O all you people who love to harken back. Back when the crux of Wisconsin and Western Avenues was known as the District Line and was where, if you were lucky, your mother might have taken you to get a party dress or a winter coat. Who would have believed that Woodward and Lothrop, one of the bastions of the Washington Shopping Plate, and seemingly as permanent as the Capital itself would go the way of the dinosaur?
Wait.
ALL of those local department local stores are gone. Dang.
A few years ago massive renovations of the District Line into something akin to Rodeo Drive left me out in the cold. I never go there anymore except when driving through on my way to Magruder's. One exception? I will go to the basement of Clyde's in Chevy Chase. (the "new" one which is almost 20 years old) This Saturday vintage rock will be brought to you by many a Whitman grad in The Vi-Kings, a band who shares my fondness for things gone by.
No cover!
That's where I grew up and it is not the same place. Clydes is in the old Rich's shoes location and shopping was so different back then that our family dealt with ONE salesman, Mr. Brown. They were staffed with professional, well dressed gentlemen who recalled sizes, preferences, which kid needed more arch support... Imagine that! Go see the professional well dressed gentleman of the VI-Kings tonight. They've got some Rock'n'Roll that will fit you like a pair of Bally shoes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this. And for reading. It's good to hear from fellow Washingtonians as we are kind of a rare breed.
DeleteI remember that shoe store, too. It smelled good in there because of all the leather. Saddle shoes and loafers…
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