October 1, 2014

Visiting Awesome Bookstores

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when a booklover finds herself in the nearby vicinity of a wonderful bookstore only heretofore heard about in passing, then she must needs to go visit! And so I did. :)


(My pictures aren't the best quality, but I hope you enjoy them anyway.) Evidently, this building used to be a power plant and the décor inside clearly reflects this.


For as large as it looks on the outside, I should note that there are only two floors. So in actuality, I don't think this particular store is that much bigger than a normal Barnes and Noble. But somehow it just feels bigger and much more awesome! (Plus it has a balcony!)


I wandered the first floor for a while, but soon found myself unable to stay away from the escalators any longer. (Also, I love that they made use of all the nooks and crannies around. They have bookshelves tucked in all sorts of spots.)


I'm positive I looked a little nutty striding around, snapping pictures, grinning madly at everyone I met. But there were books to be flipped through, shelves to be scanned, people to step over, and happy to be felt!


Have you seen You've Got Mail? You know that moment when Kathleen finally visits Fox Books for the first time and she's wandering around and stepping over kids everywhere in the children's department? I confess that's exactly the scene that popped into my head while I was walking around. Because I saw several people sitting here and there all over the floor. Most made a point to try and be out of the way of the rest of us who were wandering, so we wouldn't trip over them. But it was obvious that they were there for the long haul. They had come to the bookstore, they had their books and their coffee, they'd found the perfect spot to sit, and there they'd remain until closing. I loved it!!!!


I was sad to have to leave. But all good things must come to an end, right? *sigh* I want to live closer to this place! Anybody up for another roadtrip with me? ;)


14 comments:

  1. Yep. I definitely need to go there.

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    1. It's worth it, Jamie! Just let me know when and I'll meet you. :)

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  2. Oh, it looks marvelous! I've been to Barnes and Noble twice (one in PA and one in VA) and it's my favorite store. :-) But I've never seen a bookstore quite like this! Thanks for sharing these pictures! And a roadtrip there sounds swell. :-)

    ~Emma

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    1. It's very marvelous, Emma Jane! Definitely one of the highlights of my weekend. I've never been to one quite like this one before now. Roadtrips are awesome, but roadtrips to visit bookstores? Words cannot describe! ;)

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  3. Wowwwwwwwwwwwwww. That kind of blows my mind.

    I love the B&N in Williamsburg, VA cuz it also has two floors. And clean bathrooms with changing tables, which became much more important on my last couple visits than it was years ago...

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    1. Oooo! I hadn't heard about that one in Williamsburg. I'm going to have to plan a trip to visit it one day soon. Thanks Hamlette! (Also, I can perfectly understand why that might have become an important feature in any store you may visit.... :)

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    2. Esp in a place like Colonial Williamsburg where pretty much it's only the restaurants that have changing tables (and not always those, IIRC), so I kind of bought a lot of Starbucks coffee from B&N on our last trip, to make me feel like I had a right to the changing tables. And some books, bought some books too. Natch.

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    3. Of course you bought some books! What else could you do? ;) Those colonials, eh? No appreciation for motherly and modern things of life! I mean really. *shakes head*

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  4. I would never leave that store!! How on earth did you manage? :-P

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    1. It was tough, Renee! It really, really was. :D

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  5. I'm so jealous! I have a Barnes and Noble about an hour from me, but I rarely get to go. The last time I went, it was hard to pull me away! This one looks so much more awesome, though.

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    1. Oh, is it ever, Bluerose! Awesome is putting it mildly. And hey, I live 30 minutes from a Barnes and Noble, and while I may get there pretty often, it's still hard to pull me away every single time! :D

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  6. That place looks fantastic! I'll be honest, I've had some issues with B&N in the past (depending on which one I was visiting), but it would be worth it in a place like that. I found a really fun bookstore on a trip recently, but I can't remember what it was called. I'll definitely mention it in my next post if I can remember by then.

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    1. It was very fantastic, Hannah! And I've had some issues with B&N myself. But as they're pretty much the only major bookstore around, I suppose they're a necessary evil? We do have a few independent bookstores, but their hours aren't compatible with when I'm able to go. Hence the use of B&N!

      Either way, aren't bookstores just so much fun?! :)

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