Virgin Megastore in Times Square closing...- Page 2

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 2:37pm

I like to think eBooks are popular, but I have never seen anyone using one or even talk about one. The Microsoft Reader was a miserable failure several years ago and I'm not sure the Kindle is catching on. The only way the masses will start paying the hefty price tag for a Kindle is if they rename it "iBook". Put an "i" in front of it and people will pay any price to have it, regardless what it does.

[DG]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 2:39pm

Besty - I think about exactly that a LOT. I still try to go out and 'find' something as often as I can. I don't buy into all this 'it makes things so much easier' crap. It all buys time, to be filled with . . . what?

The things you point out are the very things that have me convinced that most people are completely missing the point of existence.

[jessica0414]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 2:42pm

Mister Matt, I just joined Borders Rewards and I have to agree that their coupons are awesome :) especially since the card itself is free. Now if only the prices weren't higher (ish, in some cases) to begin with...lol

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 2:51pm

"I think I'll miss the semi-social aspect of getting out and mingling with people who love music in a store that is usually blasting something I can't stand... that's what I'll miss most."

And stand in line waiting and waiting while some Gen Y 19 year old wearing black lipstick, a snake tatoo on his neck, three piercings in his tongue and long greasy hair decides he wants to make the effort to drag a 5 ounce cd over a laser beam and stick it in a bag.

[thatgirl712]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 2:52pm

This is bad news

[Marianne2]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 3:01pm

Best12Bars-I totally agree with everything you have said. We discussed the changes in technology in my classes last year, and definitely interpersonal communication is dying. It is quite sad.

[Mamie]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 3:43pm

It was a little too loud to appeal to me but it did give you a place to kill time before a show. Now I guess you have to kill time looking at toys (?). I guess as an outsider I'm more upset at losing a piece of Times Square. I miss the Howard Johnsons sign, the really cool Coke sign (the one there now is boring), the Cup O' Noodles, and so many others. That big red Virgin sign just felt 'right' there.

Updated On: 6/5/08 at 03:43 PM

[jakebloke]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 4:20pm

WOW. Kinda sad actually. I have fond memories of hanging out there before shows. (this was before I lived here) It's such a large space, I wonder what could fill it. Not that we need another one, but I could see a huge Apple store there.

I also used to love browsing the Tower at Lincoln Center. It's now a Circuit City......so boring. I had high hopes for a Trader Joes.
Updated On: 6/5/08 at 04:20 PM

[StuckToTheStage]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 4:22pm

Excuse me while I locate a corner to cry in.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 4:35pm

Virgin always had a slew of Broadway show CDs @ 10 bucks, so you could fill in your collection rather cheaply.

The BORDERS REWARDS card is a scam. Those crappy coupons reduce their inflated prices to still more than you would pay in any other retail outlet (Best Buy, Target, Circuit City) or online. I gave up on BORDERS when they cut their CD selection in half and added huge sections of yoga props, candles, and gift bags/wrapping paper. No thanks.

The book/music superstore is dead.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 4:51pm

They really need to put a food court in that space. A place to grab something quick and cheap on the run. Chik-Fil-A, Taco Bell, Little Pie Shop, Panaro Bread, Starbucks, etc.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 4:53pm

More Starbucks!!! GREAT! Updated On: 6/5/08 at 04:53 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 4:54pm

I loved their cast recording section. I found some stuff on there for $10 and I wanna say some old/not so popular ones were around the $7. That's how I got my APPLE TREE, SEESAW, SONG & DANCE, CITY OF ANGELS, and a bunch of others. I am going to miss it so
And Besty, I couldn't agree with you more. I hate it every time someone tells me to buy clothes online. There's nothing I love more than going to the mall and trying on clothes, seeing new things, etc. Same with music and movies, I still love going to Best Buy and walking three hours around the TV on DVD aisles or the soundtrack aisle and buying something there.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 5:08pm

"They really need to put a food court in that space. A place to grab something quick and cheap on the run. Chik-Fil-A, Taco Bell, Little Pie Shop, Panaro Bread, Starbucks, etc."

Please tell me you are being satiric.

[jasonf]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 5:10pm

I haven't bought a physical cd in a store in probably two plus years (everything is either ordered online via amazon, independent sites, or itunes), but a LARGE part of my collection came from trips to NY where I just HAD to go to Virgin to look around. It's still the ultimate time killer when I'm early for a show. This sucks.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 5:22pm

"Please tell me you are being satiric."

No. There needs to be a place where you can sit around and wait before a Broadway show. Besides a food court is more useful than a Coco-Cola / M&M/ Hershey/ Bosco/ Mentos/ Garfield/ Smurf store.

Updated On: 6/5/08 at 05:22 PM

[nealb1]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 5:31pm

Very, very sad news, indeed. Doesn't surprise me, at all. The Chicago store closed last year at this time, and the Hollywood location closed, as well.

Two years ago, the Virgin at The Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas closed, too. It's a sign of the times.

Very, very sad.


Updated On: 6/5/08 at 05:31 PM

[Marianne2]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 5:32pm

All I can hope is that the store will still be there on the 27th when I'm in the city. I have Thursday night, all the way up until around 11am planned on Friday. However, that gives me 2 hours to kill before I need to catch the bus back home. I know I won't spend all 2 hours in Virgin Records, but I could easily spend a lot of time in there if I really wanted.

[thatgirl712]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 5:35pm

I had a fire two years ago and lost most of my things and I just starting building up my Broadway shows collection again. Virgin helped me do that. I would like to replenish some Christmas music as well. I guess I will have to find another store.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 6/5/08 at 11:51pm

Bettyboy72, I know what you mean about Borders cutting the music department. I used to run the multimedia department for two different stores over the course of four years, and we were always known for having an extensive backlist. The store that I left nine months ago has cut the music department, literally, in half since I left.

I won't really miss either Virgin store, but I'm still smarting from the loss of the Tower by Lincoln Center. That was a great store to visit.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/6/08 at 12:02am

Horrible. I adore Virgin Megastore. I cannot believe it's closing.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/6/08 at 4:35am

Aww. I bought all of the new Broadway cast recordings there the last time I was in New York. That sucks. I wonder what will take its place?

[shh282]

Posted: 6/6/08 at 5:03am

Crap, now what am I going to do between lotto and showtime? and where will people have public CD release parties?!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/6/08 at 12:24pm

Virgin always had a slew of Broadway show CDs @ 10 bucks, so you could fill in your collection rather cheaply.

The BORDERS REWARDS card is a scam. Those crappy coupons reduce their inflated prices to still more than you would pay in any other retail outlet (Best Buy, Target, Circuit City) or online. I gave up on BORDERS when they cut their CD selection in half and added huge sections of yoga props, candles, and gift bags/wrapping paper. No thanks.

I guess it depends on the location. At the Chicago Virgin Megastore, I never saw a cast recording for $10 unless I overlooked something I already had, but I perused the entire selection on a regular basis and $10 CDs in cast recordings were rare, if available at all. I almost always got a better deal at Borders unless it was a new cast recording that was wildly popular enough in Chicago to have on sale, which usually meant I already purchased it a long time ago.

As for Borders, with the coupons, I can usually get a CD for less than the price of Amazon plus shipping, which is exactly why I use them. And I certainly have NEVER found a selection anywhere near as comparable at Target, Best Buy, or Circuit City. Not unless you are only looking for Rent, Phantom of the Opera or Cats.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 6/6/08 at 12:31pm

s'long, virgin. let's hope that whatever follows you in that giant space fails just as quickly and that music and book shopers are forced to frequent smaller stores that won't feed some corporate giant.