bookstores continuing to disappear

[dabroots]

So, now that the Border's at Penn Circle will be closing, now that Joseph-Beth on the South Side has already closed, and more than a year after the B&N on Murray closed, it seems that Pittsburgh-proper will be without any bookstores selling a wide selection of new books and magazines. Sure, there's Bradley's on the ninth floor of the downtown Macy'

Comments

[t3knomanser]

For used and exotic, there's still Caliban on Craig Street.

Sadly, the Internet has eaten the bookstores' lunch.

But now I wonder what's going to replace that Borders- that's a lot of square footage in that plaza going vacant, and it's surrounded by other vacant storefronts.

[dabroots]

I love Caliban and a number of other used bookstores. They're fantastic, and I regularly patronize them. Again, it's being able to see what's new, and also to see numerous titles by the same authors, together on the same shelves--I miss that.

The Internet has much to do with the demise of bookstores, but more recently so does the growing popularity of e books, to which I might have to succumb. As it is, I'm a great fan of Pittsburgh's continuing-to-be-fantastic library system.

About that vacant square footage, are you referring to the Penn Circle Borders or the one in South Hills near Galleria?

[t3knomanser]

My main enjoyment from bookstores always comes from rambling and stumbling into interesting things- which new stores usually fail at miserably. If I know what I want- I go online and get it. If I want to browse, I want a place that's structured for casual browsing.

Penn Circle. It's odd to see so much empty storefront and a giant Target going in down the street. It worries me since I live in the neighborhood.

[dabroots]

I'm okay with the Target. It will be good for employment and also allow people in Pittsburgh-proper not to have to drive miles to shop at a big box store. It's possible that its presence will help fill up some of those storefronts. I don't live in that part of town, but am there frequently to shop at Trader Joe's and Borders.

[meganbnl]

I'm very grateful that my nearest Borders (at Pittsburgh Mills Mall) has apparently been spared.

[dabroots]

Right. That one, and the one at Beaver Valley Mall are the only ones being spared.

[iamcaitlan]

Which is hilarious to me seeing as they are the worst malls ever.

Coming from someone who essentially spent my entire teenage years at the BVM.

[winterjade]

Not quite. There's still the Borders on McKnight as well.

[fasterpussycat]

I def. wasn't happy about Joseph-Beth. It was nice having a bookstore within walking distance.

[dabroots]

Yes, I can imagine so. The original, larger store was especially nice.

[earthly_gnome]

I thought they were moving...not closing...

[au_reve]

Isn't there a Barnes & Noble at Duquesne and/or Point Park? If so, is it open to the public?

[dabroots]

Barnes & Noble runs the textbook store at Point Park but has only a very small selection of new, general interest books and a table of remainders. I know they also have a store at Duquesne, which I suspect is along the same lines.

[quiet000001]

Also, the PPU store prices are awful - it's generally cheaper to go online and order the exact same book, but from the B&N website, unless you're going used to start with and want to see what you're getting.

It's very strange.

[justanerdyangel]

I'm so happy that B&N isn't going out of business. I'd have to cry if they were.

[dabroots]

B&N has been much more successful with its online business than Borders with theirs, plus B&N consolidated its college textbook stores and online textbook sales division, both of which are continuing to do well, with its general interest store division.