Nina In New York: Queens Is Losing Its Books (But We're Gaining Another Pharmacy!)

A lighthearted look at news, events, culture and everyday life in New York. The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.
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By Nina Pajak

Queens, we hath been foresaken. Forsook. Forewent. Forgotten.

Yesterday, news broke that the three remaining Barnes and Noble locations in Queens will be shuttered. And though they swear they are actively looking to find new leases in our community, they've effectively turned us into arguably the least literate borough. With the exception of a couple of college campus stores, a few used bookstores, a handful of specialty shops (foreign language; religious; comics; collectibles), and one independent beacon of hope in Astoria, we've got bupkis. Zilch. Nada. Nuffin. Diddly. Squat.

Stock up on synonyms now, soon after the bookstores go, excess vocabulary will be sucked out of the neighborhood with a giant vacuum and spewed back out into select locations in Brooklyn.

In my own Forest Hills, the B&N will become a sort of Target, Jr., designed to fit into a smaller space than most Target stores and service a community looking for cheap groceries and a relentless stream of unruly human foot traffic on an already narrow, crowded block. Thanks, Target!

Some people may be wondering what the big deal is. Between Amazon and e-books that are delivered wirelessly to our personal devices, who needs brick and mortar bookstores? The answer is, everybody.

Our B&N wasn't just a place to peruse the latest bestsellers—it was a safe, (sort of) quiet place where people could take their children on a rainy day to lose themselves in books and get excited about taking some home. Browsing bookshelves leads kids (and adults) to all sorts of discoveries they could never make purely online. Last winter, my daughter and I would sit in the aisles and explore and read and then buy a few new stories, which occupy her even more than any silly toy. What will we do this winter? Perambulate through the Target and have adventures in the cleaning supplies aisle? Lose ourselves in the magic of the small appliances section? Throw a tantrum in the toy aisle if I don't pony up on some stupid pony? Dingdingding! Bingo.

Bookstores are important to community wellbeing. They promote literacy and imagination and wholesomeness and bespoke, handmade journal notebooks. They lend some charm and gravity to a commercial strip increasingly dominated by large chains, bank branches and urgent care clinics. Libraries are great, too, but no one is so naive as to think that books would be printed on the basis of library distribution alone.

If we were some one-horse town, I wouldn't be taking such a dire tack. But this is Queens! We are the largest borough of the greatest city in the world. We are home to important thinkers and cultural institutions and future high achievers. We're supposedly "the next Brooklyn" (barf). What is happening to us?

If I possessed money and/or business acumen, I'd be diving in with both feet first. But I don't, so I am appealing to the public in the hopes that someone else who does also shares my concerns. Come on, guys. Someone please step up before we turn into one giant strip mall.

Nina Pajak is a writer living with her husband, daughter and dog in Queens. Connect with Nina on Twitter!