A new Barnes and Noble (B&N) bookstore opened in Tribeca on Wednesday, November 28. The store is located one block south of Stuyvesant on 97 Warren Street. B&N is currently involved in various fundraising initiatives with Stuyvesant and other local schools.
“B&N had been looking to open up in Tribeca for some time and now the space became available,” B&N Community Relations Manager Carolyn Hughes said. “Tribeca has great schools and the community has been extraordinary.”
The store hosted an opening party on Tuesday, November 27 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. According to Hughes, a portion of the opening party’s sales benefited “three elementary schools, P.S. 80, P.S. 234 and P.S. 150, and one middle school, I.S. 89.”
According to Stuyvesant Parents’ Association (PA) Fundraising Co-Chair Dave Gibson, students from I.S. 89 and P.S. 234 read their writing during the B&N opening party.
“B&N offered Stuy this option as well, but there was not enough time prior to the book fair for the [PA] to approach Stuy’s teachers,” Gibson said. “We would like to have another book fair in April/May, so if Stuy teachers would like organize something, we could have a giant publishing party at B&N in the spring.”
The local B&N is involved in another fundraising initiative with the Stuyvesant PA. When B&N customers make a purchase at the Warren Street or the Austin Street, Queens locations and present a Book Fair Voucher or mention Stuyvesant, a portion of the final sale will be donated to the PA.
The fundraiser will run from Wednesday, December 12 to Friday, December 14. “The Stuyvesant PA will earn ten to 15 percent of all gross sales over the three-day period,” Gibson said. Book Fair Vouchers are available on stuy.edu.
“B&N is a socially proactive company committed to literacy and to helping schools raise much needed funds,” Gibson said. “Having worked with B&N on several school book fairs when our kids were in elementary school, we contacted the store manager to see if they would be willing to do one for Stuy and they readily agreed.”
Hughes said she would like to have a book fair “every semester, twice a year.”
The new B&N will also be beneficial to the Stuyvesant community in other ways. Sophomore Boris Begun, who attended the opening party, said having a B&N near Stuyvesant is “extremely convenient” for him since there isn’t one near his house.
Begun plans on applying for a job at B&N. Hughes said she is more than willing to hire Stuyvesant students. She “understands our schedules” and will offer “flexible” hours, she said.
“In terms of logistics, [it] may be helpful [for students] to look for something for their English class,” Assistant Principal English Eric Grossman said.
The new B&N, like other B&N stores, features a Starbucks café that several Stuyvesant students have already frequented.
Sophomore Pace Lee said while “the café is nice,” he would not go there for lunch “due to time constraints.”
“I would go to the cafe for lunch sometimes, if my friends go,” freshman Jonathan Zhu said.
The Student Union (SU) is looking into whether B&N will accept the Stuy Advantage Card next year. SU President Jamila Ma said, “It’ll be a lot harder [to make a deal]” because B&N is a global franchise.”
Hughes said she was never informed of a Stuy Advantage Card, but will “look into it.”
According to Hughes, teachers from Stuyvesant already have a 20 percent discount in the store.
The new B&N is one of three new stores in Tribeca. B&N is adjacent to a Bed, Bath & Beyond, which opened on Wednesday, November 21. Its main entrance is located on 270 Greenwich Street.
A Whole Foods store, located on 101 Warren Street, is currently under construction. It is slated to open this summer.