Barnes & Noble Is Coming to Dulles Landing: What Aldie and South Riding Residents Should Know

There’s good news for book lovers in Aldie, South Riding and the Route 50 corridor: Barnes & Noble is officially coming to Dulles Landing.

As first reported by The Burn, Barnes & Noble has signed on for a roughly 23,000-square-foot space at Dulles Landing, taking over the former BuyBuy Baby location. The new bookstore will become the retailer’s second Loudoun County location, joining the existing Barnes & Noble at One Loudoun in Ashburn. An opening date has not yet been announced.

For those of us who live in this part of Loudoun County, this is especially exciting because Dulles Landing is already one of our go-to shopping centers. A new Barnes & Noble at Dulles Landing means Aldie, South Riding, Stone Ridge and nearby communities will have a full-size bookstore much closer to home — and another reason to head up Route 50 without trekking farther into Ashburn or Fairfax.

Why Barnes & Noble Dulles Landing Is a Game Changer for Local Families

Parents of school-age kids, you know the drill.

The book report has been assigned for three weeks. You've asked about it. You've reminded them about it. And then, somehow, at 8:30 p.m. you discover that they need the actual book tomorrow.

Can you say game changer?

Having Barnes & Noble Dulles Landing right up Route 50 will give families in our part of Loudoun another nearby option for those last-minute school books, summer reading lists and required-reading emergencies — without having to trek farther into Ashburn or Fairfax.

And, of course, there are all the less-panicked reasons to have a bookstore close to home: browsing on a Saturday afternoon, picking up birthday and teacher gifts, finding something new to read on vacation or taking your kids somewhere where they're actually encouraged to wander around surrounded by books.

I'll take it.

Dulles Landing Keeps Becoming More Useful

The Barnes & Noble news is also another sign of how much the Route 50 corridor continues to evolve.

Dulles Landing is already one of those places many of us use for everyday errands, shopping and dining. Adding a full-size bookstore gives us something a little different.

A bookstore isn't simply another place to run an errand. It's somewhere you can browse without knowing exactly what you're looking for. It's where a kid can discover a new series, where you can pick up a last-minute gift, and where you can walk in for one book and somehow leave with four.

And for those of us in Aldie and South Riding, having more of those everyday conveniences close to home matters. As this part of Loudoun has grown, so have the shopping, dining and entertainment options available without having to drive farther east.

What We Know About the New Barnes & Noble

According to The Burn, the new Barnes & Noble will occupy roughly 23,000 square feet in the former BuyBuy Baby space at Dulles Landing.

It will be the company's second bookstore in Loudoun County, joining the Barnes & Noble at One Loudoun in Ashburn.

What we don't know yet is when we'll actually be able to walk through the doors. An official opening date has not been announced.

I'll be keeping an eye out for updates and will update this post when we know more.

One More Reason to Love Living Along the Route 50 Corridor

Personally, I'm excited about this one.

I love the convenience of ordering something online as much as anyone, but there's still something about walking into an actual bookstore, picking up a book you hadn't planned to buy and losing track of time for a little while that online shopping simply can't replicate.

And if Barnes & Noble Dulles Landing saves even one Loudoun parent from an 8:30 p.m. required-reading emergency?

Game changer.