How well I remember the days in the late 90s when I was in college and I would drive the 45 minute trip to Grape Road in Mishawaka and go to one of my favorite places – the brand New Barnes & Noble. Featuring aisles of books that you could read without buying, Starbucks coffee and open til 11, what better place to spend a rainy day or a Sunday afternoon. Well, the past couple years, the place has been looking a bit old and tattered, like a well read book, and I think they decided that a fresh new look was in order. So, in the typical fashion of American retail, instead of just redoing the store, they just built a brand new one down the road. It’s a beautiful store though – spacious and bright, with a much larger coffeeshop. It is also connected to the University Park Mall complex, which makes the parking alot more cumbersome. All in all, though, I enjoyed spending a few hours there this afernoon, catching up on photography and design books and browsing about the store with a cup of Starbuck hot chocolate in hand. (I fondly recall the days when I told Corey Stark about the store and he thought I was heretical, but then, in typical Corey fashion, he became a B&N junkie. I think the Careys probably had something to do with it too.) It was a wonderful way to spend a part of the afternoon.
wow, the mall construction is done? that will be fun to see!
Change is good…. and change can sometimes be sad.
Every time we come thru, we see significant change.
Like the blue house being razed.
Like the HOP moving locations.
Like the new condos going up.
strange.
Barnes & Noble is a staple in our lives here, there, everywhere. Good times and peaceful sittings. 🙂
When we were there last month, we drove by the mall, but I don’t remember seeing this… Hmmm…
So, is the old building just sitting there empty? I mean what would you turn a huge old B&N into? A gymnasium?