what's going on here part II

sw corner of bedford/empire

I mean, seriously? This is perhaps the most uninspired use of space I've seen in some, some time. Or at least since the explosion of "Fedders" buildings in the area. I'd expect it in suburban Dallas, but Brooklyn deserves better (no offense Texans...I've got nothing against your country.) It's a shame to see the once mighty Empire Blvd become such a dumping ground. But when the economic vitality of the street is tied to fast food w drive-thrus, it doesn't exactly inspire confidence. You end up with lowest-common-denominator stuff. It's all made bearable by the beautiful yellow self-storage building though. I'm a big fan of oversized buildings; thus my love for Fudgie the Whale over by Atlantic Center.

And what's to become of the above mini-strip-mall? Rumors of a 7/11 are circulating 24/7. Anyone got the real skinny on this one? And has anyone else struggled with the concept of 24-hour 7/11s? Anyone else had trouble with the concept of 24-hour-old rotisserie hot dog?

Perhaps most mind-bending all is that the 7/11 corporation would see a need for a "convenience store" in a town with literally hundreds if not thousands of "convenience bodegas." It's a bit like that Papa Johns on Rogers. Are there really too few actual pizza places around here? I guess the difference is that with Papa Johns they DRIVE their pizza to you, rather than walking or biking. I recently biked past the PJ's delivery vehicle and it had been hammered - probably by an SUV, a vehicle originally built for off-roading and notoriously difficult to parallel park on NYC streets. Nope. Still not making sense to me. I'll have to sleep on it.