I would not consider myself a connoisseur of books, at all. But what I (and countless others) would describe myself as is a connoisseur of atmoshpere, and this bookstore has plenty of it. The music, although catchy when you choose to listen to it, is not distracting enough to disturb those reading or intently perusing. I took off a star for two seperate reasons: The coffee and the customer service.
The customer service is a huge aspect of the shopping experience, so I'm sure all of you are going, "Erik, shouldn't this take off more than a star?" To that I say no, anonymous reader. Because it ranges. Every cashier I have come in contact with is nice, friendly, and ready to chat about your purchase, which is the perfect employee to me. On the other hand, those wandering the store, the ones that are there to "help", have never been completely helpful to me and often come off as rude.
Secondly, the Starbucks at this Barnes & Noble leaves a lot to be desired. Obviously if you want a Starbucks experience, the first place to visit isn't a bookstore starbucks, but this particular one does not even try. The coffee is quite expensive compared to the average store, they do not accept gift cards, and the workers seem blase about working there.
Besides these two faults, this Barnes & Noble is like a third or fourth home to me. The atmosphere and energy in there is perfect, most of the staff is friendly, and the store is easy to navigate. All in all, it is a feast for the literary senses.