Even Barnes & Noble can't afford the East Village anymore! The Astor Place location, where I confess to have bought a book and magazine or two over the years, is closing as of December, because the rent is too damn high -- even for grotesquely huge, bloated billion-dollar mega-corporation. I knew the Union Square branch was hugely successful, but I assumed Barnes and Noble was like McDonald's or Starbucks: one on every block, regardless of the balance sheet of each individual branch. You know, "branding" and all that shit. My bad.
High Rents Chase Another Book Store Away, This Time a Chain