What Store Was It?

The woman who cuts Plot's hair was late getting to an 8:30 appt. this morning so Plottie had some time to walk up and down 24th Street, carrying his coffee from Bernie's, that used to be Tully's. Obviously, he hadn't paid much attention to the street in quite awhile, because for the first time he noticed how many shops are shuttered and empty. What surprised him even more is he couldn't remember what used to be in most of the empty spaces before.

When the Plotniks moved to Snowy Valley the street was still a haven for old-line Irish bars and diner-style restaurants. Then the boom hit and one by one the diners and auto repairs closed, to be replaced by forgettable and fancier eateries, and the bars all became multi-culti, with new juke boxes and Belgian beer. For awhile it seemed like the only new businesses were froo-froo designer shops and boutiques but most have come and gone, followed by another and then another. Now it's plywood windows.

Amazingly though, the two bagel shops are still in business, though one makes great bagels and the other makes horrible bagels, and so are all the coffee places. It seems like many people have enough time on their hands and money in their pockets to drink lattes or chai, but not to buy books. Cover to Cover books moved around the corner onto Castro Street, but is always empty and periodically begging for money to keep functioning. The other bookstore, Phoenix Books, The Plotnik family's favorite bookstore, is moving now too, but at least they will stay on 24th Street, for awhile. Their new shop has half the space of the old.

This is not a good sign. There seems to be a natural progression with mom 'n pop stores, from larger location to smaller location and then they share space with a video rental, and then one partner goes out of business and then the other. There's a similar natural progression with restaurants too: when you see a hand-written sign on the window that says WE NOW SERVE BURGERS AND BURRITOS, they have a maximum of six months to go.

There were two liquor stores on the avenue and one is now a bike shop and the other, where the owner always put a cute, two-sided aphorism onto his overhead marquee, appears to have closed. You had to pass by on your bike, read the front side quickly and then turn your head to read the other side after you passed under it. No longer.

That corner of Sanchez and 24th, that ought to be a wonderful location, but is actually the kiss of death, currently sells chocolates and some kind of French-y nonsense, but it's always empty and only a matter of time 'til WE NOW SERVE BURGERS AND BURRITOS. Damn, what was it before? An olive oil store and before that the juice bar and before that some kind of women's clothes and before that another ice cream place and before that who can remember anymore?

Even Noe Valley Pizza, that has been on that corner since Jesus Noe invented pizza, has a sign in its window that a new restaurant permit has been issued, with a new owner and a French name this time. Perhaps they will call it La Kees du Morte.

And then worst of all: As Plot headed for the ATM, he saw someone familiar walking toward him. "____!" he called, as they drew abreast. "Plotnik!" said this man, whom Plotnik knows well but does not see very often. He looked like...well, his face was deeply lined, like a man who has lost 200 pounds, except this person had never been heavy. His clothing sagged. Plot didn't really know what to say -- maybe he was imagining things, given his discovery that his street is slowly drying up? Plot smiled and went on his way, thinking: Everything is breaking down on this battered avenue.

There used to be a bench in front of the haircut place, but they removed it because the homeless people were fighting over it all the time. But Zephyr Real Estate across the street still has its bench. So The Great Plotnik sat down on the Zephyr Real Estate bench to wait for his haircut lady, sipping his coffee, thinking about that old Greek place with the raspberry dessert, where the Pasta Pomidoro is now, across the street from that other place, what was its name?