I just got back from doing a little shopping at the American Institute of Architects Bookstore downtown. They are located at 911 Washington Avenue and open M-F 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM and Saturday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM for the holidays. I picked up some greeting cards, but they have much more... books, artwork, toys, note cards, calendars, lamps, jewelry, etc.



related links:

http://www.aia-stlouis.org/



Here are a few pics I took while there...

Looks nice. I plan to get in there one of these days while I am on break.

Cool store! For some reason, I always forget that it's there.

Nice photos. Like the streetscape outside too.



Now if only Barnes and Noble or Borders would open downtown.

I also like how Barnes & Noble operates smaller "specialized" book stores such as the Washington University Medical Bookstore in the McDonnell Pediatric Research Building near St. Louis Children's Hospital. The bookstore is at ground level and has windows that face the street. I saw it a couple years ago and drove by it again yesterday. I think I also recall someone mentioning SLU has a bookstore operated by Barnes & Noble.

yes, the bookstore at SLU is operated by Barnes and Noble. Nice company, but the textbooks are a ripoff, along with their supposed great buyback deal.

Barnes & Noble has a special division of its company that runs bookstores on college campuses. It is a huge racket, at least the one at SLU. What's more the SLU bookstore is Barnes & Noble in name only, as their offerings are seriously limited. Textbooks and Billiken paraphenalia and apparel are pretty much the only thing they sell.

Arch City wrote:Now if only Barnes and Noble or Borders would open downtown.

Regarding a B&N or a Borders downtown, I would much prefer an independant bookseller--independant everything for that matter. Unless we're talking extreme high-end (like Versace, Gucci, etc.) or a national chain found no where else in the St. Louis region, it would be better if we had things unique to draw people downtown, not merely replicate shopping/dining experiences found in the suburbs. Why move downtown to eat at TGI Friday's and shop at Borders, when you could do that virtually anywhere else? While I recognize--and am totally obsessed with--the appeal of urban neighborhoods, not everyone else is, and I think that unique retail spaces would be a major boon.