2091 - The Pub

2012-07-10

Once this was a “Gasthaus”, the Austrian version of a Pub, and there is still the ghost of an inscription, but obviously it has long since closed.

Often when a shop or a restaurant closes, another one moves in, maybe more successful, maybe not, but this is the kind of building that just gets shut down, often waiting for many years until it finally gets torn down.

They have character though, at least a lot more than the generic chain stores that in the end replace them. It’s interesting: When I was in south England in 1989, I was shocked by how similar all the High Streets looked. Everywhere a Booths, a Marks & Spencer, a Tie Rack and some other chains, not much more, hardly any variation. Today it is the same around here. Resistance is futile.

The Song of the Day is “The Pub” from Paul Heaton’s 2008 album “The Cross Eyed Rambler”. Hear it on YouTube.

There are 5 comments

John - Visual Notebook   (2012-07-09)

"Resistance is futile" indeed! The similarities in shops and shopping centers here is sad. Everywhere the same gang, Walmart, Home Depot, Kohls, McDonalds, Subways, etc, etc,, etc. Big corporations and their "buying power" rule. Sorry to see it happening everywhere...

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Flo (tonebytone)   (2012-07-10)

I agree. Back in the early 1990s, there were quite a few unique and fascinating shops along Boulder, CO's, Pearl Street, which the town closed off the through traffic. I used to love to explore along Pearl Street - and buy! But by 1997, the city council had raised the rents, forcing some smaller shops to close. Those spaces were taken over by the big chains. So for me, Pearl Street lost its uniqueness. I have no idea what Pearl Street is like now, since I haven't been there since 1997. Around my area as well as in all other cities I've been in, each mall, of which there are too many for the population to "support," they're all the same. Only the lay-outs and decors are different. Ho hum. And stores wonder why not many are buying anything. If I want something unique, I go shopping on the internet. A company doesn't need a physical retail presence to sell products these days. Much less expensive to have only a warehouse with a receiving and shipping department. I love that sunset(?) image. It's just so gloriously golden!

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Rick   (2012-07-11)

<blockquote cite="When I was in south England in 1989, I was shocked by how similar all the High Streets looked. Everywhere a Booths, a Marks & Spencer, a Tie Rack and some other chains," Perhaps you mean Boots (the chemist?) Booths are a small chain of posh supermarkets in the North West of England Now if we are talking about the rash of Tesco Metros and Expresses - they're a major component of the British Identikit town centres...

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Rick   (2012-07-11)

Drat! - Missed a '>'!

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andreas   (2012-07-11)

Boots, indeed 🙂 Well, there were more of course, but the same everywhere. It wasn't that bad in Austria at that time, I guess England was about ten years ahead, but now there's not much of a difference. Most of the old, local shops are gone, chains prevail. Different chains, sometimes not even that.

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