smaller (of course because its half the size). My husband says the SciFi section is an embarrassment, also feels like a hallway, not welcoming or cozy at all. The children's area (used to be cordoned off) is now the whole back of the store and yet still feels inescapable for those seeking quiet. The records and media area is a sad afterthought. Overall, the layout stinks. I hate the layout. HATE. No personality at all and annoying to have to move out of the way because you're literally in a passing area while browsing.
Don't get me wrong, I still spend a lot there and go often, it just isn't the experience it used to be, big downgrade on the relocation decision. read more