You know Mad Cook, Boston is made up of several separate sections of the city. Except for the part I live in, you can drive or walk from one section to the next. I live across the harbor.
Growing up, each section of the city was a village unto itself. We had a butcher, a small five and dime store, a cobbler, a produce only store, a shoe store, small clothing store, a cleaners, and a corner store for all the little things you may need, like new shoe laces, a small can of tomato paste, a small market for all other goods, etc. It was like that in every section of the city. Today, my whole childhood is gone. It is all huge supermarket stores for you foods now. Around the end of the month when we get our first frost, there will be no more farmers market for us until next spring. There is one in downtown Boston. It is inside of a building, and all the produce is the same as what you buy in the large supermarkets. But it can take about 30 minutes to get there, and you will have all those bags to carry back, unless you have a car. Not worth the trip. My kids were raised in this atmosphere. They never saw their first mall until they were in junior high school.
Today a lot of malls have closed. Folks want that sense of a village back. Come Christmas time, they don't want to fight the crowds of holiday shoppers. And folks are finding that you can order anything you might fancy right on line. Why leave the comfort of your home. Our city government is investing time and money in trying to bring back that sense of village to each neighborhood. I hope it works.
