A sign of past times: There’s still a Blockbuster Video sign in Vancouver
A Blockbuster Video sign remains in Kitsilano, even though the company has been defunct in Vancouver for more than a decade. Brendan Kergin/V.I.A.
From Vancouver is Awesome: Blockbuster Video, as a concept, is not just a memory in Kitsilano.
While the multi-national video rental store is long gone (except for a single location in Bend, Oregon), reminders of the massive chain remain across North America.
One (small) artifact was revealed sometime in the last couple of years in Kitsilano, when the Sleep Country at Broadway and Blenheim Street (3289 W Broadway) removed a parking sign behind the store.
Chicago’s Old Fashioned Donuts receives $50K grant for renovations
From Fox 32: CHICAGO – An iconic South Side donut shop, Old Fashioned Donuts, is getting a much-needed financial boost thanks to a $50,000 grant earmarked for historic restaurants.
Located in the Roseland neighborhood, the beloved shop has been serving up tasty pastries for over half a century, and it remains under the leadership of its original owner, Burritt Bulloch.
“I know I’m doing something that people love,” said Bulloch. “Everybody eats donuts. I think I ran into one person at one point in my career that said, ‘I don’t eat donuts.’ And they tasted them and said that’s pretty good.”
Flood-Damaged Miss Lyndonville Diner Will Not Reopen
Miss Lyndonville Diner before the flood. FILE: STEVE LEGGE
From Seven Days: Miss Lyndonville Diner will not reopen after sustaining damage as a result of Vermont’s early July flood. Janet Gray Burnor, who has owned the diner for 46 years, plans to sell the business.
“I’m choosing to rebuild but not reopen,” Burnor, 72, told Seven Days on Friday morning.
Still, the closure of the Northeast Kingdom staple “feels like a death in the community,” she said, getting choked up. “We are heartbroken. I completely understand the community’s reaction to this loss, and I have tremendous gratitude. They’ve never let us down.”
Motels Are Having a Moment
“These motels are very Americana,” Ms. Lennox said. “They’ve got a really unique design. But they’re all in disrepair, and a lot of them are being torn down.” Desiree Rios for The New York Times
From The New York Times: In 2022, Lisa Lennox was visiting a friend in Stephenville, Texas, when she stumbled upon the Interstate Inn. The motel, on a highway an hour west of Fort Worth, had seen better days. The building was notorious with the local police, and rooms rented for $40 a night. The property needed new plumbing and wiring, and asbestos had to be removed.
But Ms. Lennox immediately felt a connection to the property, with its funky design, including a giant sloped roof that screamed Space Age.
“These motels are very Americana,” she said. “They’ve got a really unique design. But they’re all in disrepair, and a lot of them are being torn down.” Ms. Lennox had no real experience in hospitality, but she’d traveled widely and knew what made a good hotel room. She bought the motel that year, took an online hotel management course at Cornell and plans to open a renovated 35-room Interstate Inn, as well as another motel, with her siblings by the end of September. A third opening is planned for next year.
30-Story Mixed-Use Building at Tastee Diner Site Moves Forward in Downtown Silver Spring
From Source of the Spring: Plans for a redevelopment project to preserve the historic Tastee Diner dining car as part of a 30-story mixed-use residential building in downtown Silver Spring, MD, are set to move forward.
The county’s Planning Board unanimously approved the preliminary and sketch plans from D.C.-based Roadside Development for a high-rise proposed for the site. MoCo360 reported on Thursday that some nearby residents expressed concerns about traffic, height, and property values before the July 18 Planning Board vote (video below).
Tastee Diner at 8601 Cameron Ave. closed abruptly in March 2023 after owner Gene Wilkes sold the property for $3.1 million to Roadside, citing health concerns. Wilkes and Roadside had been in discussions for over a year regarding the sale of the restaurant in downtown Silver Spring. Tastee Diner’s Bethesda and Laurel locations remain open.