I miss how stores were an extension of your neighborhood when I was a child.

[no_hypocrisy]

Last edited Thu Mar 27, 2025, 06:26 AM - Edit history (1)

In my small town 60+ years ago, you could go downtown and walk into any store, and you'd be on a first-name basis with the proprietor. Saul the Pharmacist. Joe who sold fruits and vegetables. Peg who owned the fabric store. Dave and his brother who ran the Five-And-Ten. Sal who ran the only pizza store. Mrs. Ferrera who had the little store for treats after school. Frank and Bob the Butchers. Herb who ran the store that had malted ice cream sodas and comics. It made the town a community.

[amerikat]

1. I hear ya.

Soda came in glass bottles. Meat came from the local butcher and tasty cakes were a nickle. The rich bastereds won. We have not had the last word. Yet.

[amerikat]

2. My literal first memory.

was standing behind my mom at a deli counter in Trenton NJ.

[amerikat]

3. I was maybe 2 years old

Mom wore striped pastel color shorts. I have no idea why I remember that. It just is.

[Emile]

4. I miss the small neighborhood grocery stores.

My dad owned and operated one after coming home from WW2.

[rurallib]

5. Yep we had one about every four blocks or so

The owner was always there and knew what we wanted. (and my folks could always get some Sunday beer and pay for it on Monday)

[HeartsCanHope]

7. Yes! There was a little corner grocery store that I used to walk to when I was a teenager.

They had sodas in glass bottles for 35 cents, and penny candy in addition to the necessities. One thing a friend and I liked to do in High School was take sodas to the cloistered sisters whose convent was not far from the little grocery store. I loved putting the sodas in the turnstile opening in the door. I never saw her, but the sister receiving the sodas would clap her hands in delight and say, "God bless you for these treats!" Such a small thing to do to make someone happy. Both places are gone now, but the memories are a delight to my heart!

[nuxvomica]

6. We use to have a neighborhood store that was like a bodega

I would collect the empty bottles and ride there on my bike, using the deposit money to buy comic books. Next door to it was a Victorian house where they sold penny candy displayed in cases and cabinets worthy of a fine jeweler. On the other side was a florist.

[OldBaldy1701E]

8. A lot of that was when the proprietors could (and would) live at their store.

Almost all of that was gone by the time I was hitting school age. There was a sense of community because the stores were amongst the houses, not in their own 'special' district.

Different times. I miss that aspect of my youth as well.

[Clouds Passing]

9. Rode my bike up to the corner store with my dime allowance 😄