The Chainlink

I made it down to the west loop for orch a little early and the name of this place caught my eye. I had to get closer to find out what the heck it was, because for all the world it looked like a muffler shop from down the block.

They were technically already closed but they let me look around.

As a kid, our family recreation centered around heading out to the newest enclosed shopping mall (my mom was heavily into retail therapy) and I've done some serious work on casting off my consumerist upbringing, but I still have my guilty pleasures . . .

One of them is anything resembling a garden center or aquarium store . . . in the seventies there were a handful of fairly spacious pet stores scattered around which featured a few huge tanks, and actual indoor ponds.  I think Scott's in Westchester still fills this bill, and I visited one such in Milwaukee a few years ago, and Chicago Pond and Aquarium at Winnemac and Clark had some wonderful pond installations, but for the most part these kind of stores are a thing of the past. I used to like being dragged to Pier One Imports because the aquarium sections tended to be pretty decent. Would rather have spent a day at any of these shops than at Disneyland or Great America.

Anyways, the place I stopped into tonight was not a pet store, but it evoked that same magical fairlyland feel as the places I described above.

Who can guess what it was?

Views: 635

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Something large and adult themed. Ikea?

Wal-Mart.

Erotic Warehouse

1246 W Randolph St

You could say there is sort of a "pleasure" theme, but nobody's nailed it yet.

Could it be Big Monster Toys?  I stumbled upon them years ago, but have never been inside.

 

Nah, I take that back.  These guys don't look like a muffler shop. 

 

Publican Quality Meats

825 W Fulton St.

Definitely fits the "pleasure" theme. Also, as a retro-butcher it fits memories from your childhood.

Mmm, Wishbone.

I don't think I've ever been to the west-loop Wishbone.  I like the North Side location though although I always seem to get there when it is closed between meals and am too impatient to wait and end up going somewhere else instead.

Marcus Moore said:

Mmm, Wishbone.

Nope.

Another clue-- they said they've been there since last October.

And another-- I'm absolutely sure that most of you all would love this place (if maybe not the prices so much.)

Brew & Grow? 

Ding ding ding ding ding!



Melanie K said:

Brew & Grow? 

RSS

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service