| Author |
Message |
    
Psychobabbler
| | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2001 - 10:57 am: |     |
Aside from a new supermarket, what businesses would you want to see added to downtown SO?
My picks:
A bookstore like the Montclair Book Center
A Hallmark card shop
A Thai restaurant
An Ethiopian restaurant
A "One-Price" drycleaner
A year-round Farmer's Market store
A Michael's craft store
A "Body Shop" type store |
Mem
| | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2001 - 11:14 am: | |
A butcher
A baker
A candlestick maker |
Dave
| | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2001 - 11:24 am: | |
A unicycle shop.
Seriously, how about anything to fill those empty storefronts. Charlie Browns at Stuft Shirt would be great. Kings at the old Shop Rite. A good sit-down Chinese restaurant. |
Mammabear
| | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2001 - 3:19 pm: | |
A Michael's Craft store?!!??? OMG!!! Yuck! I thought we were trying to achieve a nicer atmosphere around here!!
How about... a health food store, hallmark & dry cleaner sound great, a Scrivner's -ish 5&10 cent kid's store, a decent antique/specialty store, a nice wine shop, a kid's shoe store.
But really, a decent grocery store would be my first wish!!! |
Mem
| | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2001 - 3:39 pm: | |
A scotch tape store
A musical triangle store |
Uqbar
| | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2001 - 3:56 pm: | |
An opaque door hinge boutique. |
Blinger
| | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2001 - 5:03 pm: | |
Anything with a liquor license. |
Dave
| | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2001 - 5:56 pm: | |
Irish tape store. |
Ffof
| | Posted on Monday, March 12, 2001 - 6:00 pm: | |
Scotch Boutique. |
Ashear
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 13, 2001 - 8:30 am: | |
If its not Scottish, its CRAP! |
Mim
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 13, 2001 - 2:29 pm: | |
What's the problem with Michael's? I would love to see a craft and fabric store closer to home. As it is, I have to drive all the way over the mountain to the Rag Shop (somewhere on the far side of Essex Green). I'd love to do this shopping closer to home. |
Mtierney
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 13, 2001 - 4:42 pm: | |
I'd support a good craft and fabric store, also yarn stuff. Like Mim I don't like the trip to the Rag Shop - a neighborhood store could take care of my impulse projects! Now I have to go to Chatham for a good knitting shop. That doesn't make sense to me. Neither Livingston or Short Hills mall caters to these needs.
A very nice kid's shoe store opened in Maplewood village a few months ago.
Most definitely would like to see a 5&10 back, but I guess places like Drug Fair cover their territory now.
Does anybody buy clothes outside of malls and catalogues? I really miss the women's store that used to be in Maplewoood - I think it was called Delia's. It was there for years. Another loss for Maplewood (could be SO gain) is a children/teen clothing store. For many years there was Bobbie's Barn near the movie theatre which outfitted my 4 kids through elementary school and junior high. The kids sometimes shopped themselves after school when I had called to alert Bobbie they would be in. |
Psychobabbler
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 14, 2001 - 10:43 am: | |
Mammabear - there is a "health" store, albeit not one with a very large selection - Booey's, which recently moved to a more central town location from down towards Church St. |
Tracks
| | Posted on Thursday, March 15, 2001 - 10:14 am: | |
There is a new clothing store opening on Sloane street. sign is up.. -urban femme.
And a new restaurant is going in where Stuft shirt was... |
Mammabear
| | Posted on Thursday, March 15, 2001 - 1:30 pm: | |
I've gone to the children's shoe store in Maplewood several times and have now vowed not to give them any more business. The older gentleman in there is VERY rude. He seems to take great pleasure in being condescending to his customers, while bad-mouthing other shoe stores. And he has done this every time I've been there. That's very bad business in my opinion. I'd rather drive to Futter's in Millburn or Suburban in Madison. |
Curb
| | Posted on Thursday, March 15, 2001 - 1:43 pm: | |
Blacksmith/Scotch butcher.
I`m tired of driving to Kearney for my sausages and bridies. |
Dgm
| | Posted on Thursday, March 15, 2001 - 3:44 pm: | |
Mammabear,
To be a fair bear, Pop-Pops in Maplewood has been a very good experience for my family.
-DGM |
Eliz
| | Posted on Thursday, March 15, 2001 - 8:44 pm: | |
Pop-Pops shoes -
I also had a nice experience there buying shoes with my 2 year old last fall and will return in a few weeks for spring shoes. |
Mammabear
| | Posted on Thursday, March 15, 2001 - 9:01 pm: | |
Sorry, but it's "three strikes and you're out" in my book! My three (atleast three) experiences at Pop-pop's have been horrible and I refuse to patronize them any further. |
Bix
| | Posted on Thursday, March 15, 2001 - 10:33 pm: | |
I'd like to see a Scottish Pez Dispenser Outlet or a Haggus Store. Only Haggus. If it's not haggus it's CRAP!
B|X |
Eyespy
| | Posted on Friday, March 16, 2001 - 6:15 pm: | |
De'mu dheidhinn a dhol a shanamh? |
Argon_Smythe
| | Posted on Friday, March 30, 2001 - 2:10 pm: | |
Well, this was a lot of fun, but I do think the original question was a good one.
Psychobabbler, is the "Montclair Book Center" the big used book store in Montclair? If so, I second and third the motion! I really wish there were a good used bookstore in town!
How about a Guitar/Music Store, one that gives lessons too?
Speaking of music, I really wish one of the bars in town provided a forum for live music on a regular basis too. I was hoping that whatever came into the Stuft Shirt would do that, but now I hear it's going to be a boring old Charlie Browns? My dream was a blues/jazz bar upstairs, and a funky open-mike coffee bar in that downstairs section, the kind of place people would do amateur poetry readings and stuff. Almost made me wish I didn't have a decent job so I could pursue it.
BTW, IMHO, why the Stuft Shirt went out of business? 3 words: Budweiser, Coors Light, and Michelob. Well, not just those three words, but rather the lack of any others...
Also, someplace with pool tables! And not one of those wanky places that doesn't let you take your drink with you either!
On the used bookstore vein, a used record (uh, I mean CD, or is it MP3 now? Is there such a thing as a used MP3??? Aaugh!!) store....
Some kind of antique store wouldn't be bad. It's always nice to have one of those around.
Oh and a REAL NEWSSTAND. Unless maybe the used book store also took on this role.
More places to eat are always a welcome addition too!
A nice place to buy produce, ie not a supermarket but a grocery.
Okay well enough babbling for one day.... |
Soda
| | Posted on Saturday, March 31, 2001 - 9:09 am: | |
Argon: Some of your wishes are already granted. There is a new&used CD place on SO Ave., across from Spiotta Park. Next door is the stationery store with a wide selection of newsprint. Live music, specifically jazz, is readily available thru Arts In The Park concerts at the Baird Center(sorry, no booze). Next gig is 4/21, with Cecil Brooks. Come May, you'll have the Farmers' Market for fresh produce at good prices. |
Soda
| | Posted on Saturday, March 31, 2001 - 9:12 am: | |
...at least I THINK the Farmers' Market starts in May. I might be wrong... |
Mem
| | Posted on Saturday, March 31, 2001 - 10:46 am: | |
If it's not crap it's Scottish! |
Dacar
| | Posted on Saturday, March 31, 2001 - 2:45 pm: | |
Farmers market is from July - October. Anybody know anything about Verjus opening od Springfield Ave - formally Ziti's and Gary's |
Alidah
| | Posted on Monday, April 2, 2001 - 10:53 pm: | |
What's going on with that crazy but fabulous antique store Motley Fama? Is it ever open anymore? |
Sarah
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 3, 2001 - 9:45 pm: | |
My husband & I went to an 'estate sale' at Motley Fama this Saturday. Some cool stuff, but after watching antiques roadshow so many times, I knew to do stuff like crawl under a table to check it out. Everything I examined was shoddily (sp?) reworked or 'refinished' (I'm using the term loosely here...) - definitely not worth the hundreds or thousands they were asking. |
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