I know that exact neighborhood, a friend took me there probably fifteen years ago. Five years later, I went searching for it with my brother-in-law, for he wanted to try shashlik and Baltika beer as much as see that such a place could exist in his own country. I was convinced it would be just as you say, "disappeared" like a dissenter in the night, but it was still there and I'm frankly shocked to hear it still hasn't been gentrified into something else.
It is remarkable to be descended from a man who had such a spirit as to fight the odds, he carried a horse on his back towards his future. Perhaps this reflection in writing, is your horse.
What a beautiful comment! Although the thing is, the "grandmother" I wrote about isn't my biological grandmother. I am descended from my grandfather's first wife who passed away at a young age. I've still called his second wife grandma all my life though!
What a great read! It seems to me that your tales are like an archaeological site for the vanished places of Seoul. What a shame though, to lose them so abruptly!
I know that exact neighborhood, a friend took me there probably fifteen years ago. Five years later, I went searching for it with my brother-in-law, for he wanted to try shashlik and Baltika beer as much as see that such a place could exist in his own country. I was convinced it would be just as you say, "disappeared" like a dissenter in the night, but it was still there and I'm frankly shocked to hear it still hasn't been gentrified into something else.
Yes, kind of surprising, considering that the surrouding areas have changed a lot.
It is remarkable to be descended from a man who had such a spirit as to fight the odds, he carried a horse on his back towards his future. Perhaps this reflection in writing, is your horse.
What a beautiful comment! Although the thing is, the "grandmother" I wrote about isn't my biological grandmother. I am descended from my grandfather's first wife who passed away at a young age. I've still called his second wife grandma all my life though!
As we get older, the places that mattered to us, that have our memories in their bricks and paint, go away.
I recently found out that The Irish Lion in Bloomington, Indiana closed. I have a scene in my work-in-progress novel set there.
Places in Chicago that have gone away or changed unfavorably:
Bookstores:
Bookman's Corner
O'Gara and Wilson Books
The Aspidistra Bookstore
Taverns:
The Tiki
Le Bordeau
Restaurants:
Maxims
Brokers Inn (Nevermore the meatloaf with creole sauce, nevermore!)
Valois (no longer open for dinner)
Good post.
Why is it always the good bookstores, taverns, and restaurants ugh
What a great read! It seems to me that your tales are like an archaeological site for the vanished places of Seoul. What a shame though, to lose them so abruptly!
Thank you! I think what you wrote is the very purpose of this essay.