“I Vanquish my Independent Bookstore Enemies, and Erect… STARBUCKS!”
Written: May 14 '01
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Pros: Able to sit and read without being bothered.
Cons: Very crowded, hard to get a seat or a table.
The Bottom Line: Barnes and Noble café is a good place to immerse yourself with books, and your brain with caffeine.
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| soothsayer's Full Review: Barnes and Noble Cafe |
Across from the north side of Union Square Park at 33 East 17th Street is the Century Building, a beautiful turn-of-the-century office building built in 1881 and now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The building has been converted now into a Barnes and Noble book superstore. Like many recently built bookstores it contains a coffee bar to tempt people to linger longer inside.
Of course, let’s face reality, Barnes and Noble has so sapped itself over the years vanquishing its local independent bookshop enemies that it needs Mo’ money! Mo’ money! Mo’ money! Coffee bars help lure people into bookstores, and they know it cannot get any better than to lure folks with Starbucks.
So located on the third floor of the bookstore is its large, and spacious café. The café is so large that it almost sprawls contained only by the low partitions and magazine racks adjoining the seating area. The café décor is dreary looking with its dark green paint scheme, peeling wallpaper, and darkly painted WPA-style murals with figures that stare menacingly at you.
As you wander around looking for an empty seat, you can feel the oppressive silence of the young twenty-something college crowd silently reading and studying. The silence is broken only by the whisk-whisk of the espresso machine, and pop music wafting over from the coffee counter. Piled on top of every rickety dark green table are piles of books and magazines discarded after a hasty read much like an empty plastic cup is discarded after being used.
The best seating in the café is definitely right next to the large industrial style windows. They face south overlooking verdant Union Square Park and its lovely surroundings, and the farmer’s market on select days. Whenever someone vacates a seat near the window, a game of musical chairs ensues as people move around jockeying for one of these coveted tables.
The food at Barnes and Noble Café consist of new age sodas, coffee, sugary snacks, and Godiva chocolates -- stuff that keeps you alert and smiling while you snooze away the afternoon studying. There are sandwiches available for $4.95, muffins and other pastries for around $2.00. Regular coffee is $1.45 a small cup. Menus and prices are the same as any Starbucks.
The café is suitable if you want to go and relax a bit with a wide selection of reading material, or if you want to go sit at a table and study without being ousted by the establishment for not buying stuff.
Recommended:
Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Cafe good for quiet studying and book reading.
Best Suited For: Friends
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