Re: malls v. local shops near me

[Guest guest]

In our area (close to Brent X) there are two kinds of local shops;

the ones which have suffered hugely since the mall opened (1976 it was

and I watched every brick go up)but those are mainly the fashion shops

which lined the top end of Golders Green Road. This end of GGR has

now turned into a bit of a desert; a lot of cafés and fast food

outlets, and some discount " factory outlet " type shops. There is one

very long-surviving genteel ladies shop called s which sells

underwear, tights, and is the *only* place I can reliably find Gypsy

opaque knee high socks. I find s fascinating as it is managed

and run by elderly genteel blue rinsed ladies and I have no idea how

it has kept going all these years.

The other end of GGR (nearer me) is completely bustling and busy but

almost entirely given over to kosher food stores and kosher

pizza/felafel bars. Jostling for business shoulder-to-shoulder these

stores are a goldmine of imported kosher products from Israel and the

USA and remain open when other shops are closed, eg Xmas day, boxing

day, New Years Day. Mostly run by Jews, but there are renegade kosher

stores run by Indians trying to muscle in on the lucrative business.

I have often wondered why BX situated where it is, has no kosher

eating place, but apparently, the reason is that it would have to stay

open when the whole mall was also open, ie on Sabbath and festivals.

Ruthie