Very true. Barnes And Noble has a different feel. In fact they don't seem to even have book signings any more except in big cities. 

Ours never hit that level, but it was just a fantastic place for discovering new stuff -- I found small press signed and numbered editions mixed in the the books by major publishers all the time. Really was the rare big store that also catered to indie tastes.

StillStackinAfterAllTheseYears

Our local Borders actually became a neighborhood hangout. They had local musicians perform in the coffee shop on weekends. My adult daughter still talks about how much fun she had when we would take her there as a kid. 