Posts Tagged ‘J&R’

They Really Do Have Everything

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

J&R
Sometimes I’m tempted to walk into J&R Music and Computer World and ask where I can find the Extraterrestrial Alien Detection Appliance department. Now, despite whatever you may hear from my husband, I am not insane. With no intention of insulting those who do believe in alien life forms (particularly since with a husband, comes a mother-in-law – concrete proof of alien life forms), I am not looking for an encounter of any kind. I am merely a tester of my own theories, one of which is that J&R has EVERYTHING.

I will skip the portion of “Stating the Obvious” during which I would discuss their extensive selection of both Music AND Computers. I’ve worked Downtown for 14 years now, and there hasn’t been a single electronic commodity that I’ve wanted to purchase that I haven’t been able to find there. When our air conditioner broke in the middle of a heat wave and the effect the heat had on us threatened our marriage, I knew where to get a new AC. Whenever the countless video game creators came out with a new console or joystick that my 10 year old had to have, I knew where to get it. When my gadget master had to have a DocuPen so he can scan paper on a whim with something that looked like a wand, I knew where to get it.

Last night I had a 6pm, nonrefundable (the most effective way to guarantee that I’ll actually go), exercise class in Soho. I left work at 5:30 and was trying to figure out if I had enough time to go pick up a 72-in One Memory Card Reader and Writer that my husband mentioned he wanted. Now, I’ve been burned before with respect to holiday shopping. Its almost as though the world is waiting to hear what my husband wants, and rushes to the store to buy out all of the inventory before I get a chance to make my purchase. Now when he mentions something that he’d like, I take off running.

J&R is 5 short blocks away from my job, so I decided to go for it. There’s nothing like speed walking and breaking into a sweat – before going to work out – to make you feel like going home and laying down. Yet another reason to go for it!

I walked into their store on the corner of Park Row and Ann Street, and approached a salesperson. I showed him my post-it note with my husbands latest order scribbled on it. He nodded approvingly as he said “a 72? Sure, we have it” and pointed to their Memory Section a few steps away. Apparently I should’ve been excited by the fact that it was a 72, but the reality is, I don’t have a clue what I’m buying or what it’s for. But as I suspected, J&R had it in stock. To make an already long-story short, I came, I saw, I shopped, and then I walked a block down to the E train and made it to Spring Street by 5:48pm.

Once again, I was able to find what I was looking for in one of Downtown’s longest standing retailers. When it comes to electronics and gadgets, what don’t they have? I’ll get back to you on that, but don’t hold your breath. They may even have a breathing apparatus section.

And if J&R DID have an Extraterrestrial Alien Detection Appliance department, and I WAS able to purchase whatever it is that I would need to find E.T. (to share M&Ms with), and E.T. asked if he COULD phone home – my response would be “Sure. J&R is within walking/bike-flying distance. They sell phones there.”

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Posted in My LM, Shopping | No Comments »

Downtown by the Numbers

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

Do you remember numerical series problems from elementary school? Things like: 2,4,8, __ What is the next number in the series? Why, its 16 of course (each number is twice as much as the prior one).

Well, here is another series that will really tease your brain: 280, 110, 100, 110, 17, 116, 2, 22, 120, __ What is the next number? And what is the series anyway?

I will answer the second question first. These are the building numbers of all the buildings I have worked in over the last 40 years. And they are all in Lower Manhattan. I never made it above Reade Street. Two of these buildings have undergone residential conversions; two were significantly upgraded by the City of New York and are occupied by city agencies. One is nearly entirely vacant and the building I am now in – 120 Broadway — is probably the finest of the bunch.

Over the last 40 years I have witnessed many comings and goings. Sloppy Louie’s and Sweets were the places to go for fish. They had very different personalities, but given their proximity to the Fish Market, they had the freshest food around. Alas, they are gone, as is, of course, the Fish Market itself. And while I am reminiscing about restaurants whose names start with S, the corner of Park Place and Church Street used to have two such restaurants, Schraft’s and Suerken’s. Schraft’s was a table clothed chain restaurant and Suerken’s was an old style- German bar and restaurant, opened in 1877 and closed 110 years later.

And I remember buying records out of wooden boxes on legs at the very first J&R store in the basement on Beekman Street. And then watching the empire grow all along the entire Park Row block, except of course for Weinstein and Holtzman’s Hardware store.

And one more establishment that I miss is the original Job Lot on Church Street; a destination for bargain hunters from all around. I am talking about a store, before it was ruined by expansion, that actually sold its merchandise from push carts and would have both a section of fairly stable merchandise as well as true odd lots that would come and go in an afternoon. I found that out the hard way when I bought mirrored switch plates for ten cents (yes, a long time ago). Unfortunately, I miscounted and needed two more, but when I went back the next day they were gone.

All by way of saying that this stroll down memory lane has been replaced by new destinations and adventures, many of which can be found by a walk down any of our historic streets or by using the retail directory on the Downtown Alliance’s Web site.

To return to the first question of the numerical series — what is the next number? — who knows? Will we move? Will I move? Maybe the answer is that this is the end of the series. Maybe not. We’ll see.

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Posted in Dining, My LM, Shopping | 2 Comments »