Tuesday · October 12 2004
The NE corner of Leland and Clark has a bank and a strip of condos under construction. The storefronts on the SE corner (facing Leland) next to Carol's Pub have been vacant and littered with broken glass since we moved in three years ago. Recently, a rehab crew was installing new windows and clearing the trash inside the three units. I wonder who is going to move in.
Let's make a list of things you DON'T want to move in there. I'll start with a few:
1. Adult Toy Store/Peep Show
2. McDonald's
3. "Quick loan today - Cash your paycheck now" service
4. Bail Bond outlet
5. Dollar Store
6. Mr. Stinky's Toy Shoppe: buy your stinkbombs, rotten eggs, and fish-heads here!
I'll agree with all 6 of those. I'd also like to add #7: Wholesale outlet selling crappy purses and sunglasses. We already have about 23 of those on that stretch of Clark as is.
I'll be happiest if it's any sort of establishment that sells coffee. The only options right now are Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks, both of which I go to, but an alternative would be welcome.
The space isn't set up right for a McDonald's, which would be the worst of your list. There's also a bunch of vacant small retail storefronts on Wilson. I'll be surprised if these fill up first considering the higher walking traffic on Wilson.
Was the Butera bad? I'm not being sarcastic ... just seriously asking because I used to live right near a Butera and loved their cheap prices. It was at Lincoln and Grace and was replaced by the lovely CB2, which I never set foot in. On the BPN board, you'd think they were selling crack in the Butera by the way some people talk.
Butera gets a pretty bad rap and I don't know how many people have actually shopped in one. I shopped at the out of business Clark St. Market quite a bit. The location was very convenient to pick up items for dinner when the fridge was empty. However, they didn't sell cat treats and that was a problem.
i like butera. just joking about it because we can't tell if they are really remodeling, closing, re-locating or what.
It was a Butera awhile back. It's been called Clark St. Market for the last couple years and was under different ownership. Both failed in the same location. I'm not sure who is going to try next. Some discussion on that msg board of talk to Caputo, and rumors about Trader Joes, but I think that's unlikely.