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    South Branch Library

    4.0 (1 review)
    Closed 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    17 years ago

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    Peabody Institute Library - Don't think I'm suppose to be in here

    Peabody Institute Library

    4.0(9 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    Came here to work in a quiet space. Was able to find a seat right away with plenty of space from…read moreothers. A peaceful spot that I will come again to.

    A man named…read moreGeorge The Peabody Institute and Library was constructed in 1854 from a gift by George Peabody. Ol' George was a boy that was dirt poor but through hard work and intelligence made bezillions of dollars over the years. George not only made this library possible but a whole bunch of other pretty amazing places. Including a certain Peabody Museum at Yale University in CT. The library was designed by famous architect Richard Bond and is a lovely brick building that has gone through lots of additions and changes over the years. I heard that it once had a huge tower in that back that was destroyed decades ago. The library is rather scattered inside, some rooms are ornate and beautiful and others very plain. It's easy to tell where the additions were added because they don't blend in well with the old parts. The library is a fascinating place to explore, the kids room and local history room are really cool and it's the type of library with lots of nooks and places to check out. Some were places where I suspect I wasn't suppose to be. The librarians here were wonderful and friendly and happy to tell me all about their cool, old library. Not as grand and stunning as some other old libraries but the Peabody Institute definitely is unique.

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    Peabody Institute Library - Lots of Lego stuff

    Lots of Lego stuff

    Peabody Institute Library - Lots of different rooms

    Lots of different rooms

    Peabody Institute Library - Some great views from upstairs

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    Some great views from upstairs

    Barnes & Noble

    Barnes & Noble

    3.1(20 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    The book store, I am NOT an avid paper bound book reader, but i appreciate picking one up from time…read moreto time. For my taste they had plenty of titles organized well by genre. I do also like that they have manga section that myself and my god daughter etc can run thru to get her the next chapter she needs in whatever series. If they don't have it they can order it. The B&N on the South shore near me closed down and it sort of sad to see. I like the smell of brand new books in a bookstore. They have bunch of collectibles, legos, funko pops and other figurearts! The Starbucks we ordered 3 drinks, the did forget the simple syrup in two of them so it's more was definitely straight matcha which is fine, healthier without the sugar haha. It definitely took longer than other locations with no line. The cafe also offers more food the your normal Starbucks as well. Staff was alright, didn't seem the most friendly on our visit.

    Barnes & Nobles right by Northshore Mall in Peabody served as a decent caffeine stop for us!…read moreHaven't been inside this Barnes & Nobles in YEARS but doesn't look like much has changed. It's definitely a more dated store but seemingly had decent inventory of novels + great kid-friendly selection. They have a Starbucks inside, with only two workers but only one person working the front and also making the drinks. Expect a little bit of a wait because of this. We ordered three drinks: one caramel ribbon crunch Frappuccino & two iced matcha lattes w/ strawberry cold foam. Took about 10 min, so definitely longer than your typical stand alone Starbucks. Matcha lattes had no sweetener, though it normally comes w/ simple syrup but no problem, healthier this way anyways haha. My caramel frappe was very sweet + kept leaking out of the cup. Staff was okay, didn't find them to be that friendly. Overall, I can see this being a great spot to sit + read a book as it's pretty quiet in here & has drinks + food too. Just note if you're ordering food/drinks, just keep in mind it might take some time to be ready.

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    Barnes & Noble
    Barnes & Noble
    Barnes & Noble

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    South Branch Library - libraries - Updated May 2026

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