Virgin Megastore in Times Square to close

via Joe.My.God.

After announcing a few months ago their plans to close the Virgin Megastore in Union Square in Manhattan (not Union Square San Francisco), Vornado Realty Trust has now also announced that they will close the Virgin Megastore in Times Square in the first quarter of 2009.

I hope this doesn't mean bad things for the San Francisco Union Square Megastore (or, for that matter, the Virgin Megastore on Hollywood Boulevard, or for the chain as a whole).

It seems possible that this move will have no effect on any other stores. It sounds from the article as if it is not Virgin that is closing the Times Square Megastore, but rather the Megacompany that owns the Megabuilding -- the Powers That Be seem to have bigger and better plans for the Megaspace.

Our having lost Tower Records/Video at Market and Noe was a mixed blessing: on the one hand, I miss having a store with a freakin' huge selection of obscure things in stock and within walking distance of our apartment; on the other hand, since Tower is gone, I'm less likely to go shopping out of boredom, so I spend less money on impulse items.

Anyway, keep your fingers crossed. I'm not madly in love with Virgin Megastore, but I wouldn't like to see it go away, either. I mean, when you're backed in a corner and desperately need a CD by an obscure Cuban band from the 1930's, can you count on the smaller stores to have it in stock?

I think not.

Well, maybe Amoeba....

[UPDATE: Again with the synchronicity? Immediately after posting this, I went to Boing Boing and found this video about real estate and advertising and Times Square. The building at One Times Square is, in fact, empty. The LED-screen advertisements on the building bring in enough revenue to the owners that they don't need no stinkin' tenants. An interesting four-minute video.]

[UPDATE 1/15/2009: The NY Post reported today that "The Virgin Megastore in Times Square - the nation's highest-volume music store - is shutting down in three months, it was learned yesterday." They don't say how they learned it, and there is currently no more specific date than "April."]