A Boundless Emporium

It’s a place that brings literary hounds and music lovers together--and there’s plenty of room.

Located a few blocks south of Wilshire Boulevard, the new 47,000-square-foot Borders Books and Music store in Westwood sells the latest books and CDs, and the periodicals rack by the front door carries everything from splashy fashion magazines to newspapers from countries such as Turkey, Japan, Egypt and France.

Customers can cruise the aisles looking for books on subjects such as gardening, cooking, sports and travel, or more weighty topics like law, religion, science and math. The selection is vast--about 160,000 titles line the oak shelves. Fortunately, there are plenty of benches and overstuffed armchairs.

“I have four kids that I am buying books for,” said Westwood resident Shelley Wissot. “I was fascinated when they first opened. They have everything . . . you get very spoiled having this (store) here.”

Employees are happy to locate rare volumes and can order nearly any book published in the world through its extensive computer network. The store also has frequent book signings. A stop at the remainder table is a must. It holds many current selections at prices ranging from $1 to $15.

Moving to the second floor, music fans will find about 80,000 compact discs and tapes. Blues, gospel, soul, jazz, rock, folk and country rule the bins. Patrons may also want to check out the listening station, where they can sample a CD before purchasing it.

But the heart of the huge store is Cafe Espresso. Serving coffee drinks, teas, pastries, sandwiches and soups, the cafe is a great place to relax. The prices are reasonable too--a cup of regular coffee is 90 cents.

While customers sip espresso drinks, they can also stroll around the store, read, chat or people watch without interruption. On a weekend nights, Borders has almost as much action as the Crest Theater down the street. And no wonder: The store is open until midnight and features live music.

But the appeal of Borders is its friendly service and informal atmosphere.

“I’ve traveled all over the world and I’ve never been to a place that’s like this,” said Susan Al-Bayani, a Westwood resident and frequent customer. “It has such a relaxed atmosphere.”

Borders Books and Music, 1360 Westwood Blvd., Westwood. Hours are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Information: (310) 475-3444 for books and (310) 475-5344 for music.