What time is it when you’re reading this? Are you getting ready for your commute home? Our little convo about salads got me thinking. Yes, the Hook’s crossword salad green answer IS endive. And then I started thinking about TheUpstart’s #43 comment about how where we live and work dictates where we shop. (Ahem.)
I thought I’d provide us all with a little direction, to that end. Funny thing about these addresses, though…
Downtown Mall to the shopping center across from Fashion Scare: 4.0 miles
Average time: Whatever.
I’m not going by what Google says. It can take anywhere between 5 minutes (5:25 AM, bringing a friend to the airport because I’m out of my mind) and 25 minutes (5:25 PM, because I just want to commute and know how the other half lives for fun! NOT!).
Downtown Mall to Mill Creek: 2.9 miles
Average time: 8 minutes
Or, as mall residents call it, “Where? Is that on 29?”
Downtown Mall to Pantops: 2.3 miles
Average time: 6 minutes
Or, as mall residents call it, “That’s up the mountain, isn’t it?”
Downtown Mall to Barracks: 2.2 miles
Average time: 8 minutes
Don’t look skeptical like that. Your face will get stuck that way. No, seriously, it will take only 8 minutes on 250, but I know downtown folks like buying local and driving on Preston and University. Same thing.
Downtown Mall to 5th Street extended shopping center: 1.9 miles
Average time: 6 minutes
The red-headed step-child of strip malls though it may be (no offense to the strip mall or red-headed step-children), that’s really close to downtown. Umm, it IS downtown.
Downtown Mall to Riverbend Drive shopping center: 1.8 miles
Average time: 6 minutes
Wait, what time is it now? Six minutes up yet?
So my point is that I complain about driving times, and I will continue to complain about driving times, but this could be us. Driving those dinky cars and hitting people.
Popularity: 5% [?]
Tagged as: Albemarle County, Charlottesville, Downtown Mall
Four things:
1) I drive one of them lil’ kleenex box cars, but I don’t hit people.
2) The Hook’s crossword puzzle is a joke - 30 minutes, tops.
3) I live in, well… anyway, storewise I will drive all over depending on my situation at the moment. If Im feelin teh rich and secksay, I will toodle on over to tweeter and dig on how great everyone and everything looks under halogen lights (that *is* their secret). If Im depressed I will head on over to Fifth Street FL and let the warm embrace of schadenfruede wash away my self doubt (but watch out for the ‘oh god I am one of them’ feeling). I try to hit Reid’s when I can, because I want them to still be there in 2026 (Im picturing a ‘89 monte carlo hovering on air in the parking lot), and because I am fond of their non traditional math tendencies when packaging parts of critters. If I am shooting an avant-garde film in black and white, I head on down to Rose’s in Pantopia, because shopping there is like shopping in the Soviet Union in 1979, and you can kind of juice up on the “great art comes from great struggle” vibe by environmental proxy. I am also a huge fan of the asian food market and on Carlton. Anyone that buys anything asian anywhere else is a fool. They got the nice price, even for ba koi like myself. Plus it makes me feel like i’m back in sf. The homey feeling produce market is awesome too, and up until last week, you could buy cocaine in quantity right across the street!
Hmm, I guess for me its not about miles or prices or inventory… its more about my state of mind / emotional needs. Funny though, I’ve yet to get any coupons for that… $1.00 off Select Pastas? Fuck that, I wanna clip out a voucher for a free self esteem boost with every purchase of geographical nostalgia! Get on it Daily Progress! Its not like your doing anything else.
& 4) I am indeed posting here so lilith’s post can have some comments.
Ha. That’s funny that all those places are within a 5 mile radius of my domicile near Preston and I am still too lazy to go to any of them.
“29??? That’s like, B-F’in Egypt!”
Except not.
At all.
belmont yo, thank you for that
Lillith and Belmont, I expect those are really great posts, both of you. I enjoy your stuff. But, I have to say:
TLDR.
Sorry.
Kind of OT, but the best expression I learned in Spain was the Spanish version of “way out in BFE”—”where Jesus left his lighter.” I hope to incorporate it into English as often as possible.
I’ve lived in Charlottesville for nine years and I’ve never heard of the Riverbend Dr Shopping Center. I started a little experiment recently, in which I bought all our food at either Reid’s, IY, or C’ville Market. It lasted about three weeks and I had to quit–it was a very expensive experiment.
The county is considering a rezoning and approval for a shopping center on a new road connecting 5th Street (it’s not extended until it leaves the city) and Avon just north of 64. The developers (The Coran et al.) are saying one big box retail (hello, Home Depot!) and a grocery store, along with some other stuff (restaurants, etc.). I’ve been pushing for a Wegman’s as the grocery store (not that I have any say in the decision whatsoever). Whole Foods and Harris Teeter won’t know what hit them. (I think I’m done using parentheses.)
Stormy, thank you for the insider info!
IY *is* a cult, yes?
Wegmans? You’re right Stormy, Wegman’s would knock Whole Foods and H-T on their asses. I would love a Wegman’s in Charlottesville. They have them up in Northern Virginia now.
Yeah, used to live around the corner from Wegmans in Ashburn - amazing place. Makes Harris Teeter look like the 5th St Food Lion.
TLDR?
Samantha, what does it mean. Is it IM speak for shut up you ridiculous fool?
I don’t know any IM acronyms except “LOL” “BRB” and “IMO.” But, like bad license plates, I like guessing. So for this one I thought, “Too long didn’t read.” To which I say, W.
Wegmen’s is cool, but I’ve seen newer Whole Foods stores that totally trump Wegmen’s (Princeton, NJ is a perfect example where they go head to head)…. with the exception of bread. Wegmen’s uses awesome ovens, not quite ABC awesome, but the best commercially made bread I’ve ever had. I swear Whole Foods must bag their loaves while they are still warm, as I have never seen bread go moldy as quickly as theirs do, sliced or not.
I’ll plug ‘em again, as I always do, but you can get most of your shopping needs from Horse and Buggy Produce - lettuce, potatoes, eggs, chicken, beef, milk, bread, granola… and their pick up loaction is right at the IX building and it’s all locally grown/made. I hear they still have winter shares available (and no, I’m not Brett or April, just a loyal customer).
Ahhh… I bet you’re right. So In a way our posts were too long to read, and hers was too short to understand.
OKPIXPLZKthXBAi!111ekleventy!
DSR2JW4EBF. Right belmont?
You totally understand.
Samantha,
Stop chewing those delayed release Ritalin and they will get you further through the day.
In a futile attempt to be trendacious I ran TLDR past my trusty pal transl8it.com and it called me a total tosser. Is enlightenment on it’s way or are we running with B-Yo’s hilarious if acronymically inaccurate idea.
Acronymically inaccurate, eh? K (that’s short for “ok”), lets fix that:
TLDR = total lunacy, don’t relate
Totally lilith.
DSR2JW4EBF = did some rhinoplasty to jewish walruses for excellent benefits forthcoming.
Its like you are in my head.
We are on the level.
[…] of a Legit Grocery Store Nearby – Lilith did some helpful research on this a while back. How awesome would a downtown grocery store I could walk to be? Alas, if I need to get groceries […]