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2006-06-18 Home Front: Culture Wars

In Berkeley, a Store's End Clouds a Street's Future

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Posted by ryuge 2006-06-18 01:24|| || Front Page|| [11132 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Waaah! Looks like liberal moonbats like a bargain too. How ironic that the anti-wal-mart, anti-capitalism crowd is putting this place out of business by buying books at the evil chains.

As a side note, where do people get off attacking chain stores anyway? Who says because I have a small business, I'm quaint, cozy, and 'local', that somehow this guarantees me the right to stay in business forever?

Posted by mcsegeek1 2006-06-18 03:18|| 2006-06-18 03:18|| Front Page Top

#2 All traditional books stores have faced strong competition from the web-based competitors like Amazon and Alibris. This is certainly true for specialty stores like Cody's and Moe's.

A lot of what a book store provides is ambiance, a nice place to browse and maybe get a cup of coffee. It has been a looong time since I was there, but part of the Cody's amibiance involved being hustled for spare change, man and stepping over unconscious junkes. Not exactly appealing to someone with a little money in their pocket.

But Reagan, Bushitler, the war in Irag and fascist AmeriKKKa do make better scapegoats. Just don't get bong water on the rug.

Posted by SteveS 2006-06-18 10:08|| 2006-06-18 10:08|| Front Page Top

#3 How about because nobody wants to buy books about how bad America is, or Thai Vegan Cookbooks. You can only sell so many Cindy Shenan and Carl Marx hardback editions in a year.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2006-06-18 10:38|| 2006-06-18 10:38|| Front Page Top

#4 Part of Telegraph's appeal has always been its mix of freedom and unpredictable grit, and much of that spirit is still in evidence, with the homeless with worn eyes and dingy bedrolls regularly begging for change. In front of Cody's, some locals openly drink and smoke what is more than likely marijuana in the middle of the day.

Who else but the NY Times would consider this "part of Telegraph's appeal"?
I hope they tear it down and put up a WalMart.
Make that a Super WalMart...

Posted by tu3031 2006-06-18 10:54|| 2006-06-18 10:54|| Front Page Top

#5 I would be happy with a parking lot.

Posted by Fordesque 2006-06-18 12:38|| 2006-06-18 12:38|| Front Page Top

#6 Telegraph ave is one of the most predictable places in the world. The same bums have been hanging out there fro 40 years.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-06-18 13:12|| 2006-06-18 13:12|| Front Page Top

#7 Moe's carries enough used/close outs that I hope it can survive. Cody's may have been great 4o years ago, but Borders has long had it beat.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-06-18 13:14|| 2006-06-18 13:14|| Front Page Top

#8 I don't remember Cody's. I remember Moe's and Black Oak Books. They both sold used books, and it was such a pleasure to wander in and nose around, never knowing what you might find. I bought Stobart's The Glory That Was Greece at Moe's, but they didn't have The Grandeur That Was Rome. I still don't have a copy of that. You can get it through Amazon, of course, but it's not the same. (Partly because most of the used book sellers on Amazon have no flippin' clue how to grade books, so you have no idea what you're getting.)

Posted by Angie Schultz 2006-06-18 15:22|| 2006-06-18 15:22|| Front Page Top

#9 I have mixed memories of Telegraph avenue. Colorful place, then infested with street people and hippies in the late sixties. Riots. Had a hard time getting home from class sometimes. Saw an Alameda Co. Sherrifs riot police guy shoot a guy on the roof in the face with buckshot (I was about 100 yd away, and skidaddled after that). Then Berkeley did a redevepment thing and spruced it all up. But the same people hung out there. Berkeley gets what it deserves. If I were a businessman there, I would get out of that town and deny the taxes to the traitor city council. Send a message. Hit them in their pocketbooks. Hell, they hassled the Sea Scouts on the gay deal.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2006-06-18 16:50|| 2006-06-18 16:50|| Front Page Top

#10 "The war in Iraq is sapping all the little economies across the country, and Cody's was hit by that, too," Mr. Lewis said. "It's sad. This corner was part of the Free Speech Movement. I just hope they don't take that away, too."

I was tracking with the story until this bit at the end. Berkeley is demonstrably NOT a little economy, and Iraq caused a bookstore to close????

Another sad case of terminal BDS.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-06-18 22:25|| 2006-06-18 22:25|| Front Page Top

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