I also love old hardware stores, mostly because my father (who inherited his machinist father's handiness) used them all the time. there were always those older guys who'd look at something closely, nod, disappear into the back of the store and return with the perfect item. when I first moved here in 1988, it was much more of an old mom-…
I also love old hardware stores, mostly because my father (who inherited his machinist father's handiness) used them all the time. there were always those older guys who'd look at something closely, nod, disappear into the back of the store and return with the perfect item.
when I first moved here in 1988, it was much more of an old mom-and-pop-store neighborhood, and we had a big old hardware store, where the owner's family also worked (including their wonderful Wheaten Terrier, who became a good friend of our dogs. there was also a large-ish Russian deli, run by an immigrant Russian couple who never seemed to have any business but our, but which stocked some superb items like Pick Salami from Hungary. slowly (then not-so-slowly) they all vanished, making way for money laundries to support the cocaine trade. last twenty years or so, the mom-and-pop stores have returned, although they're selling different things.
in 1988, there were these superb old '50s restaurants. now, they're expensive steak/sports bar-type places. we have kept our one famous steakhouse, which is apparently known in very high quarters (El Chivito D'Oro), and which was a required stop for showbiz types driving out to their places on Long Island.
but no more hardware stores of any kind. and good luck finding anything like one of those old-time hardware experts in places like Home Depot (which is a right-wing cash machine anyway).
I seem to remember there being a small hardware store on Main St in the village I grew up in, there was a small "dept." store - kind of a tiny version of a 5 & dime, my granddad's newspaper office, an actual butcher shop (great cuts of meat) drugstore, grocery store (owned by a local family) - probably forgetting some.
The hardware store where I worked was at a little stripmall at that time - of course thats no longer there, now its the local post office.
I also love old hardware stores, mostly because my father (who inherited his machinist father's handiness) used them all the time. there were always those older guys who'd look at something closely, nod, disappear into the back of the store and return with the perfect item.
when I first moved here in 1988, it was much more of an old mom-and-pop-store neighborhood, and we had a big old hardware store, where the owner's family also worked (including their wonderful Wheaten Terrier, who became a good friend of our dogs. there was also a large-ish Russian deli, run by an immigrant Russian couple who never seemed to have any business but our, but which stocked some superb items like Pick Salami from Hungary. slowly (then not-so-slowly) they all vanished, making way for money laundries to support the cocaine trade. last twenty years or so, the mom-and-pop stores have returned, although they're selling different things.
in 1988, there were these superb old '50s restaurants. now, they're expensive steak/sports bar-type places. we have kept our one famous steakhouse, which is apparently known in very high quarters (El Chivito D'Oro), and which was a required stop for showbiz types driving out to their places on Long Island.
but no more hardware stores of any kind. and good luck finding anything like one of those old-time hardware experts in places like Home Depot (which is a right-wing cash machine anyway).
I seem to remember there being a small hardware store on Main St in the village I grew up in, there was a small "dept." store - kind of a tiny version of a 5 & dime, my granddad's newspaper office, an actual butcher shop (great cuts of meat) drugstore, grocery store (owned by a local family) - probably forgetting some.
The hardware store where I worked was at a little stripmall at that time - of course thats no longer there, now its the local post office.
It was a great place to grow up & very sheltered!