JB's Warehouse & Curio Emporium

A large domed centre court with a long set of steps that were ideal for kids to run up and down until they ran out of breath. A nearby carousel when running lost its charm. Restaurant chains such as Friendly's , Frisch's Big Boy and McDonald's that were suited for young'uns. A department store named after the king of the jungle. Welcome to wonderland for a kid on a family vacation in Toledo, Ohio in the late 70s/early 80s. *** The death notice has just been signed on another element of my childhood. As of June 30, Southwyck Shopping Center in Toledo will shut its doors permanently . Opened in 1972 on the west side of Toledo along US 20 (Reynolds Road), the anchors by the time we shopped there were Montgomery Ward and Lion , a local department store chain which operated two locations in the mall (the main store on the east wing, a home store on the north end that replaced an earlier tenant). My parents usually had good luck shopping at Lion, while my ma...

Your humble proprietor was interviewed this week over at Ephemera about the lovely vintage ads regularly featured on this site.

Where the bat-people reside in Toronto. Snapped under the Eglinton Avenue bridge over the Humber River, May 4, 2008. This was one of the sites on the Mount Dennis Jane's Walk - more pictures over on Flickr . - JB

6:30 p.m. last night. Dithering time. I had indicated that I would show up for a pickup soccer game over in Riverdale friends had organized, as long as it wasn't pouring rain out. I listened to the number of drops hitting the air conditioner. After contemplation, What would it hurt to drive down to the game site in Riverdale and see if anyone was there? At worst, what would be a week's delay for the first time I would kick a soccer ball in a decade? *** After discovering I was hopeless at baseball, my parents signed me up for soccer when I was 9. The teams I played for varied in ability - the only incident I remember was a game where I was on defence and wound up being the only one to chase after an opponent on a breakaway, while my fellow defenders carried on a conversation. The game lost its appeal when Dad forgot that he was supposed to sit on the sidelines, not attempt to coach me in the middle of the action. It may have come unconsciously, since he coached basketba...

Was a melting city hockey rink, too wet for any skates A net sat there waiting, for the next puck to come through Oh, won't you stay Walk around or play There are benches to examine (apologies to Joni Mitchell) Swansea was one of the smallest of the municipalities folded into Metropolitan Toronto back in 1954 and was annexed with Forest Hill into the old city of Toronto in 1967. Bounded by Bloor, the Humber River, Lake Ontario and High Park, Swansea is primarily residential with most retail lying along its northern edge (the Bloor West Village strip). Cue a late March stroll through the former village. On the way out of Rennie Park rink, we noticed a high treehouse. We meandered around the neighbourhood, walking up dead-end courts with views of the homes and Humber River below. Over in nearly-abandoned Swansea Plaza we discovered the loneliest novelty vending machine on this side of town in a former Shoppers Drug Mart, ( which I wrote about on Torontoist . Located...

American supermarkets tend to fascinate those I introduce them do. Whether it's a stock-up on cans of spray cheese or searching for sodas, most travelling companions are transfixed by the selection of products. When was the last time you saw a full shelf devoted to ferret care products in your Loblaws, Dominion or Sobeys? Remember: nobody likes to see a ferret cry after a shampooing. Photo taken in Wegmans, Amherst, NY, March 29, 2008