Shop the Southtowns!

Some local retail stuff:

:: Well, I finally made it into B is for Books the other night, after several consecutive weekends of meaning to get there but not managing to do so (running low on funds one week, The Daughter being under the weather the next, and so on). Let me tell you, folks, this is just a terrific place. Please don't let its location, in outlying Orchard Park, be a deterrent to coming here! It can easily be made part of a Southtowns shopping excursion, especially if you're going to the stores at Quaker Crossing; central Orchard Park is about a ten minute drive away from Quaker Crossing, and by extension, about fifteen minutes from the McKinley Mall area. And it's one of those local, independent businesses we're all supposed to be keen on. Small business, locally owned. Entrepreneurship, in nigh-Socialist Erie County.

The store itself? It's a bright and airy place, for one thing; lots of room to browse. Plenty of places to sit and look through the books, or to sit and read to your kids, or whatever. The selection is pretty impressive as well; overall the store is about twice the size of the childrens section at your local Borders or B&N. The analogy I'd make is that this is the bookstore equivalent of Clayton's in Williamsville.

So yeah, we're big fans already, and I really hope this place succeeds. Indie bookstores aren't exactly a growth industry these days.

:: We haven't been there yet, but The Good Toy Shop is a mile from Casa Jaquandor. It's as though the Gods are actively scheming ways to part me from my money, but for some reason, they're not alternately scheming ways to give me more money to part with. What's up with that? Anyhow, once we've scoped out The Good Toy Shop, I will report on its offerings. (Can it be coincidence that it's three doors down from my favorite liquor store?)

:: I can't vouch for them at all, but there's a custom computer joint called Technophobia that's been open for a while now. I drive by it every day on my way to The Store (it's on Orchard Park Road in West Seneca). What I can vouch for is that they took an old eyesore of a house and renovated it to house their business, complete with new paint job and everything. I'm always happy to see old structures used for new businesses, as opposed to the constant construction of new McPlazas that end up sitting empty with the "Leasing Now!" sign out front.

:: Does anybody besides me think that the Buffalo area really needs a blog like the Syracuse Post Standard's Store Front? Hmmmmm....