The hunch about Barnes and Noble’s Lincoln Square location at West 66th Street and Broadway succumbing to the neighborhood’s “fashion corridor” status was right: Discount retailer Century 21 confirmed the rumor that it will take over the 60,000 square foot space.

According to Crain’s NY, Century 21′s uptown store (it’s other Manhattan location is across from the World Trade Center site) would open in the fall of next year. Barnes & Noble said that rents were too high for it to stay and it would close its door in January 2011 The building’s owner, Millennium Partners, said, “We have been searching for a tenant who has the ability to drive a large volume of shoppers to the area. We believe that having Century 21 as an anchor in Lincoln Square will help drive a level of pedestrian traffic that our other retail tenants will benefit from.” It’ll be interesting to see if Century 21 will be as “community-minded” as Barnes and Noble as been.

There are a number of clothing retailers, both boutique and chain, in the neighborhood: There’s Banana Republic next door, Gap a block away, Zara across the street, Burberry Brit around the corner—not to mention Lucky Brand, Reiss, Theory, Wink, Olive & Bette’s and more. Plus, there are big discount retailers: Seven blocks north, there’s a Loehmann’s in the Ansonia Building (between 73rd an 74th Streets), and at Broadway and West 79th Street, there’s a Filene’s Basement.
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By Jen Chung