Barnes & Noble

My first time visiting the Barnes & Noble in Union Square, NYC — and I honestly loved it. The store is spacious, peaceful, and filled with so many genres to explore. I grabbed a cozy iced vanilla latte and a buttery croissant from the in-store Starbucks, then settled in with my book (The Conference of the Birds) and just enjoyed the calm. The atmosphere had that perfect mix of city energy and bookish escape. Definitely coming back again.

Barnes & Noble Union Square is one of my favorite places in NYC. The store is spacious and beautifully organized across multiple floors, with something for every kind of reader—fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, graphic novels, art, and more. There’s also a cozy café where you can relax with a book and a coffee. Bonus: there’s a public restroom available on the third floor, which is convenient and appreciated, especially in a busy city like New York. Whether you’re browsing or buying, it’s a peaceful and inspiring place to spend time.

A beautiful place to visit and one of the biggest Barnes and Noble we've been to. The guy in the music area was a joy to speak with. He helped me search for vinyl. There are so many books to choose from and a café and seating at the very top. The bathrooms could use some work, but it's not as bad as some others. I sat on the floor at the end cap out of the way near a few magazines, and an older white lady said, we usually don't allow people to sit in the aisle. 😒 I wasn't but she was bothered, and quickly disappeared into thin air. We aren't from here but have had our share of experiences that prove a lot of what is being said. I didn't make my purchase after that incident and don't think I will purchase anything from them. I've had similar incidents in the past with Barnes and Noble, and they are notorious for racial bias. The store was clean and well organized. It is directly across the street from Union Park, where there are an endless amount of vendors. Especially food and organic produce. There is an escalator, so have no fear.

A quieter store than the one on 5th and definitely more inviting to readers. Vinyl records selection is also much better.

Guiness book world record Biggest Barnes and Noble Union Square...4 floors....beautiful views overlooking Farmers market area while enjoying a Starbucks and checking out books. Worth it!

This is an amazing 4 story bookstore. My granddaughter spent a couple of hours looking and buying. They have a really nice café on the third floor. It was packed and people were waiting for a seat. The pastries and desserts were very good.

This feels like the star Barnes & Noble of New York and maybe the United States. It’s the survivor of the Amazon era, the big multi-leveled book palace with live events and readings. One of the best cross-sections of New Yorkers from all walks of life. So big you can get lost and drift among the stacks. It’s a neighborhood anchor and the departmental image of analog-era, transitional era New York, caught like a beacon of the 1990s moment when much was lost but so much still remained. It just feels like the B&N so many New Yorkers have browsed and bought at. We’re so far from “You’ve Got Mail,” but you can sense that nostalgia for those relatively benign problems here. It’s the mess we want. And by the way: great book selection among the many shelves and sections.

Favorite B&N! The staff is extremely friendly and knowledgable about books. The staff at the registers don’t know much-but the staff on the floors, can walk you around and talk you through genres and release like a Google manual! LOL it’s great! I dont know when books got so expensive? I bought 5 books and spent $120 ! It was worth it, they have new releases, hard copy, paper back, THE YOUNG ADULT SECTION IS ENORMOUS! I even found WOOBLES!!! 🤓 anywho! Come!

A very big Barnes and Noble consistent of four floors. The main floor has a bunch of bestsellers and registers. The second floor is geared towards children (there is a bathroom for children and their chaperones). The third has a cafe, more books and bathrooms. The fourth has even more books and a space for events with folding chairs set up.

Large collections in this B&N, books, toys, cards, holiday gifts etc. They have 2 floors of merchandise. Easily spend 45 mins in there to check out all the stuff. The staff is very nice and helpful. Many registers to check out and a separated customer service area for questions. Sale going on now for the holidays. 50% off on many books. $20 for toy sets. Definitely worth to look around to get a good deal.

I frequent this Barnes & Noble because they have clean public restrooms on the 3rd floor, it's a beautiful building, and they do midnight book releases! We went to the Sunrise on the Reaping release last night and it was seriously so well organized and efficient --thank you to the incredible staff! Such a fun event and the same selection and great value of books from any Barnes & Noble. Our tickets were $35 and that included so many crafts, themed activities, and a hardback copy of the book.

It's cool because it's a HUGE bookstore and you could literally spend an entire day in there browsing, but other than the size of the place, there's nothing really special about it. It's just a standard Barnes and Noble. It feels like it hasn't been updated since the early 2000s though. The staff was wonderful in the way that they didn't interrupt my browsing. If I had a question, they were there. Otherwise they let me just explore quietly on my own. I would recommend going to any of the indie shops in NYC over this one! Indies are more unique and only slightly more expensive.

Amazing Barnes & Nobles location that has been here for many many years. They have a great selection of books and the staff is super helpful with whatever section, books, or even souvenirs you're looking to buy. This location also hosts certain events here such as pop up events or book signings etc. It's also a great place for kids to check out the kids books section along with coloring books etc. Definitely recommend checking this location out as it's been running nicely and quality of the selection and store has not decreased over time.

Service was ok did not get my order right. A little over priced but we are in ny. Selection good at the Starbucks.

Lovely bookstore with a huge variety to choose from especially if you are into fiction storytelling; the staff is knowledgeable and extremely helpful. One of my favorite bookstores by far.

Modern day library either the option to buy. Cafe is great too if you find a seat. Fast service; but the food is so so. No display of basic info like ingredients, sodium, calories. It gets busy and the bathrooms smell horrible because of hobo B.O. All that a side. Best book store in NYC with decent prices.

Barnes and Noble has always felt like home to me. This is the place where I will take shelter or barricade myself in the event of an apocalypse. No other bookstore in Manhattan has the same vibe as this bookstore.

One of the great features of Barnes and Nobles, is that each store manager has the ability to arrange the store as they and their staff see fit. I love hard-copy books! I even read then on occasion. On this fine day I walked into B and N carrying Quest for Kimchi, which I had just received from Barnesandnoble.com. It was also available on Amazon, so call me a traditionalist but I prefer bookstores. Location, location, location are the three "Ls" of real estate and of bookstores. (Which of course happen to occupy real estate). B and N 17th St is a great location, superb staff and the place to go to get your hard-cooy fix of books from an incredible bookstore. (By the way, order yourself Quest for Kimchi by Raquel Look--a fledging new author that's #1 in the cooking humor category. A fun read that you'll only put down when you reach the last page, which contains a very mesmerizing photo of the beautiful author.

Love this bookstore. Always a good time browsing and doing work in the cafe. Staff helpful and 5 floors of fun.

Barnes & Noble is a relaxing and enjoyable place to read, flip through magazines while listening to soothing piped music. I have been coming here for decades. Membership is offered which gives one a discount. The restrooms have been modernized and are clean and spacious. The cafe is open. I am here today looking at stops magazines and looking at my favorite cookbooks on the 3rd floor. On the ground floor there are pond about New York which I find fascinating.

Such a large Barnes and Noble, I do believe 4 stories. Staff are always attentive and friendly. Currently, on the second floor they have a Heartstopper exhibit showing Charlie Spring's bedroom. It was beautiful and amazing. On the last story, they have a section for events setup like an auditorium.

I am an indie bookstore advocate, so I have avoided Barnes & Noble for years. From my early aughts-2010s memories of the chain, it just always felt like their selection and service were mid-level and stale all around. However -- with the new CEO James Daunt (who founded book heaven Daunt Books in London), it seems like Barnes & Noble has been making moves to keep some of that indie spirit alive. And I feel it at this Union Square location. The way it's laid out makes so much sense (the entrance floor giving a sampling of every genre, and then subsequent floors are deepdives into them). It doesn't seem like the recommendations are so bland anymore. I swear their corporate team must be paying attention to Booktube/Booktok as well as all the major literary award lists and international authors as well, because the offerings are very well-curated. I am an Asian-American woman, and just a few years ago, it was SO difficult to find not only up-and-coming Asian authors but also other BIPOC authors as well. Now, there's a lot of representation but it's not limited to just a history month every year. Keep up the good work, B&N!

This is a great Barnes and Noble to visit. Four spacious floors with lots of great selections! While visiting Union Square, I like stopping by here. One can seriously lose hours exploring here!

Haven't been in a while, but BN never disappoints. Was shopping for a bible for Sunday school and I was shocked by the numerous options, especially after calling a few bookstores closer to home and they acted like they never heard of a bible before . They were on the 3rd floor and on the way there we were pulled in by the many well organized placing of so many fun reads. We even hung out at the Starbucks cafe for a bit, before searching through the iconic records in the music section. They even have candles in the shape of books that smell divine. This is a very relaxing, very demure, very mindful location. We will be back soon!!! Vive le bookstores!

It is great to hear that Barnes & Noble is making a comeback. They have five floors with clean bathrooms, a great selection of books, music, and food and coffee. I like to go there and buy great books. I think you should look for Melania Trump's new memoir about her time as First Lady. I predict the book will do very well. Barnes and Nobles takes all major credit cards. I treasure this store immensely.

Won't be visiting this Barnes and nobles retailer ever again. I was being followed by a black security guard on Monday early afternoon when I was on the 4th floor looking at books I wanted to buy for another time. The guard waited across from the escalator eyeing me every second as I was reading the book excerpts then after a few minutes I felt uncomfortable so I decided to leave. There was other people walking around and he decided to racially profile me like I was going to steal a book. This is a racist location. It may be big but they don't value its customers. As much as I love reading and books I'll buy from Amazon

When I'm near Union Square, I hang out here to spend extra time just browsing. And I find something new each time... so the minutes I say I'll spend there easily turn into hours. I'm used to the one level B&N that you find in a washed out suburban mall but this one goes above and beyond with where they arrange the layout so that every floor is intentionally curated and it's easy to browse/understand where everything is. I know there's independent bookstores around but with the plethora of books/music and the consideration behind the space/events they arrange, I have to note that it's been a place of great memories and new things to come. Today I caught Simu Liu's book tour and just last year, I caught Lauv's CD signing event! No shortage of cool author/artist events and keeps you wondering who's coming to visit next. :)

This location is amazing, I came here to sign some copies of my book and I didn't realize this was the biggest Barnes and Noble store in the US. Staff was super friendly and helped out throughout the whole process. They also have four floors and a coffee shop. Glad I was able to stop by.

Sometimes I come in search of something very specific and sometimes I love to browse and see what catches my eye. You're always going to find something at Barnes and Noble that suits your interests. I love this location because it's huge and they have so much to look at. I particularly love the music section. This time in particular I was looking specifically for the Katy Perry Teenage Dream album. I was hoping to find the extended version of the Album, which includes the song "Dressin' Up", but I was happy to find the shorter version of the album too. I try not to be too picky. The person behind the front desk was very helpful too. This location has the best music section in my honest opinion. They have so many options! I love it!

Something for everyone here. Books, toys, puzzles and more. Relaxed atmosphere... Really nice bookstore!

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IF YOU NEED to EMERGENCY POOP THIS IS FOR YOUUUUUU CLEVELANDDDD I ran into this barn panting and sweating. Running around begging for a fecal extraction device to set me free. Quickly sprinted up to the 2nd floor and into the Children's section to see the toilet and boom. They had one stall closed but one was open so we had to make do. Not too bad, a bit messy but we got the job done After all's said and done, i was happy. Also the book selection here was good, can't bring books into the toilet tho.

This is my favorite Barnes & Noble in New York City. It ginormous and you can always find whatever you're looking for with their helpful staff. Love the Starbucks inside the store! I have been coming to this location for nearly two decades. You can always find a good deal here as well. I absolutely love this place. Thank you for being an awesome bookstore and multimedia outlet!

I'm still a book and magazine guy. Working in publishing my whole career I have a long term affection for the printed page. I'm just not into reading books and magazines on a Kindle or my cell phone. So I keep coming here to this B&N to peruse the aisles to discover new and old things to read. This store is a tent pole of the Union Square area and it's kind of iconic in an era where book stores are sadly disappearing. The store itself if huge. The layout is over 4 floors. Every category you can want to know about is here. So much to see. So much to read. Not just printed pages but all kinds of learning toys, specialty items, children's section, and more. If you're a consistent customer it's worth it to sign up for their loyalty rewards. There is also a Starbucks on the upper floor with plenty of seating. Have to take away a star since they won't accept your Starbucks card here, so don't even think about paying with your account to gain stars, or use them for free drinks and food. Still, this is a terrific store.

5 stars for the bathroom. It used to be super disgusting. But I see they've renovated. Stop in to browse the books and to use the new facilities

Among the most gorgeous, majestic Barnes and Nobles that remain. Many friendly, knowledgeable staff. Good children's section. Famous author events in person are back! Was so glad to stop in and pick up a couple of children's books. Will visit the cafe on the third floor next time :-)

This is such a lovely store and used to be a great place to hang out to read and choose books. But it literally smells. And it smells BAD. The first floor is fine and the 2nd floor is okay. It starts with the 3rd floor - it isn't just the cafe - it's the entire floor. The place is in such desperate need of a scrubbing and disinfecting. I really wanted to peruse the travel section but the stench was unbearable. Also - absolutely no places or nooks to sit unless it's at the cafe. I don't know if this is just post-Covid but I remember this place being a lot nicer.

I've been going to this dreamy bookstore for over 10 years! It's my place of comfort. The team is so friendly and the selections are perfectly organized. Love, love, love this place!!

This is a spacious Barnes and Noble with several floors. It's very close to Union Square and gets quite busy but it's always well organized. They don't have much seating throughout the store but they do have a large cafe area and don't seem to mind if you sit even if you haven't ordered anything. They also have clean public bathrooms.

Public service announcement. I've been all over Manhattan, looking for magazines, and by far and away the most magazines were found at Barnes & Noble in Union Square on the third floor.

Admittedly I may be overly enthused by BN due to the isolation of covid and the scarcity of large bookstores in Detroit where I also live. I was immediately taken by the second floor kids section. The toy and game section is huge, well organized by type and age. They carry many imported toys along with Legos , Chutes and Ladders and the like. I saw many brands I was unfamiliar with so I read about their ratings online. Without exception they were all highly rated. The kids book department was also large and well organized . There were periodic staff signs to draw attention to a particular book. There was one book that is the most checked out book in 125 from the NY public library. Of course I bought just incase my grand babies maybe missing this.

I absolutely love this B&N location! It's absolutely huge and the collection of books they have is truly endless. They'll always have the new releases and will have a pretty legit backlog of books available too. I mainly look in the fiction/YA sections on the 1st and 2nd floor and it's always got the new releases. Also, the staff is amazing here! And I definitely recommend getting the B&N membership since it's 10%. So glad we have a B&N in the city! Definitely worth the visit

Nowadays people hardly go to liberty and publishing industry is dying. Barnes A& Noble is a store that reminds me of the old days. It takes the whole building and ton of books. I love kids section. I enjoy searching for a wonderful illustrate book that even you can buy it online but you won't see the stuff inside if there is no sample. The actual store gives me more options to get the book I like. Before I leave I end up getting Lego minifigure, lol.

With four floors of knowledge how can their be a downside. They also have discounted items such as games and knickknacks. Its clean and big. Also right by Union Square so if you need a break from the quiet plenty of activity outside. Mera's Tip: curl up with a good book.

Gosh, I've been coming to this Barnes & Noble for twenty years now. I feel nostalgic every time I enter, reflecting on all of the fantastic signings I've attended. This is a must-visit if you are in NYC - there aren't many bookstores like this around anymore, sadly.

It's the Union Square location of a classic store. You can't go wrong here. It's massive, has an even better selection of books than most Barnes & Noble's, a cafe, and most importantly, it has a bathroom. If you're in Union Square and are looking to catch your breath somewhere indoors, this is a great spot.

Came to pick up an online order and i left with Christmas gifts! Everything i purchased was right at the cashwrap. Bill was most helpful with this transaction. I even purchased a book to donate. I love seeing brands doing philanthropic/ humanitarian work. It warmed my heart and I'll be sure to donate another upon my next trip. Thanks again Bill!!

I wasn't much of a B&N customer before, but since Covid I've started buying more from brick and mortar stores just because I still want to see them around after the pandemic. Amazon doesn't need more customers, but all these bricks and mortar stores which make up our city do. The selection at B&N is great, and this location is really spacious. I especially like the kid area. Their toys and games selections are as good as their books.

I absolutely love to read, and I was looking for a place with a large variety of books to choose from, and this beautiful bookstore with 4 floors full of books, and not only books, also bags, bookmarks, mugs, toys, games like board games, magnets and much more! This place provides a large selection of books of all genres and is the heaven for any book lover. All of the books had different, unique and creative covers and they were so nice! Great value. The service was wonderful and the prices were fair and great.

I went there yesterday and the personnel were again *terrific*. I was looking for several books & didn't have a lot of time, and women working on two of the floors helped me find all of the books. They were also very friendly. When I paid for everything, the cashier was *exceptionally* friendly - and when I'd initially gone to the Customer Service counter (to find out exactly where all of the books were located), the woman working there was very helpful & pleasant.

As you can see from my weird little 2009 Yelp review, I'm a big fan of the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. It's a great location, with four floors of books just a couple hops from the train station. I don't live in New York, but have been to this bookstore several times over the years. I had a few hours to kill on a Monday afternoon in Manhattan last month, so I decided to stop by and scope the place out. I was on a little bit of a mission, to be honest. My new book had just come out, and it was part of a couple Barnes & Noble promotions, and I was curious how it would be displayed. The answer was tucked away on the fourth floor with most of the fiction (though I hear it has since moved to the first, hey-o). I also had to get through a book that afternoon, so I figured I'd plop down and read for a while. There weren't many places to sit, I guess by design, because the few spots there were were swarmed. I found a seat in the cafe area, which was absolutely packed. I wasn't the only one looking to park for a bit. Barnes & Noble is obviously not an independent neighborhood bookstore, but I'm partial to the chain (it was the one bookstore in the suburb where I grew up, and I was very sad when it closed and became a CVS), and particularly fond of this branch. It makes me happy to think about my books on these shelves, and I look forward to visiting again next time I'm passing through Union Square.

I want to like. I am a long-time NYer who has given up on all BNBs including this one. All they care about is selling the freaking membership. Holy moly. Books here are already super expensive. Thank you so much for a "discount" off of a huge markup. The upselling now to platinum or premium from a regular membership killed me. A basic membership is already sort of ridiculous. Why do I need to pay for the privilege of shopping somewhere? Why does a cashier "need" my email. what is the point of the "discount" when most items are very overpriced? Sick of this and tired of how it's become normalized. But it's gotten bad at BNB. I now get ready for a confrontation at the register every time, which has ruined shopping there

I live in the west village, but I love this store so much I'm usually here once a week or so.  I know some people have a love hate relationship with B&N, but I have nothing but good thoughts about it.  I love the different floors and the spaciousness about it.  If I am looking for a book they don't have in stock, I can get help at the main help desk and things can be ordered.  They've helped me out with several things that way. The space is always clean, there is so much room that it never gets too crowded, even around the holidays and their DVD selection is divine.  Yes!  I still have a Blu-Ray DVD player and use it a lot!

In this day and age, it's such a treasure to be able to sit in a bookstore and be surrounded by walls and walls of books and magazines. I've always enjoyed coming to this Union Square location for as long as I remember. It has three floors. The second floor is mainly children's section and the third floor has the cafe as well as the magazine section. Both upper floors have restrooms. The cafe is very spacious and you can literally read for hours and enjoy some drinks and treats. It has big windows that allows so much natural light in and it overlooks the farmers market.

As corporate as they come, but useful for two things - a public restroom in an area of the city where there are few, and the educator's discount, which allows for twenty percent off cookbooks, wrapping paper, and various other treats that will never see my classroom, but nevertheless make me very happy.

Store is dirty . Full of homeless people . Staff is rude . Books are over priced . Amazon had better selection and quality . If you ask a question of staff . No one knows the answer . Selection of books is limited . You are better off shopping elsewhere

The one time I bought by mail order, they put the wrong book in the envelope - never again. Far as in person stores, they have become Starbucks cafes that sell calendars.

This place is great, they have public bathrooms. This is accessible for people when not many NYC businesses are. Its one of the largest barnes and nobles, the cafe gets busy but its good to work in.