Klosing Time … and other random thoughts
- Raise your hand if you’re surprised that K’s Merchandise is shutting down. That place was a time warp — it was like walking right back into the 1970s. Its one saving grace was that it had a good-sized baby department. It’s slim pickings in this town for baby gear and this won’t help. However … that would be a great location for a Costco. It’s probably too big for blog pet Trader Joe’s.
- Here at lbotp we’ve been starved for a local reality TV star (although now it seems so 2003). And once we found out about one, it was too late to give him any C-U love. This guy isn’t on TV — he’s on the Web in a reality contest on gofish.com called “America’s Dream Date.” Cast members shot videos of themselves showing why they should be “America’s Dream Date” (hence the name), and then the viewers vote for their favorites. His name is Nick Schmidt, and the one video I watched was really stupid — it showed him driving around town and eating at what I think is Legend’s. Voting is now closed, but the winners get a trip to Paris.
- The Pantagraph Web site has a new look, as does the Sun-Times. Interesting to note that the Sun-Times Web traffic is down 25 percent since the ailing Roger Ebert took sick leave to recover from cancer surgery.
- Deb Pressey reports that yet another restaurant, this one serving “Mediterranean” fare, is planning to go into the Village at the Crossing center in SW Champaign. Between the supposedly planned Papa Del’s branch, Billy Barooz, the new Jupiter’s, and Subway, there will be a new place to eat practically every day of the week at the corner of Windsor and Duncan.
- Northeast Urbana is indeed the mecca for cheap gas in C-U. All the cool kids know that the Casey’s on University Ave. or the station in front of Wal-Mart on Route 130 are the best deals in town. Mr. lbotp wants to know why the Wal-Mart gas stations all have different prices. Location, location, location …
Categories: Babies and Kids · Best of C-U · Bloomington-Normal · Champaign · Chicago · Eating Out · Shopping · The Business Section · Urbana
13 responses so far ↓
lynsalyns // October 4, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Yeah, I got gas on Lincoln yesterday the drove past the Wal-Mart up here …. DOH.
Lisa Morgan // October 4, 2006 at 4:43 pm
Grrr, scooped again! The “Mediterranean” place sounds interesting — even if I didn’t find out about it first. Will appetizers include saganaki, dolmades, caponata, and tapenade, I wonder? He mentions quite a mix of cuisines!
gamera // October 4, 2006 at 4:57 pm
Trader Joe’s!
I know, it’s like beating a dead horse, but I can’t resist….
Maladjusted // October 4, 2006 at 8:05 pm
The K’s location may be too big for Trader Joe’s sadly, but I think it would be a great size for my second favorite, Whole Foods. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for Whole Foods’ seafood counter in CU!
Mate'man // October 4, 2006 at 10:56 pm
What about a supermarket mini-mall? Bootleg TJ’s merchandise sold with a wink and a nod? A weekend fine food flea market venue? Caviar Central!
Bro // October 5, 2006 at 11:03 am
Tell Mr. lbotp, that gas stations use “zone pricing.”
That is they price according to the demographics of the area, the price of competitors, and the demand.
If you check your local grocer, you’ll also notice that the price of staples vary from store to store, even within the same chain.
see:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-fi-calprice19jun19,1,5304103.story?coll=la-editions-valley&ctrack=1&cset=true
Dr. Pink // October 5, 2006 at 2:29 pm
Anybody know what’s up with the ostensibly soon-to-be Flat Top Grill in Campustown? Every time I go by there I never see any construction going on. From what I can tell by looking in the windows, development on the inside has been at a halt for months. Hope there’s not some snafu.
Mr. lbotp // October 5, 2006 at 6:42 pm
Wandered past K’s today, Day 1 of liquidation … parking lot was packed … haven’t been that many people in that lot since, well, ever.
prairie biker // October 6, 2006 at 8:09 am
While K’s was one of the very few stores that carried quality guns and ammo (not the low-buck crap stocked by wally-world and Dick’s) I usually find myself going to Dick’s just because it is easier to get in and out of. That whole area around the Mall needs a street redesign.
lynsalyns // October 6, 2006 at 11:02 pm
Oh, the mall. The sad, sad mall. Please, can someone tell the owners that some of us are over the age of 18 and we can’t fit our post-partun selves into teeny, tiny logo tees?
Whoops! I forgot. I heart teeny, tiny logo tees.
But I also love Banana Republic. And Crate and Barrel. Hey! CB outlet at the old Ks!
I’m a genius.
lbotp // October 7, 2006 at 10:08 am
CB outlet at the old Ks. That is genius. If you think the mall is sad now, you should have seen it in 1998. when I first moved here.
Dr. Pink — good question about Flat Top.
Bro — perhaps a job as a B-school prof is in your future. But here at lbotp, we just like to be ignorant fools.
Dave // October 8, 2006 at 1:57 pm
You’re still looking for a reality TV star?
Did you miss “Brittany” from season 2 of “Beauty and the Geek”?
She is/was an UIUC student.
But she didn’t win, sadly.
Matt // October 9, 2006 at 11:40 am
I don’t know about Flat Top Grill, Dr. Pink, but I can’t wait for Harold’s Chicken Shack to open in campustown.
Mmm-mm!
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