Borders Books Music & Cafe

Great book store, too bad it was poorly managed and had to close down. I never bought books there, but it was a great place to buy Blu-​rays and DVDs.

They are closing down and have some sales. Nothing too amazing but the 40% off magazines was a good deal. Most other things are 10−20% off. I think they will likely increase their sales as the week goes on. They still have a good amount of their inventory and more than I thought would be there.

i buy most of my books from
, but stop by this borders outpost before going grocery shopping across the street at central market or before going to royal thai…
i usually come here to peruse through the magazines, travel books, and also their sale cookbook section… but the last time i stopped by, there was a specific book i wanted to get (can’t remember the title… it’s been awhile)…so, i look around for a employee to help me and there is no one… as i’m wandering about looking for some help, i spot an employee with several books re-​shelving them… i start to walk towards him and stop a couple of feet behind him… he continues to re-​shelf the books and then turns around… here is the conversation that takes place:
guy: i’m sorry, am i in your way?
me: no
guy: do you need something?
me: actually, i’m looking for blah blah blah book…
guy: hesitates and gives me a kind of puzzled look…
me: where can i find this book?
guy: um… hesitates again… let me just show you where you might find the book…
me: okay…
guy: starts walking to the area and points to a bookshelf and tells me that i should be able to find the book somewhere around that shelf…
me: i’m thinking… okay, he was kind of helpful… but…if he was going to walk me to the bookshelf… why not just go all way and find the book for me? maybe i was just being lazy…
so, i find the book and also pick up a cookbook as well… then, i head to the back of the long line to pay for my books… as i’m waiting… i start looking at the various displays of last minute buys… i see a cute journal that catches my eye and start flipping through it… i know i would never write in it… as i’m putting the journal down, i look up to see how the line is progressing and i realize… the «employee» that helped me find my book is standing a row ahead of me… weird…hmm…how come his clothes don’t match the employees at the the check out counter… then it hits me… ZOMFG…he doesn’t work here! how do i manage to get myself into these type of situations? i have to admit, this is not the first time i have mistaken a customer as an employee… i think it’s partly their fault for wearing a generic pair of khaki pants with a polo style shirt… and why the heck did he not tell me he didn’t work here?
anywhoo, i quickly duck under the divider and run to the bathroom putting my books down on the nearest chair/table…i don’t even remember… i was so embarrassed… i hid in the bathroom for maybe 10 minutes and then ran to my car and drove across the street to central market…
i have not been to this borders since this incident ;-p

Confession time!
I was a long-​time Borders employee at the Greenville/​Lovers & the West Village location. I have since then, got a real job. So of course, I have certain biases and such. Keep that in mind…
This location is kind of low tech/​the ugly sister of the Dallas Border locations even though it has been renovated more recently. A good thunderstorm will knock out the whole Old Town Center. (Employees still come into work. and shelve in the dark. hehe) Anyways, this store as the Digital Music Center. Not many places have this feature. You can make your own mix CDs! Of course the files are low tech, but this works well for people that don’t have access to computers and the internet.
Music selection sucks… they are pushing this center.
The Papyrus secton! All the little odd purple color do-​dads you never wanted, but secretly want to buy…
You will get bombarded (like any Borders) with greetings and panhandling-​esque customer service… And the cashiers will talk your ear off about specials, focus items and rewards that they are being evalated by.
Anyways, I get side tracked… If you wanna homey feel, go to this Borders…
a more corporate/​Hallmark one, go to B&N or Borders West Village.

I usually am not a fan of the big box book stores, but I enjoy going to this location very much. We always take advantage of their coupon offers so that books are a good deal. Really like their selection of travel books and magazines. I would not, however, buy a CD here as the prices are really high. I’m not really a fan of coffee and deserts so I don’t partake of the coffee shop, but the wife likes it so that is what is important.

This is actually one of my favorite Borders locations. It is smaller than other locations so it feels a little less corporate. We would usually grab dinner at Royal Thai and shop at World Market before stopping by here. The selection is limited but the staff is always friendly and helpful. Aside from the Holiday season, I’ve never been here when it’s too busy, so you can enjoy a cup of joe while browsing through books/​mags. Perhaps it’s a good place to hang out before heading to the bars because of location. «Let’s go to Border’s and read some mags before we get trashed on Lower Greenville! Woot!»

Borders Books Music & Café.
Nice space. Lots of magazines.
Books: Quite okay if you’re looking for classics or bestsellers or anything Oprah likes. If you’re not in school, if you’re not interested in diets or self-​improvement and if you’re not Oprah then they have convenient computer terminals where you can order the book you do want on something called «the Internet». Amazing! I hope one day I might get one of these contraptions in my home.
Music: I didn’t go to this area. I use a contraption in my home to discover new music.
Café: You can order nonalcoholic beverages and snacks while you read magazines. One up on public libraries.
Seriously. I like books and the atmosphere found in a room containing many books on many shelves. Mom-​n-​Pops are gone. The chains are suffering. The industry is being shaken. The new model is not clear. I do know I don’t want a Kindle. Unlike CDs and movies I do need the physical presence of a paper book in my hands.
Borders used to be more like a proper book store — whatever that is anymore — with a breath of titles. They’ve given up that battle against the Amazons.

Ok, ok … Borders as a chain — yeah, no brainer: five stars. Giveaway prices on their bargain bins, coupons/​rewards programs best I’ve come across for a brick-​n-​mortar, a café that’s NOT Starbux regardless of your taste in coffee.
So what’s left to complain about? Well, I lived not-​too-​far from this neighborhood years ago. Close enough to walk my dog. Everyday.
I’d tie up the dog, zip in, zip out. Bam: I had an entire Sandman (Neil Gaiman) collection by the end of a summer. The dog was so socialized, it knew how to open up the house door, seat the guest and make small talk.
So why’d this Borders lose it’s soul?
In a word: Pod People.
Its not that I’m being all passive /​aggressive or nuttin’ but: they’re nice but not nice at the same time.
OK… HEAR ME OUT: there are a couple of good ones left but last night (yes … wow … a fresh review) it all coalesced to that one word: Pod People.
A friend of mine wanted to check out their 75% off stuff … and the Pod People just hovered around with the same sentence: Can I Help You Find Anything? Fine great. Until after about 665 times … one more time would be a little … Damien Thorn-​ish.
C’mon, people … it’s a recession. We’re all losing our shirts. We’re all losing it. But … dammit … Damien Thorn, you will not get my soul.
I’ll be laughing all the way to the West Village Borders.

I love this Borders because it is near my house and isn’t a pain to get to like the Barnes and Noble on NW HWY. I love the tables full of books when you walk in that lure you into buying a book you haven’t heard of. This past visit I picked up «Animals with Tourette’s» from one of those tables. Basically cute pics of animals with some of the most foul epithets I have ever read! Awesome! See, I would never know that book existed if it hadn’t been on that table! I love the section of quirky, fun gifts. They have computer kiosks set up where you can type in a subject, author, or book title and it will lead you to the location in the store. They also have a pretty interesting selection of electronic gadgets… like the sony bookreader (competes with Amazon’s kindle I guess) and a USB turntable so you can put your vinyl classics on your mp3 player. Not to mention the turntable works with your speakers so you can listen to your vinyl with it also. Rock on. They have movies and CDs and even have kiosks where you can burn your own mix CD I guess (although isn’t that what iTunes is for?). And if you need coffee, they have a little coffee shop inside also. The employees are always helpful every time I have been there, even during the Christmas rush. Overall great bookstore to stop in and browse around.

if you are a book and coffee lover at the same time, and you are forced to decide between borders and barnes and noble… make sure you make a conscious decision to choose borders. i am a coffee connisseur (self-​proclaimed) and i am all about book exploring with a latte in my hand at the same time. borders offers a great experience in these regards. the coffee at borders is unique and far better than starbucks. get a maple latte (seasonal) with a splash of white chocolate… add some whipped cream and go search the store for James Patterson books. You won’t be disappointed.

Let’s go ahead and get this out in the open… I do not like Barnes and Nobel. It’s too quiet. It looks like a library. I feel like everyone there is smarter than I am… hey wait… maybe they are! Either way that’s one of the many reasons I love Borders on Greenville.
When I walk in and go up the to the customer service box and say «I need this book. I don’t know who wrote it. I don’t know the title. I know it’s blue and orange on the front and there’s a part about a cat,» they do not look at me like I’m an idiot. They usually go «Yes, it’s the Cat In the Hat. We told you that last week when you asked.» Or they check the magic computer and find out for me. No taunting. No rolling of the eyes. I love this place.
Also, lets not forget that they have everything you could want… books, snacks, stickers, cd’s, dvd’s, manga, funky gifts, pink Christmas trees, shiny glittery Jesus banks, magazines, candy coated sesame seeds in holiday colors, ear muffs… yeah, they are running the gamut here.
When I go in the return a book, they don’t say, «This might have been read.» They say «Oky dok,» and then sell me ten more items I didn’t know I needed until I got there.
I will find stocking stuffers, major cool gifts (like Planet Earth which I could only find at Border’s last year and it was on sale), and gazillions of things I want for ME!
Dear Borders:
Do you love me as much as I love you?
_​_​_​_​_​Yes _​_​_​_​_​No _​_​_​_​_​Maybe
Yours always,
Denorama

I am not big on paying full price for books. I mean, I know they cost a good bit to make sometimes, but I don’t care! If it’s not A collectors keepsake, make it cheap please!
I like this Borders because they have a good clearance section. I don’t know what the deal is, but they have a ton of stuff to get rid of!
I go in to new book stores to see what’s current, and check out all the cool etc. the sell. this one has a download station, and lots of fun pens and office supplies. They also have Magazines galore. I like to sit a read a magazine before I deem it worthy of take home and keep. usually I don’t buy, but if I do, I go to Walmart or Sam’s because that have 10 or 20% off cover.
Otherwise I swap with friends when they are done.
I have room for a full price Retail bookstore in my heart, as long as they keep making a place for me, the frugal Mom, and put markdown tags on some stuff I’d buy!
Congrats Borders on reaching another type of customer!

Basically, a Borders is a Borders is a Borders. I’d be hard-​pressed to find a difference between them aside from size.
Between the two chains, I’ll take Barnes & Noble any day. However, what makes this location worthy of a review is that it is within walking distance of many places I frequent for lunch: Central Market, Freebirds (yes, yes, even), Subway. It’s a wonderful way to spend the rest of my lunch break, treating the entire place like a library, before venturing back to work to deal with the knuckleheads I share an office with.