Barnes & Noble "actively looking" for Bethesda location

Barnes & Noble is "actively looking" for a location in the Bethesda area, a spokesperson for the bookstore chain said. The town has been without a bookstore since Amazon Books closed at Bethesda Row, and the closure of the original Bethesda Row Barnes & Noble on January 11, 2018 is still lamented by residents exactly five years later. Now that Barnes & Noble has announced it will open at least 30 new stores in 2023, readers are naturally eager to know if the company will make a triumphant return to Bethesda.

"We would love to be in that area," the spokesperson said. A number of the chain's new stores are opening in former Amazon Books locations, but the spokesperson said they have not signed a lease for the former Amazon Books space in Bethesda. "[We] hope to find something soon," the spokesperson added. 

The new Barnes & Noble in Rockville is smaller than older locations, but still has a Starbucks "BN Cafe." Barnes & Noble's Bethesda Row store was not only a haven for readers who still wanted to hold a physical book in their hands and peruse shelves, but also a community hub with its upstairs cafe.

Barnes & Noble makes a comeback...in Fairfax County

Barnes & Noble is much-missed at Bethesda Row. But the chain is planning a comeback with a new store concept, only not in Bethesda. Instead, the bookseller is planning to open one of the new stores in the Mosaic District at 2921 District Avenue in Fairfax County, which along with Loudoun County, is destroying MoCo in economic development (of course, with MoCo at rock bottom in the region, so are little guys like Culpeper and Rappahannock. Humiliating!).

B&N's new prototype store has a downsized inventory focused on books and gifts, dropping declining categories like music, movies and toys. It will also have a cafe, a feature Bethesdans were angered to find missing at the new Amazon Books store at Bethesda Row. The Mosaic Barnes & Noble is expected to open in June, according to the company.

The loss of Barnes & Noble and the Regal Cinemas (which the Montgomery County Council and Planning Board did not require the developer at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue to replace, despite having the authority to do so), along with the increasing flight of the rich out of Montgomery County to lower-tax jurisdictions in the region, has been a one-two punch to Bethesda Row. Longtime large restaurants have suddenly closed, and once-full parking garages now have hundreds of open spaces at the height of dinner hour.

We won't get a true test of the people-drawing power of B&N replacement Anthropologie & Co. until warmer weather returns this spring and summer. For now, the old crowds on the plaza have decidedly dispersed elsewhere. A major part of that is the loss of the theater, as well. Mainstream cineplexes have been shown in studies to draw an additional 20,000 people to an area per weekend. While the early months of Anthropologie have found its Terrain Cafe to be quite busy, the store itself seems to draw only a fraction of the shoppers the "failing" bookstore did.

Barnes & Noble sign removal at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Workers finally removed the large Barnes & Noble sign from the facade of the shuttered bookstore at Bethesda Row last evening. Anthropologie and Terrain Cafe will open in the vacant space later this year.

Disgruntled Barnes & Noble fan leaves graffiti message at former Bethesda Row location

A fan of Barnes & Noble has protested the exit of the bookseller from Bethesda Row by leaving a graffiti message of his/her displeasure on the construction walls around their former space. "Community Cornerstone R.I.P.," reads the message in U.S. Army-style stencil font. The statement refers to the bookstore's role as a community gathering space over the last two decades.

Meanwhile, the bookstore space's future tenants, Anthropologie & Co. and Terrain Cafe, have put up fancier messages on other parts of the wall. The signage touts some of what you'll find in the future store. I had to look up what BHLDN Weddings referred to. Famous quotes that used to adorn the exterior of the bookstore have also been removed in recent days.

Shocking photos of an empty Barnes & Noble at Bethesda Row

Horror of horrors for book lovers. The shuttered Barnes & Noble at Bethesda Row has been totally cleaned out inside, and is almost unrecognizable.

Sign being removed from Barnes & Noble at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Now that Barnes & Noble has closed at Bethesda Row, the sign is being removed from the facade of the building. It's not yet known what structural and cosmetic changes next tenant Anthropologie will make to the building, or how the outdoor cafe seating will fit with the existing plaza and water feature.

Barnes & Noble closes at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Barnes & Noble has closed forever at Bethesda Row. Despite the funereal black window coverings, some would-be patrons were still trying to figure out how to get inside last evening. The store will now be remodeled into a Anthropologie, which will open later this year and include a cafe with outdoor seating. Book lovers will have to travel to the Barnes & Noble at Montrose Crossing until the Amazon Books store opens at Bethesda Row this summer.

Barnes & Noble's last hours at Bethesda Row (Photos)

Barnes & Noble was winding down towards today's closure last night. Weeknight crowds were higher than usual, as bargain-seekers trolled the aisles for any remaining gems. Many shelves were bare after weeks of a closing sale (and likely transfers of inventory to other stores). After today, your only options are shopping online or going to Barnes & Noble at Montrose Crossing in the Pike District. Amazon Books will open at Bethesda Row this summer, with a smaller selection of books.

Last time through the exit doors

Barnes & Noble reopens, Redwood closed again last night (Photos)

Barnes & Noble reopened as scheduled yesterday morning, following what the store termed a "heat outage." B&N is still scheduled to close on January 11, and a closing sale is underway. Meanwhile, Redwood was not able to reopen yesterday, following a burst pipe on Monday. They will try again today, according to an employee.

Why is Barnes & Noble closed at Bethesda Row? (Photos)

Barnes & Noble is scheduled to close forever at Bethesda Row on January 11, 2018. But patrons this weekend have been surprised to find the doors already locked. The store closed at 5:00 PM yesterday, and won't reopen until 9:00 AM on January 3. Is this an early closure, or a way to clear more time to pack up inventory? Barnes & Noble says a "heat outage" is to blame for the closure.

Last Christmas at Barnes & Noble in Bethesda (Photos)

This is the last time you'll see the holiday decorations outside of Barnes & Noble. By this time next year, the bookstore will have been replaced by Anthropologie. Still unknown is what changes to the configuration of the plaza outside Barnes & Noble that will entail. Anthropologie will have outdoor dining at its Terrain Cafe, which Barnes & Noble has never needed space to accommodate.