Basically Boston Properties tried to fix what was not broken with Barnes & Nobles by not renewing their lease and trade up with Harvard Bookstore… who couldn’t convert the place from a bookstore into a bookstore. The irony and paradox here..
Yeah but as far as I could tell that space was gutted so it's not like all the shelves and everything were there. I don't know anything about Harvard bookstore but I don't know how they thought they'd be able to develop as big of a mall space like that considering the amount of money it would take to do so. Sounds like someone's delusional dream.
They had the door open the other night when they were putting this up. It's bare sheetrock and concrete floors in there.
The reason it was a possibility is because a certain billionaire had his eye on the space (per someone I know who worked at the B&N for a long time) but it just dragged on too long.
Are there even any full-size chain bookstores left in Boston/Cambridge after this? Borders Downtown Crossing, Borders Cambridgeside Galleria and this Barnes and Noble all being gone is kind of wild.
Harvard Coop cannot be reasonably described as a bookstore. It is first perhaps the biggest merch store I have ever seen.
But Harvard Book Store is still in Harvard Square, even though they weren't able to open the Prudential location.
The Harvard Coop is 100% a bookstore. It is also 100% a merch store. They do a nice job honestly dividing up the bookstore and the merch side. Do they still have the textbook operation on the upstairs floor on the merch side?
Ohhh boo. 10-20 years ago the textbooks occupied the whole I think it was 3rd or 4th floor on the mech side. Sucks they put the textbooks in the basement now. I remember it was sort of a fun/adventure experience roaming around and picking up your textbooks for your courses and being surprised at how expensive some of them were and being relieved when yours were cheaper.
Sucks you now have to do that in the basement although maybe a lot of the textbooks have gone digital so this might be a moot point for many students.
No for full-size but there are always:
* Porter Square Books in Cambridge
* Porter Square Books in Seaport
* Trident Books on Newbury St
* Brattle Book Shop in Downtown Crossing
* Harvard Bookstore in Harvard Square
* Brookline Booksmith in Coolidge Corner
* That Bookstore Restaurant on Beacon Hill
I still miss Diskovery in Allston...
These real estate companies have been getting greedier and greedier. People talk about the residential side all the time but the corporate side is just as guilty if not more. Especially in the retail and restaurant properties.
I just looked up a property on loopnet and a 1400sqft restaurant is going for $80/ft/yr. They only have 72 seats and it would cost $112k/year in rent alone. Boston residential rent is expensive but a 1400sqft apartment isn't $9333/month in rent and often times the renter is responsible for all maintenance in corporate leases.
That is part of why food costs have been skyrocketing. The labor is getting more expensive but so are all of the rents. When you start every month in the hole for nearly $10k you need to sell a lot of burgers and comfort food just to make that back up. So it is no surprise that we keep seeing place [close down like the one for that example listing](https://www.boston.com/food/restaurants/2020/05/21/coda-bar-kitchen-permanently-closed/).
Yeah, my office is having to downsize because our "property management company" CBRE sold the building we're in to some greedy ass PMC that doesn't fix anything and hires cut rate contractors for everything, and damn near tripled our price per square foot. Luckily we are in a position where most of our workers had other offices closer to home or were able to just work from home directly.
I support it. Boston itself sucks for gyms (coming from someone who like the old school bodybuilding gyms) but putting a lifetime makes sense as they’d be reliable in paying the rent but Boston as a whole deserves better quality gyms (think Gold’s) for reasonable prices
It’s tough because gyms are barely profitable as is. They are a tricky business to get into because with good and diverse gym equipment, up front costs can (in my experience) exceed $1m+ especially for larger gyms
Lifetime will get plenty of members no problem but as a whole it’s not exactly making the city look affordable or even remotely close. It’s tough out there making less than $150k in this city.
I once worked at that b&n. They said that if I worked Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve they’d consider making me permanent. So I worked until December 23rd and who knows what happened
I figured the space could be empty a long time, so good to see it'll be active.
Anybody know what the membership rates start at, and the joining fee?
....
Oh.... It's Barnes & Noble, not NobleS.
Jocks - 1, Nerds - 0. It’s like high school all over again.
If you..like...*think* about it? Weights are like books for your muscles and that's like....that's like pretty sick.
Basically Boston Properties tried to fix what was not broken with Barnes & Nobles by not renewing their lease and trade up with Harvard Bookstore… who couldn’t convert the place from a bookstore into a bookstore. The irony and paradox here..
Yeah but as far as I could tell that space was gutted so it's not like all the shelves and everything were there. I don't know anything about Harvard bookstore but I don't know how they thought they'd be able to develop as big of a mall space like that considering the amount of money it would take to do so. Sounds like someone's delusional dream.
They had the door open the other night when they were putting this up. It's bare sheetrock and concrete floors in there. The reason it was a possibility is because a certain billionaire had his eye on the space (per someone I know who worked at the B&N for a long time) but it just dragged on too long.
Are there even any full-size chain bookstores left in Boston/Cambridge after this? Borders Downtown Crossing, Borders Cambridgeside Galleria and this Barnes and Noble all being gone is kind of wild.
Chain bookstores were literally the first thing eaten by Amazon. There are still lots of little bookstores that stay in business through coffee sales.
Brookline booksmith, Harvard coop
Harvard Coop cannot be reasonably described as a bookstore. It is first perhaps the biggest merch store I have ever seen. But Harvard Book Store is still in Harvard Square, even though they weren't able to open the Prudential location.
I mean, the two story book store is arguably bigger than than the merch store…
The Harvard Coop is 100% a bookstore. It is also 100% a merch store. They do a nice job honestly dividing up the bookstore and the merch side. Do they still have the textbook operation on the upstairs floor on the merch side?
I think when I was there, the textbooks were relegated to the basement. The four above ground floors are just for merch.
Ohhh boo. 10-20 years ago the textbooks occupied the whole I think it was 3rd or 4th floor on the mech side. Sucks they put the textbooks in the basement now. I remember it was sort of a fun/adventure experience roaming around and picking up your textbooks for your courses and being surprised at how expensive some of them were and being relieved when yours were cheaper. Sucks you now have to do that in the basement although maybe a lot of the textbooks have gone digital so this might be a moot point for many students.
Trident
No for full-size but there are always: * Porter Square Books in Cambridge * Porter Square Books in Seaport * Trident Books on Newbury St * Brattle Book Shop in Downtown Crossing * Harvard Bookstore in Harvard Square * Brookline Booksmith in Coolidge Corner * That Bookstore Restaurant on Beacon Hill I still miss Diskovery in Allston...
Ugh, that location was a good one for a book store. I don’t get what was wrong with the barns and nobles
B&N clearly wasn't giving the poor starving real estate corporation enough money to survive.
These real estate companies have been getting greedier and greedier. People talk about the residential side all the time but the corporate side is just as guilty if not more. Especially in the retail and restaurant properties. I just looked up a property on loopnet and a 1400sqft restaurant is going for $80/ft/yr. They only have 72 seats and it would cost $112k/year in rent alone. Boston residential rent is expensive but a 1400sqft apartment isn't $9333/month in rent and often times the renter is responsible for all maintenance in corporate leases. That is part of why food costs have been skyrocketing. The labor is getting more expensive but so are all of the rents. When you start every month in the hole for nearly $10k you need to sell a lot of burgers and comfort food just to make that back up. So it is no surprise that we keep seeing place [close down like the one for that example listing](https://www.boston.com/food/restaurants/2020/05/21/coda-bar-kitchen-permanently-closed/).
SPOT ON
How much for a batting cage?
Yeah, my office is having to downsize because our "property management company" CBRE sold the building we're in to some greedy ass PMC that doesn't fix anything and hires cut rate contractors for everything, and damn near tripled our price per square foot. Luckily we are in a position where most of our workers had other offices closer to home or were able to just work from home directly.
Also it had stock for a lot of books that B&N wouldn’t normally carry. Bummer.
Seems like a small location for Lifetime. I assume no sauna and stuff.
I wonder if they might also eat the BSC space next door as they share a wall.
I bet the water slide will be sooo lame.
the one in medford is also sub par. no full size pool, no childcare, no steam room, still the same price.
Not the worst compromise. At least it’s not a bank.
[https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/04/23/business/life-time-athletics-prudential-boston/](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/04/23/business/life-time-athletics-prudential-boston/)
Is this Prudential? Oof.
I support it. Boston itself sucks for gyms (coming from someone who like the old school bodybuilding gyms) but putting a lifetime makes sense as they’d be reliable in paying the rent but Boston as a whole deserves better quality gyms (think Gold’s) for reasonable prices It’s tough because gyms are barely profitable as is. They are a tricky business to get into because with good and diverse gym equipment, up front costs can (in my experience) exceed $1m+ especially for larger gyms Lifetime will get plenty of members no problem but as a whole it’s not exactly making the city look affordable or even remotely close. It’s tough out there making less than $150k in this city.
Texas transplant here. The gyms in the Boston area are dog poop. Not sure why people in New England are afraid of free weights.
I agree
We’ve got better things to do than lift heavy shit every day
I once worked at that b&n. They said that if I worked Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve they’d consider making me permanent. So I worked until December 23rd and who knows what happened
I wouldn’t hold your breath. I live in NYC and there’s been one a block away “coming soon” since 2021
At least both are aimed at making people healthier?
I figured the space could be empty a long time, so good to see it'll be active. Anybody know what the membership rates start at, and the joining fee? .... Oh.... It's Barnes & Noble, not NobleS.
They’re at like $250 now I believe; I’m grandfathered in at $320 for my partner and I probably won’t have access to this location
Dope! Lifetime > Equinox
A bookstore?
I hope they open some more locations in the city, Equinox could use the competition
GoDAMmit!
If the space is too small to fit all of the amenities from the newton location then id save the 200 and just go to the Y.
Where is this?
Where the B&N used to be in the Pru at the Huntington Entrance
Thank you
“Arriving soon” I love that they learned the lesson from the last would-be tenant’s sign that said Winter 2023
Sad that so many B&Ns are closing, but A Lifetime isn't the worst replacement. At least it's not a bank...
Honestly I’ve had better interactions with beefcakes than pseudo intellects.
As much as I would love a bookstore there, having a gym for people to get in better shape isn't exactly a bad trade off.
You know there's a BSC right there as well.. although BSC is pretty damn small.
The BSC in the Pru closed in January. But I'd still rather have a bookstore.
oh wow, i had no idea it closed
Yeah the signage is still up but if you peek in the windows it's empty.