Barnes & Noble put itself up for sale earlier this month, and its financial difficulties have been closely followed by those hoping to predict the way we'll buy books in the future; looks like we can cross "after the Opera" right off the list. Its other neighbors include Thirteen public television and the Museum of Biblical Art, both renowned for their foot traffic.

This specific Barnes & Noble was recently highlighted as particularly good for thriller writers in a Wall Street Journal story about the most prestigious places for authors to read from their books. Union Square is no doubt feeling the pressure now.

dduray@observer.com