Open Thread Wednesday

By on March 17, 2021 8:24 am in open thread

What’s on your mind? Comment away, and happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Share this Story:

  • AndyHeights

    I saw a sign on the dry cleaner on Joralemon Street off Clinton that they are closing and Heights Cleaners on Montague Street appears to be closed permanently. I guess they were very hard hit by folks working at home.

  • norceeto

    Only the oldtimers will remember his impromptu Great Wall performance https://www.classicfm.com/artists/yo-yo-ma/cello-classical-concert-covid-19-vaccination-clinic/

  • Andrew Porter

    Decades ago when I started working at home, giving up my office job, my dry cleaning bills fell to zero. I’d imagine much the same has happened now. The number of dry cleaners in the Heights always struck me as unsustainable.

  • Andrew Porter

    Wednesday brings another opportunity for a trip down memory lane. NW corner of Schermerhorn and Court, looking north, Oct. 12, 1928. Then/now photos below in reply:
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a0e057e9df7da3b0d6dc9179de7ba65ecf7e8741c0db88097e27d108000c6b07.jpg

  • Andrew Porter
  • ColumbiaHeightster

    This is sad. Beth is so kind and lovely to chat with. Sorry to hear it.

  • aeshtron

    Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    Dry-cleaning is waning not only due to the pandemic but as many businesses are accepting more casual dress as the norm, the need simply isn’t there.

  • Mike Suko

    I’m guessing that the toxic part also plays a role – not the kind of business “a kid” wants to keep up…. Wonder if salons – men’s & women’s are also affected by what Arch mentions. True, even on Zoom, one’s hair can’t be cartoonish (for most), but I wonder if guys who’ve figured out “DIY” are gonna go back to $75 cuts when this is all over.

    11201 probably had 5 “video stores” at some peak. Obviously, zero now. Hate to sound like a boomer, but maybe, Montague has all those vacancies because “the 20’s” are as unlike the 90’s as the 90’s were unlike the 60’s!

    Even “eating out” and “the bar scene” might not wind up being “basically” like they were pre-Covid.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    Thats a good point about the toxicity, I remember the owner of the dry cleaners, where Teresa’s was, died of nasty throat cancer. The place always reeked of the cleaning solvent (tetrachloroethylene).
    I believe they use less nasty stuff today, but still…

    I think the bar restaurant scene may bounce back fairly quickly, as people are getting pretty restless and will want to get out a socialize, once the pandemic is over.

  • Jorale-man

    Agreed. The restaurants and bars that have survived this long are going to be fine. Look how many people are willing to play Russian roulette and crowd without masks into these outdoor sheds (which are, in many cases, just indoor dining moved to the street).

    Dry cleaning may have a tougher future ahead though it’s worth noting that some clothing items like sweaters can’t be machine washed, so there’s that too.

  • Cranberry Beret

    Don’t really disagree with you on some of the outdoor dining set-ups I saw during the winter. No different than people wearing a mask pulled down around their neck – just performative theater.

    But I think now that warmer weather is here, the sides of these sheds are going to come off and it will be a pretty safe option if the seating isn’t crammed together

  • Jorale-man

    Very true. I won’t call out any particular offenders by name but there’s one popular restaurant on Atlantic Ave. that seems to have crammed as many diners as they possibly could in their shed. I always pick up the pace if I’m walking by. Maybe they can at least open things up now.