I took this photo one late afternoon, in June of 1988.. Seen here is the southwest corner of South Archer and Kedzie Avenue's in Chicago's Brighton Park neighborhood on Chicago's near southwest side. This beautiful brown brick commercial building was demolished at sometime during the last ten years. Today it is now the site of a large Walgreen's Drig Store with a front parking lot. I had many happy memorys of this corner in years past. I bought hobby magazines, candy, soda, and lottery tickets at the Community Smoke Shop at the corner, Had a beer in the bar once or twice, and frequently ate dinner at Jimmy's Gyros after work had let out for the day.
I also met several wonderful friends there 22 years ago such as Tom -aka Lapstrake -Bill -Big Ed -and several other local neighborhood residents. It was a friendly place.
2 comments:
Ahh yes, Community Smoke Shop, with a most "diverse" selection, shall I say, of magazines and reading materials. Of course, I went there only for the railroading and rock n' roll publications.
Do you remember the thick haze of cigarette smoke in there? Those women who worked the counter smoked non-stop.
Hi Anthony!
Cough! Cough! Yes...I remember that smokey old newstand store.
I mostly bought Trains and Model Railroader magazines there, and maybe an occasional Entertainment News one from time to time. It was definately "Politically Incorrect" by todays standards when You considered that those Adult Magazines were out in the open.
It was a local neighborhood "Dive" of a newstand, but it served the local residents and CTA bus commuters quiete well back then.
I actually miss it today.
Thank You.
Eddie K.
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