Jazz music flooded the bookstore as East Lansing was given the first glimpse of its newest business.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 333 E. Grand River Ave., opened its doors to the public Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The new store features two floors filled with about 100,000 books, music, movies and a café where customers can stop in for coffee and baked goods.
Another new feature is the addition of a study area for students decorated with MSU photographs. The area has tables with Internet connections for laptop computers.
A portion of the sales from the evening will be donated to the Capital Area Literacy Coalition.
The event celebrated the move from the store’s previous address, 2299 W. Grand River Ave., in Okemos, which closed its doors at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Store Manager Kelli Flynn said family members of employees, city officials and people from the East Lansing and Okemos areas were in attendance.
“Things are going very well,” she said. “We had a line up at the door at 6 p.m.”
With live jazz music supplied by The Organization and free food and drinks from the café, people strolled the aisles and made their way from floor-to-floor browsing and buying items.
East Lansing City Council candidate Vic Loomis was in attendance for the open house.
“I think Barnes & Noble will reach out to the central Michigan area and bring in a lot of different people,” he said. “It is really going to be a cornerstone of our downtown.”
Councilmember Bill Sharp, also running for East Lansing City Council, also attended the event.
He said the new store is just part of the revitalization of the downtown area.
“When Jacobson’s left, a lot of people thought it would be the demise of the downtown, but it may have been a blessing in disguise,” he said.
Lansing residents Richard Wagner and Jo Batcher often visited the Okemos store.
“It has the same flavor of a Barnes & Noble, but I like this one better,” Batcher said. “You can just lose yourself in it.”
Some students also enjoyed the improved store.
Employee and studio art junior Stephen Bulson said he had just been hired to work in the store.
He said the location is great for East Lansing.
“It is closer to campus,” he said. “A lot of students had to take the bus for the store in Okemos.”
