On Friday, June 20, 2003, at 11:33 PM, Mark Snyder wrote:
Let's see, last time I checked, clothes were basics. Maybe I'm a little out
there for preferring hemp or organic cotton to the stuff grown with massive
amounts of pesticides, but they're still clothes.
As long as you don't eat pesticide laden clothing while pregnant you should be OK.
Also, last time I checked, Dinkytown is still part of Minneapolis, as is
Hennepin Ave. South and Johnson St. If people really want to know about my
basics like TP and toothpaste and laundry detergent, well, I get those at
Mississippi Market, along with my groceries, for four more months until the
Eastside Food Coop opens about seven blocks from me. It'll be nice to walk
to the market again like I did with my mom as a kid.
It'll be nice to have a CUB a few blocks from me- not only will I save the environment by avoiding the long drive to the Northeast co-op, but I'll save a lot of money too.
Keith is certainly correct that I am a single person. I make $39,000 a year,
so yes, I have some discretionary income. And I try to spend as much of it
as possible in the city, which sometimes means St. Paul. And yes, Sears is a
big box, but as I've admitted before, there are some cases where a big box
makes sense. Appliances would be one of them, though if I find a small
appliance store in the city like the one that used to be on Central Ave, I'd
shop there instead. If anyone has suggestions, I'd love to hear them since
I'll probably be looking for a refrigerator soon.
Sears is overpriced on just about everything, and why would I drive to St.Paul when I can be fleeced just as well at the nearby Brookdale Sears?
MY whole point against big boxes is that there seems to be a fixation that
they are the only solution to what ails West Broadway and the Northside and
I think that's a pretty poor approach to take.
A lot of what ails us as a community here is our low income, aggravated by the shortage of affordable basic goods that the "boxes" could provide. Another yuppie food co-op is not the answer to the Northside's problems.
I failed to mention any of my dollars being spent on the Northside because
for the almost two years I've been participating in this Forum, I've heard
only, "There's nothing on the Northside, the Northside sucks, the few stores
around are dirty, with bad service and understocked, everyone has to go out
to Robbinsdale or Brooklyn Park or come Northeast to get their groceries,
their clothes, anything above and beyond toothpaste or TP."
With a CUB coming in that's about to change. The CUB will have a synergistic affect and draw more customers to the area who will patronize other businesses in the area.
So why should I waste my time going to where there's supposedly nothing but
vacant storefronts and a crappy Target that's closing in a month? If I
wanted to shop at Target, there's one less than a half a mile from me at the
Quarry. But here's a tip, if you want to get people to shop in your area,
share some GOOD things that might draw us.
CUB, the asian take out in Hawthorne Crossings, etc..
I suppose I could've mentioned the liking I've taken to AJ's Smokehouse, but
I've only been there twice so I can't really call it a part of my routine
yet. Is Friedman's Shoes still open? My sneakers are starting to get pretty
worn. I think I remember hearing something good about a hardware store on
Penn and Lowry - maybe I could check them out since I hate Home Depot.
It appears that Friedmans will easily outlive Target. The hardware store you speak of is OK but Fleet Farm is a lot cheaper. If you need metric fastners and such, the hardware store at 18th and Nicolet is the best in town.
But more big boxes aren't going to draw me to the Northside. Maybe something
unique will. It's kind of like that guy that wrote in the Strib recently
about Block E - why should he make the effort to go downtown for Border's
and Applebee's when he's got those kinds of places back home in Eden Prairie
or wherever he lives?
And why should I go anywhere for boutique stuff I can't afford?
As far as Jerry's Cub coming to West Broadway, I hope it works out and I
hope the Houston's Market across the street thrives when it opens next
month. The jobs are certainly needed. But I won't be shopping there or at
any Cub Foods if I can help it. Not when there will be a lot better place
for me to get my groceries that's a lot closer to me.
Mark, I save a lot of money by shopping at CUB, Fleet Farm, etc.. I have to save up money because as Minneapolis becomes increasingly unliveable I may need to purchase property elsewhere.
hanging on in Hawthorne,
Dyna Sluyter
Mark Snyder Windom Park
Hitting the sack now so I can get up for the NE Farmer's Market on Saturday
morning - http://www.eastsidefoodcoop.org/farmersmarket.htm
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