Driving by this liquor store on 16th St. the other day I had a moment of panic because there was brown paper up over the windows and a little sign that said closed. It hit me hard because I had such a good feeling about that place. I wanted to go talk to the kind elderly man that ran it and document his old store, but I never got the chance.
Later I drove by the place and saw that the paper was gone, the store was open, and it looked exactly the same. I calmed down about missing my chance but began to doubt my sanity.
Today I got a chance to go in and ask. Sure enough, there had been paper on the windows, apparently the place changed hands when the previous owner retired. The new people seemed very nice but I think I annoyed them a bit going on and on about how I loved the old place and saying things like "you're not going to change ANYTHING right?" The man I was speaking to started to look a little pale, not as happy as he had been to begin with. He kept saying "We're going to bring in some really great new wines..." At one point he seemed to be asking me if it were OK if they brought in some new wines...I guess I come on too strong at times. I would love to learn to relax. It's actually really great that the previous owner found people ready to leap in and take over his business, I'd be even more sad to see this place standing empty like the old Universal Video space.
They are changing the name to something like Windsor Wine and Liquor. But will they take that beautiful sign down? It's a free country of course but can they really do better than use what they already have? No one's asking me but I'll tell you anyway- they are lucky to have that gorgeous sign, which the pictures in this post really don't do justice to.
5 comments:
Yeah, we noticed that, too. We also noticed it is being run by someone who used to work at Slope Cellars on 7th Avenue, a place we really liked when we lived closer to 7th Avenue. So, I am sure I will like the new store.
We, too, though are sad to see the old owners go because they were always nice to us when we went in there and I liked that it was a little homier and less fancy than the 7th Avenue wine stores.
Thanks for the additional info.
I heard a rumor yesterday that the old Pet Food shop on PPW may be a liquor store or that this guy is moving his store to there. Any word on this?
My lovely wife Co summed up my sentiments, but I just wanted to tell you I felt the same lurch in my stomach when I saw (on a listserv) that the place had changed ownership. The former owner (Mr. Fields, I guess) was such a neighborhood fixture, not from my childhood but he could have been. The pharmacist on 7th Avenue who knew me as a little girl retired some years ago and I was so sad...the onward march of time doesn't always make me comfortable.
I come on pretty strong, too.
Yes, it really was a lurch, that's a good word for it. I miss Mr. Fields, although I only know him from Halloween when he so sweetly beckoned for my kids to come in for a treat. Sigh.
I haven't heard a word about the pet store. I wonder if any one on the KWT listserve knows anything.
Sad to see another neighbourhood business pass on. It's very difficult to keep the old spirit going. One of the few who has been able to keep the old feeling is Love and her family at the candy store...more friendly even than Rae was. Thanks for a good run Jim. (BTW, my dad worked for him amny years ago).
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