- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Borders - CLOSED
Categories: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Music & DVDs Bookstores, Music & DVDs [Edit]
755 W North Ave(between Burling St & Halsted St)
Chicago, IL 60610
Neighborhood: Near North Side
(312) 266-8060
- Nearest Transit:
-
North/clybourn (Red Line)
Sedgwick (Brown Line, Purple Line)
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Validated
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
42 reviews for Borders
Review Highlights
-
"The Seattle's Best coffee is also good." In 7 reviews -
"The Borders is always well organized and well layed out." In 3 reviews -
"The cafe is always clean too which is a huge plus." In 8 reviews
Loading...
42 reviews in English
-
Review from Matthew W.
Chicago, IL
4/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Get it while it's hot! Closing SOON. Great discounts if you can find something you actually want. If you can't find something you want, buy something you don't want and act like you wanted it. I find that I look smarter when I carry around a bag from a bookstore.
You may even want to keep the bag and bring your lunch to work in it. It's like instant street cred in the academic community. -
Review from Hoang L.
2/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I only come here to study or read magazines. Borders didn't have free wifi when I was in college so I was more focused then. Now that I'm out of school, I'm happy they offer it!
Couple things I don't like about going to Borders is that they don't have free parking and sometimes there are no tables available to sit.
Get a pot of tea at Seattle's Best and get unlimited refills! -
Review from Michael C.
Chicago, IL
1/16/2011
Store is nearly empty. So sad to even walk in here.
if you absolutely NEED to go to a bookstore, i would find another place to go.
Upside, validated parking. That's about the only upside? -
Review from Aurore L.
3/1/2010
Some days I wish I could just spend my life in a Borders, among books, reading them, touching them, smelling them, recommending them to a crowd of literature afficianados who would worship me for my extended knowledge of literature.
Yes....I have special dreams.
But as my hubby say quite often, I am special.
(I am still not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not. Whatever)
I stormed in the other day before my dentist appointment because I NEEDED "The Girl Who Played With Fire", sequel to "The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo" by Stieg Larsson. Swedish genius. If you haven't read him, do it. Lisbeth Salander is the most unforgettable heroin. She is...just....too much.
Anyway - I am looking frantically around the store. Nothing. I go on the computer and the screen says "likely in store". Ok....
I was about to cry, and/or get into a fit.
And then comes Alec.
Alec is a fellow admirer of Stockholm, Larsson and Lisbeth and understands my misery. He looks around, goes in the back, comes back empty handed. Takes up the phone right away to put one on hold for me in any Borders I want. Chit-chats. Prints a 30% coupon for me. Gives me a $100. No, not really. But all the rest is true!! I swear!
So of course, Borders lacks the charm and soul of cute, privately owned bookstores. I am with you on that. But when you meet real book lovers, it totally makes up for it. Right?!? -
Review from Daniel C.
Chicago, IL
3/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've bought a few books here now that it's closing and everything is 30-50% off.
Sad to see it go. :( -
Review from Jeff L.
Chicago, IL
9/14/2007
I've finally decided that you're dead to me Borders. I've had it with your lack of selection, and ever rapidly decreasing book and magazine selection. You were always the first place I would check for a book, and your constant disappointment has finally taken it's toll.
You should only have two stars, because you're not totally worthless. But you get an extra star because you have validated parking, which means FREE PARKING (under like 45 min i think, not sure). And I love free validated parking, it makes me happy.
But even the tempting offer of free parking can't redeem you now Borders. Other places not too far up the road can give me free validated parking as well, you're not that special! Why should I even bother coming to you when you never fill my literary desires. -
Review from Joe L.
Atlanta, GA
6/8/2010
Probably the best Borders Bookstore that I have been to ever. And that includes the one on Madison Square Garden over Times Square. Unlike that one, this Borders is super roomy, has plenty of chairs to sit and surf the web/read in, and a larger than average selection of books.
It's 3 full size floors. Unlike basically any other Borders, there's plenty of room for you to stretch out and rest, which is exactly what I did.Listed in: My Road Trip Across America
-
Review from Jenna S.
Chicago, IL
9/19/2008
Borders is great! This location, in particular, is very nice and central to a lot of other great stores. There's convenient parking in a garage about half a block away from the store (free with validation!) and you can do other shopping or go to a restaurant, as well.
The Borders is always well organized and well layed out. I've never had a problem finding anything and the staff is always helpful when you need to ask about something. There are also computer stations available if you just want to see if the store has a book without asking - the computer will direct you to the correct section so you can find your book.
They don't mind if people hang out and read or take their time in finding a book, either. This always makes me happy because I don't really want to sit and read a book, but sometimes I want to take my time and make sure I'm getting the right thing.
There's also coffee and snacks so you can hang out, get some coffee and use your laptop to do homework or whatever. It's a good place to have a study group, too.
Lastly (and probably most importantly) the prices are great. Though I patronize small bookstores as well as large chain stores, Borders seems to have the best prices that I've seen out of all of them. They have reasonably priced stationary, pens, journals, etc. and great inexpensive books.Listed in: A-B-C and 1-2-3
-
Review from Wesley R.
2/28/2007
This is the Borders I go to the most. Accessibility-wise, you've got the Halsted bus and the Red line right next to it, in addition to the parking lot just adjacent to it. If you can be in and out in less than 20 minutes, there's also free short term (20 minute) parking spots as well.
The staff is friendly and the cafe is reasonably sized.Listed in: Born to Shop
-
Review from Rachelle G.
Chicago, IL
10/24/2006
One of my faves, if not favorite, Borders in the city! This place is huge! Spacious aisles full of books, I rarely come here to find a book I want is out of stock. They also have a great "Bargain" section, probably double the size of others "Bargain" sections at neighboring Borders.
Friendly and attentive staff. Cafe is now run by Seattle's Best. The cafe area is spacious as well and the tables aren't pushed up against one another. You'll also find armchairs conveniently located throughout the 2nd floor.
This location is definitely a book lover's dream! And of course, super thumbs up for the free parking =) -
Review from Christina S.
Chicago, IL
11/7/2007
It's a Borders pretty much like any other Borders, so let me focus on setting the record straight about the parking garage.
1) You can enter from North or Clybourn. The signs are very clear.
2) Parking is validated by the cashier. (This is not a do-it-yourself, so-what-if-I-only-browsed thing like at the Barnes & Noble up on Webster.)
3) You can park for FREE for 90 minutes in the structure or for 20 minutes in the short-term lot. -
Review from Jen T.
Chicago, IL
1/27/2010
Storytime on Wednesday mornings 10:30am.
We arrived about 3 minutes late, no biggie. About 7 kids there (most under 3 1/2) but 3 children Actually sitting. We sat on the side in the half made circle, but the lady reading the books NEVER opened the pages wide or tried to show the kids on the side the book/pages inside the book. Geezzz... We had no clue what page she was on, or what the characters looked like.
I guess I need to arrive early and plop down right smack in the middle!!
Really, to keep the childrens attention share the book a little more. By the end of book 3 - all the kids were roaming around.
Now the positive, free hour and a half of parking with validated ticket, cute books, lot choices for good clearance books and seattles best coffee + free wifi.
I'll go back for story telling to give it one more chance. We enjoyed skimming the books alone and I read to my son with much more excitment:)) -
Review from Emily T.
Chicago, IL
12/23/2009
Convenient location and not too crammed. Borders can sometimes be a bit overpriced though.
I unfortunately had a negative experience with a certain male employee recently when our volunteer organization was on site doing customer gift wrapping for donations. He was completely rude, unhelpful and on a power trip that his job was "oh so busy and demanding" that he couldn't be bothered to answer a simple question I had. I'm sorry sweetheart, your a border's cashier, not king of the world. He obviously forgot that I am potential customer once my volunteer duties were finished for the day and I was free to shop, but after his actions I had no desire to do anything but leave once we were finished. -
Review from Kwoky L.
2/19/2011
I am sad that this Borders location is closing. I used to always stop by after paying a visit to Sur La Table next door. Time to find another bookstore to go to, I guess.
-
Review from Katie H.
Chicago, IL
1/31/2010
I hate this Border's location. I don't know if the selection is terrible, the stock is low or if it's that the books are always out of order and stacked all over the place that I can never find anything I want to read at this place. I'm a book browser, I almost never walk into a bookstore knowing for sure what I will walk out with. This is not the bookstore to do this. I'm not sure if I could find anything even I knew what I was looking for. It's not even good for people watching as is the State St. location, unless you enjoy stroller mazes.
The only reason I ever stop here is out of convenience (it's right by Whole Foods and it has a parking lot) but it always ends up a wasted 30 minutes I could have spent parking and saving $20 at Myopic. -
Review from Alex F.
5/12/2007
I can't compare this location to any others in the city, but I do know that I enjoy the shit out of Borders. Sometimes on a weekend afternoon when I'm feeling particularly yuppie, I like to hop the 72 bus to Borders and maybe savor a tastily overpriced coffee concoction.
If I know what I'm looking for, I'll reserve it via the World Wide Web (I'm sure you've met) for free, often obtaining a price better than the tag in the store.
If I don't know what I'm looking for, I grab one of those concoctions and a short stack of books, nestle into some fine leather upholstery in an area which allows me to bask in sunlight, and let literary Darwinism narrow down my selections until I reach what is hopefully a reasonable purchase.
They don't have a gargantuan music section, but then again, the name "Borders Books & Music" readily indicates the stepchildish nature of the "Music" portion anyway. Go to Tower or something for that. -
Review from J H.
Chicago, IL
4/2/2008
I give four stars because I usually love Seattles Best Coffee staff on the second floor. They are very friendly and their drinks are great.
However, they do not get five stars because of one of their employees in the cafe has the personality of a camel's skin and seems totally peeved every time you order something. She talks through her teeth and never smiles. I used to work at a coffee shop honey, let me tell you, it gets better...SMILE!! -
Review from Phillie P.
Chicago, IL
2/11/2008
I had just been done with eating out and I really need to use the bathroom driving back home on a Sunday evening. I was able to find parking in the parking garage and quickly locate the bathroom on the second floor. After that I started checking out the book/magazine selection. Let me just say this: if you've been to one Borders, you've been to them all. Nothing special except they seem to carry more magazines than Barnes & Noble.
It's a good thing that it's here and it's open late on Sundays. It might have been an uncomfortable ride home.Listed in: Pee Break
-
Review from Lover of Dogs H.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 12/31/2009
Bathrooms are now much improved! An employee was kind enough to email me and let me know that the improvements had been made. It's great to know that the Border employees care about what yelpers say and made the change.
Borders now have free internet so it's more popular of a setting so not as quiet as it used to be - great for their business but bad for the studiers out there as internet is always so tempting/ not as quiet anymore.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
6/19/2009
I love this Borders location! But I have to complain first before I get to why I like this place.… Read more »
-
-
Review from Helen N.
IL
1/17/2008
Absolutely love this Borders - it is my office away from home - away from the 'office' - I grab a table by the window, a cup of joe, plug in everything from laptop to pda and start working!
I'm a brisk walk away and you can find me here over the weekend on one of their comfy chairs reading. It does get crowded! The drinks are great and made to your liking... Love the variety of people here as well - this morning - grandma, mom and her son, some tattoo artists checking out their designs, and some construction workers and ME! -
Review from Rachel M.
Chicago, IL
11/15/2009
I spent time studying here for an upcoming professional exam. The people at Seattle's Coffee were extremely nice, my drink was tasty, and the chairs are comfortable. I love the location next to the redline.
Now, points were lost for the filthy ladies room. It made me dry-heave. Which sucks because if you're studying for hours and drinking coffee, well, eventually, you're gonna have to go.
A final comment - very eclectic group of customers... The guy I was sitting next to had his laptop open but was sleeping... and every 1/2 hour he'd get up with his toothbrush and toothpaste and go (I assume) to the bathroom to brush his teeth. When he walked by me, he smelled of hot dogs. Weird. -
Review from Brent W.
10/3/2008
Quality bookstore. A sizable, very comfy, clean, well organized place. We brought the bambino here last week for their Saturday Afternoon Kids play/story time.
They played a few games that included a variation of musical chairs (standing) and a Bozo Buckets game and handed out prizes for all the little ones. They also had story time which included a book that was one of his favs for at home reading; admittedly it wasn't nearly as fun/exciting as "Dada" wasn't doing the reading;) Snacks were enjoyed from the attached Seattle's Best during a Coloring sesh.
Overall a good way to get out of the house and enjoy some family time down the local bookstore. -
Review from Samantha H.
Chicago, IL
2/22/2008
I want to hate Borders because I love the charm of smaller, independently-owned book stores, but I just can't justify paying full price for a book I'll probably only read once. And since I'm flyin' through books lately, Borders is a savior with their weekly e-coupons and "two for the price of one" sale tables. If I can't wait for the book to get mailed to me through the marketplace on http://amazon.com, I head to Borders, and the location on North is usually mush quieter than the stores on State and Michigan.
I despise the fact that they SO overcharge for DVDs, though, so minus one star for that. One week, they had an e-coupon for 40% off all DVD boxed sets. I went to the store to check them out and was shocked to see the sticker prices were almost twice as much as the online price, so the coupon didn't really even make a difference. Who would pay 50 bucks for a season of Frasier when you can get it at Target for 20 bucks?
But I love their book selection and rewards card program. I once got a book practically free because of the rewards club ... and it's free to sign up, unlike at Barnes and Noble. -
Review from Preenu J.
Chicago, IL
3/8/2010
This is one of my favorite places to study in the city.. Quiet enough while at the same time not being dead silent, interesting people watching material, and if all else fails, good book selection is available. Free wifi is now available which I love, but the coffee is Seattle's Best which I am not a fan of, but oh well, I usually get tea when I go here.
This place is spacious, airy and bright and the perfect place to grab a book or your laptop and either laze the day away or get what you need to, done. Borders, you're awesome. -
Review from Cristina G.
Chicago, IL
7/26/2008
Of course I rather go to my local book store, but this Borders is good too. When I can't find the book I need they order it for me and call me right away when they receive it. The people there are very helpful.
Go there if you can't find your book at a local book shop!! -
Review from Gene Y.
New York, NY
12/25/2009
Fair selection of books (to say the least), friendly staff (yes, it's really true), nice location with parking (temporary, think 45'? someone correct me if I'm wrong), and a decent Seattle's Best cafe on the 2nd fl.
Just be cognizant that this place closes at 8PM now, even on the weekends. We used to come here and stay until 11PM at the coffee shop, but those days are long gone. Man, I love that one tall round table that they have. This location was once identify for cut-back (as in closing!). So I suppose a 8PM closing is better than a non-existent store. -
Review from Frank R.
Chicago, IL
1/19/2007
I like this Borders. It just has the perfect location and it's a diamond in the rough when it comes to good studying spots. I get a lot of studying done here. It's relaxing, serene, and has a great unimpeded view of the Western horizon of the city. It also doesn't hurt that they have a copious book selection along with a knowledgable and mostly friendly staff (shh. the security kinda creeps me out).
Definitely go to this bookstore and flee from Barnes and Nobles. -
Review from Lauren K.
1/14/2011
This is the nicest Border's I've been to in the city I think. It's not too big or too small, usually very clean, and friendly staff. The cafe is always clean too which is a huge plus! It's in a great area, too.
-
Review from Nathan A.
Chicago, IL
9/11/2006
This Borders is awesome! It's a nice long walk from my house (I enjoy walks) and it's gigantic. They have a really awesome cafe upstairs with lots of tables. One guy who works up there is extremely generous with refills. My friend Kris got a rice krispy square that wasn't so hot and he replaced it with whatever she wanted. He also brought her another pot of hot water for her tea without even requesting it. Perhaps he had a little crush..or maybe he's just nice! I've heard there is free parking too. I'd surely take advantage of this if I had a car. The book selection is huge. I particularly like the kid's learning books as well as their ample supply of Burt's Bees lip balm. Has anyone else noticed how hard it is now to find the regular Burt's Bees lip balm in Walgreens or any convenience store? Borders always has it!
-
Review from Jackie T.
Chicago, IL
5/18/2009
I adore this Borders location and have spent many, many hours of my life here. The location is great, and I spent a good part of my Sunday flipping through magazines and watching the "Free Hug" people in the square while sipping a latte. The staff is very knowledgeable and always helps me find exactly what I'm looking for in spite of the place being perpetually packed. I spend a fortune here out of guilt for taking up their space for so many hours. What will I do when they close next year? Noooooo!!!!
-
Review from bill s.
Hammond, IN
8/26/2007
Funny thing.. this place kind of seemed small to me while I was in there and now as I write this I realize the place is huge. I know why I thought it was small. It's because I'm used to Chicago Borders being even larger yet.. like gigantic. The prime example that pops into my head is the one by Water Tower Place. That one has at least three floors, while this one had only two. Anyway, now that I've completely bored you out of your skulls, I just thought I would explain that this Borders is huge but seemed small to me for a Chicago location. Of course this one dwarfs the one by my house in Indiana. I think that's what I liked about this one though it was just the perfect size. It has a nice cafe and good friendly service all around.
I would definitely return here again and I'm sure that I will along with my fiance as well. The parking garage was simple and convenient enough also as far as parking. Though it was a bit confusing leaving the parking garage to go the store. It didn't have the usual parking garage signs. -
Review from D.T. B.
Chicago, IL
3/4/2007
I'm picky when it come to chain book and music stores... while you don't expect a smaller, independent store to have everything under the sun, you expect the behemoth bookstores of the world to at least hold to a certain standard.
The music selection here is what aggravates me more than the book selection - although the book selection isn't much to write home about, either. The classical section is appallingly limited, as is the jazz... and while the pop section holds its own okay, it's poorly organized and limited mostly to recent releases. I know space is an issue - it's not the largest Borders by any means - but I've always been willing to pay the higher price tag on music at Borders in return for a decent selection of slightly harder-to-find items... but you won't find those here.
On the plus side, the cafe's nice and they're pretty well-stocked on non-fiction. Oh, and the convenience - right across the street from the North/Clybourn stop on the redline - can't be beat. And I gave them an extra star for a good selection of local writers. -
Review from Paul C.
6/17/2008
The best Borders in Chicago.
-
Review from Stella Y.
8/5/2008
Good parking for the area to stop in for some books and grab a few magazines. I'm glad the area got its Borders.
-
Review from Ren H.
Chicago, IL
8/21/2005
Its Borders so you can't go wrong! This one in particular is in a great location, near the North/Clybourn intersection so if you get tired of reading you can always pop over and do some shopping in the area!
-
Review from Michelle W.
Las Vegas, NV
8/26/2005
This is my favorite Borders in the city! Why...FREE PARKING with validation. As a driver it is so important. They always have a great selection and the staff is very, very friendly and helpful.
-
Review from Rahshonda K.
Chicago, IL
7/18/2009
I heart this Borders!! Especially early Saturday mornings. Its not crowded at all. They have a great selection of clearance books. The Seattle's Best coffee is also good. The staff is nice and the biggest plus for this location is ...the parking lot.
-
Review from Sonja H.
Hanover, NH
8/18/2008
There are some days you just want a big commercial bookstore and all that comes with it. You know, the full-blast air-conditioning, the vaulted atriums, the long hours, the games, gifts, and journals.
Borders does it all, and does it better than Barnes & Noble. How? Well, tons of books, tons of space, heavenly Seattle's Best Coffee, cool Paperchase paper and cards, and those book-lookup computer stations you can use YOURSELF.
Yeah, apparently Barnes & Noble doesn't trust its customers enough to let them near the company's computers, so if you're looking for an embarrassing book, prepare to tell the salespeople all about it.
Not at Borders. You can find stuff yourself. Use the computers. Yourself. Liberating. -
Review from David G.
IL
12/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
Saw a book I wanted on http://borders.com, selected to pick up in store. Got to store and price went from 10 bucks to 20 bucks. Manager was offensive, told me that if I were to now buy on-line, it would not get there by Christmas, so I was stuck. Nope, left the store with out buying, and won't be back. Ever.
-
Review from Julia B.
Chicago, IL
9/15/2005
Great place to find a book your looking for. They have a huge selection. I like relaxing here whether it's to have coffee, read a magazine or just browse through the books!
