There is a story behind this place.
I first saw this store and noticed it about 7 years ago. At that time it was a clothing store, albeit a very odd one. There were very strange vintage displays in the windows of old style stuff and it was never open. I took pictures repeatedly over the years, drawn to it by who knows what. It wasn't until a few years ago that someone explained that to enter the store and purchase the very crazy old shit in there all you had to do was buzz the apartment above the store and an old guy would come down let you in, and sell you stuff.
I only ever saw the owner once. He was wandering around the dim interior in a wife beater and baggy pants. It wasn't creepy, just weird.
My relationship with the store continued for years, until about a year ago the clothes were gone and sadly the place was haphazardly stocked with Polish books and magazines. There are several shops selling Polish language wares on the Roncesvalles strip populated by the community the neighborhood services. The only thing is that there are less Polish folks living here. They still go to church here, but I think most of the older guard have been gentrified out. This is after all one of the more desirable areas for younger families with it's proximity to High Park, it's suburban feel and now it's pretty coolified street of shops. The polish community still comes in throngs to church, but I'm not sure how many of them still live in the 750,000 plus houses.
I don't mind the change, but I'll miss this store and it's idiosyncratic displays and mysterious business practices.
2010-08-27 17:53:24 - 0 comments. Category: Category: [Outside]
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