Borders Books Music & Cafe

Will always play second fiddle to Barnes & Noble; the way Seattle’s Best (which they serve there) will play to Starbucks. Everything about it is second rate save for their bargain book selection.
And why are their DVDs damn near $ 30? There’s a Walmart in the same shopping center where they cost $ 5– have they not been there?
Well I have, so this place is a ripoff. That being said, their selection is noteworthy and their staff friendly. Line management needs improvement.

My site-​to-​store order arrived five days before I stopped in, and at no point was I notified by this Chapter-​11-​affected store that my item was ready for pickup. I called after the FedEx tracking # notified me all systems were go and the staffmember who answered with a nasty tone informed me that no one could confirm or deny this information. Alas, the freshly spewed vitriol did nothing to prepare me for the veritable sex offender convention I would be met with on a cold closeout day. Given, they were amidst Chapter 11 and one of the many locations earmarked to shutter, but this is how I imagine a city post-​natural disaster, minus the looting and with the addition of 2 cashiers for 200+ customers. To say they were understaffed would be a gross misrepresentation of the situation, but the line moved as fast as it could given the situation corporate placed them in.

This Borders is awful. I only came here because one of my students gave me a gift card. I’m a preschool teacher and went here one day to look for books for next week’s lessons. I came with a list of five or six books to buy and they literally had NONE OF THEM. There was no one to help me look for them and once I did hound someone down they had no luck either. Complete waste of time. Their children’s section is just far too limited.
They have the bestsellers and the usual stuff but this store is messy and they just don’t have the varied selection that Barnes and Noble has, which is down the street and my first choice. Although I will say that Seattle’s Best coffee is better than Starbucks at B&N.
But seriously, don’t waste your time here, the store is so messy yet the shelves seem empty… a paradox.

For your «one stop» big box book vendor, this location represents the «death rattle» of book stores in general. Still, free wi-​fi and a healthy stock of bestsellers should at least warrant a few hours of your time. Still, highly commoditized and with no real personality. Beware of the overbearing Seattle’s Best manager.
Bookstore/​Coffee shops are ranked via: a) selection; b) coffee house; c) wi-​fi; d) service; d) overall cleanliness or the «vibe» factor.
The selection of books are fairly run-​of-​the mill. A book store should generally differentiate itself by focusing on a certain genre a little more than others. Catering to all common denominators never does the trick. Ruling against Borders.
The coffee house is Seattle Best. The manager is loud, speaks to himself, and seems to forget that he is not the most important person in the joint. The customer is. Stop loudly condescending your employees in front of others. Weighs against Borders.
Wi-​fi, in this age, deserves it’s own category. It’s free and this should warrant a visit to this location if you’re looking for a good place to study. Ruling in favor of Borders.
Overall Cleanliness and «vibe» factor: A lack of wow marketing, unenthusiastic employees, and a general lack of knowledge of books in general has been the plague of book vendors as it shifts to a big-​box model. Against Borders.

One of the few Borders left in the NY metro area, its got a different vibe than Barnes and Noble. Don’t know what it is, but perhaps it’s because it doesn’t have such a quite big machine behind it or maybe it’s the lighting. That said, they do have a varied selection of gift items from smaller known brands — very cute, pretty, and interesting. The selection of books, music, and DVDs is a bit different as well.
Good luck finding a seat here as they are few and far between to begin with.
This Borders has a Seattle’s Best Coffee and well, it may be the best in Seattle, but…
Borders has a membership program, but I don’t know the rules. Check the internet for a coupon before visiting. Like Barnes & Noble, they’ll give you a bit of hard time when it comes to discounts.
Restroom is accessible and always filthy… make sure you have your own tissues or what have you before you enter!

I enjoy studying at the Seattle’s Best café inside Border’s. That’s the main reason I go. The café inside is quiet with low background music. Occasionally there is no music and generally the rare patrons that do hold conversation are quiet. A small sample of cakes and treats are there to eat while you do some reading. There is always at least one student studying there on the weekend. It’s a nice place to grab a magazine (or study) and sit down with a cup of tea.
Regarding buying books from Border’s, I’m used to buying books from
. At Border’s I generally browse and I’m not looking for a particular book. I have requested books before. By the time they have the book my schedule or some other disruption prevents me from getting back to Border’s. It’s rare for me to purchase books from Border’s. They generally don’t have what I’m seeking, and if they do the price is higher than online and I can wait for the shipping time. I will buy a magazine though.

I came here a few weeks ago looking for a Grand Canyon specific hiking guide. They didn’t have any in stock, but the helpful salesperson showed me some stuff that they could order, and we picked out a title together.
–2 stars for it taking 2 ½ weeks for the book to get to Borders :(. I was expecting it in a week or too, especially since it showed that it was in stock and ready to order.