Photos Saturday by Stacie Joy
H/T EVG reader Russell K
A Reddit user found a notice for the new store, set to open in November, on the Barnes & Noble website.
We reached out to Barnes & Noble for comments, though didn't hear back yet over the holiday weekend.
News of this arrival coincides with crews removing layers of wheatpaste posters from the vacant Avenue A retail space on Saturday...
The 11,000-square-foot retail space at the base of Steiner East Village has been vacant since residents began moving into the condoplex eight years ago.
There are also approved work permits dated May 13 for "retail space electrical service and AC wiring."
Meanwhile, despite years of store closures and hand-wringing about the future of bookstores, Barnes & Noble is in expansion mode.
As reported by USA Today this past December, the chain plans to open 60 new stores in 2026 following what company officials described as strong sales at existing locations. The expansion marks a turnaround after nearly two decades of declining store numbers, with the company already opening dozens of locations in 2025.
The EV outpost will not replace the Union Square B&N, though it will likely alleviate some of its congestion.
A rent increase forced B&N to close at 4 Astor Place in December 2007 after 13 years in operation.
Not everyone's on the same page
Reaction to the news of a Barnes & Noble opening on Avenue A has been mostly positive so far — though not without some concern about what it could mean for independent bookstores nearby.
In the lively Reddit thread, several commenters said they were excited to have a large bookstore in the neighborhood again, especially given the recent resurgence of Barnes & Noble locations across the city.
Others pointed out that the East Village already has a strong network of indie bookstores and worried about bringing another national chain into the neighborhood.
A few people also expressed cautious optimism, saying they hoped a bookstore, chain or not, would be preferable to another bank, smoke shop, fast-casual salad spot, or continued vacant storefront.
We'll see what November will bring, though it seems like an ambitious timeline for a completely raw space...
23 comments:
I am happy to have a big beautiful Barnes & Noble on the block and will welcome them to the neighborhood, but I will continue to shop local and support the network of indie bookstores that we are lucky enough to have here in the East Village, including the incoming one on 11th and B; I am looking forward to the opening of that store too!
I'll gladly and happily buy from the independent bookstore opening in what was the 7/11 location, but Barnes & Noble? Never again---AI bound in books IS NOT WHAT CONSUMERS AND READERS WANT. Your CEO is nuts for pushing SLOP. Get real, B & N. People still read here and do not want shit shoved down our throats. And the Steiner folks? They get now reward here. They are HORRIBLE neighbors with their poor door and inability to clean up that mess until they hooked a cash cow for the corner. Just disgusting all the way around. SO yeah, happy that the endless ads are gone, but saddened that we are getting a bookseller that apparently LOST ITS SOUL AND FORGOT WHY THE FUCK PEOPLE READ IN THE FIRST PLACE. Answer: It's not for AI slop.
That space has been empty for 10 years. Let’s see if this actually halpens
I have no issue with this versus small independent bookstores. However, as my wife pointed out, if they carry things like the U.S. branch, toys and gifts, possible theft issues. And Astor Place was a major commercial hub. This location, not sure. We shall see.
Wish it were the Strand instead,,,,,,,,,,,
Barnes and Nobles on Ave A? WTF is happening to this hood of ours? I did always wonder how residents felt about paying so much money to live in this gorgeous building for years yet the first floor is unsightly and horrific. There should be a gym or a restaurant in lieu of a major retailer. Independent bookstores are the backbone of our community. I haven't purchased anything from B & R since I graduated college in 2012.
I think this is great. Wish it would have gone in the new Sephora space instead. Hate looking at that store there.
Sad to think of the competition for the small bookstores nearby.
I have no problem hopping on the M8 to hit the Strand!
With how large that retail space is, could've been a LOT worse. We weren't getting a local business in there.
On Avenue A more corporate shit wild af
Everyone said the same thing about Target when they opened. Now everybody loves it.
B&N used to be considered the big bad - I don't really think it's that anymore. Especially with the rise of amazon. It started turning around to actually embrace selling books again (not knicknacks etc). I don't really see our smaller bookstores and a B&N hitting the same customer base.
I grew up going to the Astor Place B&N and had really great memories there.
I greatly prefer B&N to most other options that could go in there. Unless it was going to be a grocery store, I think all the other options would have been pretty bad.
It's been (mostly) empty since it was built and I'm happy it's being filled with a non dystopian type of business.
Right, we knew it'd be a chain corporation. This at least adds something. The flea market was nice but that parking lot was never going to last.
As others have mentioned, I’d rather have a store that sold leprechauns, pony’s or unicorns, but I guess I will settle for this.
I swear the city is planning to turn Avenue A and 14th into a commercial hub. The first sign may have been Steiner itself, and the ridiculously named EVGB, and Target, and then came the L train entrances at Avenue A and the sweep of the 14th Street pandemic-era street seller mess after that guy got murdered, immediately followed by the city's official "14th Street Plan." There are events at 1st Ave and Ave C that also feed into this. I'm telling you all, the Upper East Village is about to get Meatpacked.
Since when is Sephora worse than B & R?
I’m amazed they were able to clean off all the windows and get the paint off the building. We really need to have a crack down on people that tag people’s properties.
I’ll take a bookstore, albeit a chain, versus yet another bar on Avenue A any day of the week.
There are a lot of local bookstores, including some new ones, that this definitely is concerning for. But B&N has refocused to selling books again, not knick-knacks. They let local managers decided what books to feature, not publishing companies. And that's helped their turnaround. I think there's room for everyone as the city is book-hungry and everyone has their niche.
I kinda like it the way it is. xo, jg
Another coffee place?! I'm only joking of course.
I am not sure how I feel about this - I don’t like chains. However, none of the bookstores in the hood have kids books or trashy beach reads - so this could be nice - if the wait is too long at the library.
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