We’re somebody!
The new phone books are in! The new phone books are in! Our thriving little suburb has become part of all the news that’s fit to print. From the New York Times: “A Dose of Art and Entertainment Revives a Suburb”
I got this from a couple of listserves and a few friends all about the same time, with some interesting references. One email boasted, “Silver Spring Historical Society Gets Mention in New York Times!” Wonder who that could be. Some interesting tidbits from the article I personally enjoyed:
1. “Silver Spring still has its somewhat shabby side, which includes auto body shops, greasy spoons, a tattoo parlor and used book and record stores, but they are now considered part of its charm.”
Charm. Yes. Thank you, Big City Newspaper.
2. “I can’t think of any downside to this project,” said Bryant F. Foulger, a principal of Foulger-Pratt.
Well, DUH. Of course he can’t think of any downside. For those of you not from the area, this should clear things up.
3. “The Birchmere, a music hall in Alexandria, Va., is planning to open a second location in a former J. C. Penney store across from the film institute in 2010.”
PLEASE let them be right on this one. Note the key phrase “planning to.” Don’t make me start cracking skulls at council meetings. Because I will.
4. “The former Hecht’s was converted into City Place Mall before the current renaissance and has languished with mostly discount stores. That is changing, slowly.”
Changing slowly? Into what? Still Shitty Place. Still languishing.
5. “Serving 50,000 daily passengers, the transit center is scheduled for 2009 completion.”
Heh. After reading that savvy Silver Spring Penguin the other day, it’ll be interesting to see how close that is. And what the final product will look like.
6. “Nearby, Foulger-Pratt is awaiting final approval on a 200-room hotel, two residential towers with 410 units, and about 20,000 square feet of retail space.”
See item #2 above.
7. “I see Silver Spring as a little like the East Village” in Manhattan, [Jackie Greenbaum] said. “I think there’s a very good chance it will stay interesting and a little edgy. At least that’s my hope.”
You know what would help matters? Bringing NPR to Silver Spring.
Yay for us!
8 comments Digg this8 Comments so far
let it be noted that of the items listed on the “shabby side”, the following items are on Bonifant Street (not Thayer): auto body shop, a tattoo parlor, and a used book store. They left out the gun store and the santeria/thrift store.
Not to be outdone, Thayer Avenue “shabby” venues include the convenience store next to the old records shop that sells of beer-by-the-can, as well as two auto-body shops (one at Thayer and Fenton and one on the 900 block of Thayer)and the old bungalows that have front yards of gravel.
Ethiopian beer-by-the-can and gravel front yards TOTALLY trump your bogus Bonifant cred. And the record shop more than cancels out your tattoo parlor. We also have the Worst Safeway Ever(TM). [I know Sligo will back me up on this.] Does the ratty old dry cleaners count? Perhaps that’s sort of retro-shabby-chic.
Hey, don’t dis the dry cleaners. They are a bit more expensive than some, but excellent service — certainly more retro-shabby-chic.
I’ll have to see if the Ecology health food store will start selling beer-by-the-can.
Maybe you can check next time you go in for your Colon Cleanse.
I’ve found that Steel Reserve works well for that. Must be that High Gravity stuff they put in it.
I don’t know if the Silver Spring Safeway is officially the worst. It has strong competition for that title. Have you been to the one in Adams Morgan? Half the stuff is locked away and you have to request it. The one in Kensington was bad (and tiny), but that was recently torn down.
My award for most shabby auto mechanic goes to the place called QUIMBY on the 900 block of Thayer. Part of the “Q” fell off some time ago so the sign reads “OUIMBY.” Also, parts of the “U” and the “M” on the sign appear to be held on by duct tape. If the auto mechanic has a hard time keeping the store’s sign in one piece, what would they do to my car?