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Alphabet City is about to get 11,000 more square feet in which to lose track of time.
Barnes & Noble will open its new East Village bookstore at 9 am on Wednesday, November 18, at 181 Avenue A between East 11th and East 12th Streets—and the bookseller says it’s the largest new bookstore to open anywhere in the city in more than a decade.
Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart will cut the ribbon at 9 am and sign copies of his latest novel, "John of John." If you know Stuart from "Shuggie Bain," the novel that won him the Booker in 2020, here’s a chance to get his newest book signed before your first Zoom call. The opening festivities continue into next weekend with special storytimes featuring Corduroy, the bear whose missing button has long concerned our smallest New Yorkers.
The Avenue A opening is part of the chain's comeback in New York: after years of closures, Barnes & Noble has opened stores on the Upper East Side and Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue and overhauled its Upper West Side and Park Slope locations. Nationwide, the company says it now has more than 740 stores (up from fewer than 600 in 2023) and will count Avenue A among 60 openings this year.
Part of that expansion has involved giving local booksellers more say over what goes on their shelves. The Avenue A team is led by Jonathan Leon, who comes from the Fifth Avenue store. “Stocking this new store has been fascinating work,” Leon said.
If you need an excuse to start your holiday shopping early, Barnes & Noble Premium and Rewards members will earn double stamps on purchases at the new store from November 18 through 22. The opening deals also include $50 off any Nook device, too. For updates on what’s happening after opening weekend, the store is posting at @bnavenuea.
As for next week, you can start with a signed novel and see what else makes it home.