Comments on: Where Can A Fella Get a Drink Around Here?

By: linda noble

linda noble — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:14:05 +0000

You don’t get places like that in any suburb really. You get suburban sprawl with genericized chain places. There’s nothing inherently wrong with them, per se. The food’s good, the prices are okay, you get the same thing at any one of them anywhere. But it’s not special. It’s not individual. It’s not original. That is what I think today’s culture lacks and is missing, even though most of today’s kids wouldn’t believe they are missing anything. You can’t miss what you never had.

I grew up in Flushing, Queens and got milk at my local small grocer, a store called Milky Way. We got veggies at the corner chinese (oriental?) owned produce market. We got meat at the butcher. These places were all on the SAME BLOCK on Main St. And we went to Key Food for weekly shopping, which was only about 4 blocks further down Main St. There was a bakery where we got our Sunday goodies, a candy store where I got my candy and chips with my allowance, a bagel place where we would get bagels on Sundays for breakfast. These places were all independantly owned by people. They were not chains (except for Key Food). We knew the owners and people who ran them. We got meat from Richie; Penny ran the Milky Way. It just isn’t like that anymore. I love places like that and have felt nostalgic for it over the years. But it’s just rare to find places like it anymore.

The one problem I have with the big chains are that it is so cheap for them to establish their business because they have the name to ride on that it becomes preventatively expensive for the small business owner to try and establish a place of their own because of it.

But I think, to this audience, I am preaching to the choir…

By: austinjen

austinjen — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:37:50 +0000

Jon, would you consider selling the “sip” print on Etsy? I love it and would snap it right up. Jen

By: austinjen

austinjen — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:18:20 +0000

Jon, would you consider posting this print on Etsy? I would buy it. I love the colors and the feel of the image.

By: Jet62879

Jet62879 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:11:23 +0000

I think a night shot for comparison would be very cool, but I LOVE this photo as is. The green leaves in the background that have the splattering of sunlight, the shadows and the vibrant colors all remind me of when I interned in NYC in college. I almost feel like I’m there again just looking at the photo. I live in a low-key ‘burb and so I’m also lacking the culture that this sign captures. Now when I go back to NY to visit it is always for holidays or weddings or other family obligations and I never get to just walk around the city and stop in unique spots like this. See, this is what I love about photography…the connections it draws for each participant. Thanks for sharing (and thanks for getting my login working!)

By: Amanda Brumfield

Amanda Brumfield — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:00:36 +0000

Beautiful. I love the copper-? against the leaves and sky. Very nice.

By: chuky

chuky — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:28:38 +0000

9th and 9th needs a pub, if you feel like opening one.

I feel like we have parallel lives in certain ways. My husband and I moved from LA to Utah for a higher quality of life, we are both designers and we love the Utah culture.

The funny thing is, we have been here for 2 years, and have met so many like-minded, mellow people. We spend a great deal of time in the outdoors and have found that the best place to meet friends who love a great beer is on the trail. No one out hiking or riding on a Sunday morning is going to turn down a cold one at a BBQ, should you offer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/91694861@N00/2430325214/in/set-72157604647165422/

Utah is the best. I love it here.

By: Spatula

Spatula — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:25:21 +0000

Yeah, Jon, I think you have to open such a bodega yourself, and call it Heathens.

By: Lauren M.

Lauren M. — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:56:11 +0000

Brooklyn is super rad. I love living there. I’m going to have to do some searching and find out where Sip is–there’s too much awesome stuff to explore here.

And please, please come visit. I missed Heather’s last appearance in Brooklyn, and I’m so mad!

By: minxlj

minxlj — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:47:34 +0000

Well, that culture doesn’t exist until Jon decides to open said bar

By: themightyjimbo

themightyjimbo — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:10:36 +0000

i feel you on the place where everyone knows your name, but to your town’s credit, SLC DOES have world class rock climbing within 60 minutes of any home, and maybe the best snow in the continental USA also within 60 minutes of any home. and i’m pretty sure the mountain biking is just as cush.

and homes that normal people can afford.

on top of all that, i’ve gotta tell you, those mormons keep those streets CLEAN.

and they totally return lost blackberries.