A Barnes & Noble is opening in the East Village

Photos Saturday by Stacie Joy

H/T EVG reader Russell K

News of a Barnes & Noble coming to 181 Avenue A between 11th Street and 12th Street sparked plenty of discussion over the weekend on an East Village Reddit thread. 

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...

There are also approved work permits dated May 13 for "retail space electrical service and AC wiring."

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. 

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...