Febrero 18, 2006
The Harford Rd of my Dreams
I just learned that Joe's Record Paradise on Harford Rd is closed as of tonight. Joe's was the first local store I visited after we bought the house. I scored a Root Boy Slim album which I hadn't heard since I was a kid. A neighbor sent an email to the neighborhood list, informing us of the closure and taking us all to task for failing to support this local business. His censure is a little unfair -- it is difficult for a neighborhood to support an independent business entirely, especially a niche outfit like Joe's. Also, indie stores do better when there is critical mass of such shops, each attracting customers who then explore the other area shops. For now, Lauraville has the Red Canoe, Brian's Finds and Designs, a recording studio, and a few shops planned for the property across Harford Rd from the Safeway. Further north, at Harford and Strathmore, is Tridson Fashions. These shops are scattered now, separated by lots of empty lots and abandoned houses, so Harford Rd remains a sort of wasteland punctuated by a few shops, grocery stores, and hair salons, until you get to Hamilton, which runs heavily to bars but also has a camera shop, a janitorial supply (the only place I can get my vacuum cleaner bags!) a few greasy spoons (Zorba's makes quite nice subs), Big Bad Wolf Barbeque (YUMMY!) Eidelweiss Bakery and, of course, the library. The Harford Rd. of my dreams has a candy shop, a fiber-arts store, a craft-collective, a yoga studio (we may actually be getting this one!), a natural foods store, a used book store, a toy store, an art gallery, a few nice restaurants, and a better thrift store than the one we've got now. I won't mention the Aldi's/Family Dollar debacle since it seems an Aldi's is opening at Frankford and BelAir, which is still walking distance as long as I've got my old-lady cart and bus-fare in case it rains.
Posted by Tansy at 09:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack