Barnes & Noble at Tidewater Community College

I love this location of B&N for these reasons:
* There’s a better selection of snacks — chips, cookies, chocolate (because it’s also TCC’s college bookstore.)
* There’s a better selection of notebooks, stationery, gifts, anything school or office supplies related (again, because it’s also a college bookstore.)
* It’s never crazy packed like other Barnes & Noble locations (I am assuming because it’s in a mall, but that’s me.)
* They have deals going on daily — for $ 3 plus tax, you can get a muffin or bagel, and any size (Starbucks) iced coffee! I don’t have the other deals memorized because this is usually what I get.
* The entire place and bathroom are clean.
* I’ve never had a problem or any issues with employees.
I do like this B & N; check it out if you need books for school, books for work, and of course for pleasure. If in Norfolk, come here if you need to shop for gifts, or just want to read a magazine, drink coffee, & relax. :)
I’d say that the only negative would be that since it’s in MacArthur Center, if you drive and park in the garage, you have to pay for parking, unlike all the other Barnes & Noble locations in Hampton

Very nice shopping experience with roomy aisles and well stocked shelves that have the latest and some of the most recent hardcovers and a very good selection of paperbacks. Everything here looks very shiny and very new. And it’s all at regular retail price.
If you’re planning on spending at least $ 200 in B&N in the next year, consider their discount program. It might pay off for you.

The best place in MacArthur Center Mall.
The staff at this B&N are great. They are always ready to help.
I couldn’t imagine going to the mall without spending time here.

I would give it a 3 Star rating based on the selection, which isn’t the best. This store primarily stocks only those books that are big sellers. The staff is also a little thin so the wait for assistance may take some time. Still as a published author I know how hard it’s become for bookstores to survive so I can accept the stores reasons.
Now the good… The place is clean, comfortable, well organized and the coffee shop has a good selection without too much of a wait. What makes it move up to a 4 Star, at least for me, is the combining the B&N with the college bookstores. This makes it convenient for students. Now it’s been years since I graduated college but I think everyone will agree time may not be a luxury and the school bookstores don’t usually stay open past 5pm. Having the bookstore at the B&N makes it easier for the working student so for that reason I give it 4 Stars.

This place is a joke. My gf is here picking up a single textbook and with only one couple ahead of us, we have been waiting for well over 20 minutes. Apparently there is an issue over the one book they are here to pick up but since the manager is «on break» the less than intelligent employee helping us has abandoned his post to hopefully seek an answer.
On another note, since I’ve grown hungry, I decided to venture to the b&n café that conveniently uses Starbucks logos and coffee but doesn’t accept Starbucks gift cards. The gentleman ahead of me walked around the counter to grab a canned drink and when he returned, the barista turned around from whatever he was doing an asked «were you (the man) here before her (me)?» The man said no but I corrected him and told the barista that he was ahead of me; that he only walked away to grab a soda. The barista rang the man up and then returned back to whatever he was cleaning; turning his back on me and completely forgetting someone else was in line. I stood there quietly deciding what i wanted from their short menu and for the barista to realize I was still standing there. Moments later a young lady with a bag of chips walked to the counter and the barista immediately tended to her despite the fact that she DID cut me in line. He rang her up, not even acknowledging I was standing there, and again returned to what he was doing. Sad. Apparently I was visible when the first guy walked up but then I rendered myself invisible afterwards. It’s ok though, I would rather give my money to an actual Starbucks with baristas who have never failed to greet me.

I patronize this locale for my school textbooks and supplies. You know, they have a good staff here. Helpful.

The brick-​and-​mortar book store business is tough, and getting tougher every day as more and more people convert all their shopping to the internet. For years, I hung back from online shopping for books, primarily because I really enjoy the «browse and search» process that can take up hours of your day when you visit a real book store. Never mind that I could save 40% on Amazon, or that I didn’t have to pay any sales taxes. That was the price in $$$ I was willing to pay for the enjoyment of touching-​and-​feeling the merchandise before buying, and immediately being able to go home and start my read.
Enter the year 2012, and I’m pretty much converted to 100% internet shopping for everything, including books. It had been many months since I’d been in any B & N store, and probably more than two years since I’d visited this one at MacArthur Mall. We happened to pick the Saturday before classes began at TCC to visit, and I was quickly reminded that this store also serves as the book store for TCC’s Norfolk campus. It was packed, but orderly, as lines of students wound through the aisles and made their way through the textbook purchasing process. We were on a fairly specific mission (looking for books and materials on learning German), and, after multiple «excuse me’s» while banging into students and other customers, we found the foreign language section and went to work. And herein is the basis for the 4-​star rating in this review —the store’s German language materials selection was complete, varied and really excellent. Everything from the Rosetta Stone program, to Berlitz, to «The Idiot’s Guide…», plus two or three other teaching programs; plus a number of dictionaries and phrase books primarily designed for travelers. In some sense, there was almost too much of a choice for beginners like us. Finally, we opted for a Berlitz offering and a good dictionary, and escaped for under $ 40, after our B & N discount.
So it’s probably safe to say that, if the store is that well stocked with offerings on the German language, the average person looking for some good fiction, non-​fiction or other things to read should be able to find what they’re looking for at B & N. And, if you head for this store, rather than their wonderful Pembroke store on VB Blvd, please do yourself a favor and check the TCC class calendar before you pick a day for your visit.

There’s something in the air in all these Barnes and Nobles that make you buy books that you don’t end up ever reading. Maybe it’s just me… o well. On the top level, there is a Starbucks-​esque coffee store that also has, on occasion, Cheesecake factory cheesecake. Also on the top floor is the TCC bookstore. Lots of couches and sitting area for you to hang out and relax

Want to blow your entire paycheck? Let me tell you how. It’s two stories tall (2^nd and 3^rd levels of the mall) and chock full of books.
The B&N at MacArthur Center is a beautiful book store. It’s also unique to our area because it also serves as a school book store for the Norfolk branch of TCC and probably ODU to. I don’t think the regular inventory here is quite as deep as say the Pembroke location, but they make the most of their space plus with pulling double duty with all the college material.
Last but not least it’s a great place to take a break while you’re in the mall or waiting for a movie, etc. Stop by next time you’re in the MacAuthur Center.

This B&N is different than some others in that it doubles as the campus bookstore tor TCC. Actually I take that back. The one in Williamsburg is set up similarly as the bookstore for William & Mary.
Anyway, I just really like the way this one is laid out on two floors inside the mall. The design is very open and inviting.
They do a lot of events at this location too. Some kids, some for adults. I went to one for a cookbook release where they had an apron show and a cooking demo. That was cool.
I also like their magazine section. It kind of blends into the Starbucks so you can sit at the café tables and check out mags before you buy them.

I would love to live in a book store. I feel so at home inside of them and love the feeling of being surrounded by books. The Barnes and Noble store at MacArthur Mall is two whole stories of nothing but reading material and it is awesome! They have a nice section for ODU students as well with textbooks and some ODU merchandise available for purchase.
Like most B & N locations there is also an area which serves Starbucks coffees as well as sandwiches, salads, cookies, chips, candies and other goodies. Right beside this area there is a section of the stores which is all magazines which has everything from Home and Garden to Cosmopolitan. Whenever I stop into MacArthur Mall it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’m going to stop by B & N even if it’s just a for a quick minute or two. You also have the option of grabbing a book, grabbing a coffee and sitting down in one of the comfortable lounge areas and skimming through a book for a few. This B & N is in a great spot with a few added extras, like the ODU store, making it a really worthwhile bookstore.