Photo Documentary Micro Economy
So the economy is slowing down. Even after ten years with a General Motors dealership in Northern Minnesota my dad was the least senior employee and first in line to be laid off. Entrepreneurship is taking a hit too I think. Here is a photo documentary of the economy in my neighborhood where three shops have either closed or changed ownership in the past few weeks alone.
I’ve been visiting In The Company of Thieves (“Thieves”) in the 900 Block of East Johnson for almost four years now. I see Penelope Trunk there pretty often. They have great sandwiches. Their Thieves Breakfast used to be under $3 and included coffee or tea, juice or milk, and a pastry! The new owners don’t have the Thieves Breakfast anymore. New owners and higher prices are a sign of the slower economy I think.
Also in the 900 Block of East Johnson the Glitter Workshop closed after three years in this location. They’re still online now offering handmade gifts. It used to be a highlight of my day to walk past and gaze at the gifts in the window. They used to share the space with a florist which is completely out of business now.
Hopefully they’ll be able to make due online now. “After three years, we are closed for retail business. 
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us over the years! Remember you can still shop online at www.glitterworkshop.com.”
And finally, a photo of my favorite pizza parlor. You can see they have lasagna and sub sandwiches too. Thank goodness they’re still open or I might not eat but the effects of a slower economy show in the addition of an extra “Open” sign.
This post brought back great and comical memories for me. Back in 1994-95, I lived in the gray house in the 900 block of E. Gorham, right down the alley from these places. Except for the pizza place, none of them existed back then!
I’m amazed that the pizza place is still open. It *was* good and cheap, and at the time I was delivering pizzas for them, run by fairly…quirky…management. But you got a free small pizza, sub, or serving of lasagna if you worked more than 4 hours, which made for an even better part-time job.
Hey Liza, thanks for the comment. I’ve asked around over the years and I the best most reliable information, though reports do vary, is that the Pizza place has been there since the 1970s. Different owners over the years of course.
The Company of Thieves Coffee Shop is fairly new. Something the photo doesn’t show is a “Pepsi Diner” sign. From that artifact and the general layout of the coffee shop I infer that it was an old fashioned diner at one point.
Its a great neighborhood. In addition to the three businesses I mentioned there is a salon (I have an appointment on Saturday), a liquor store, art framing store, music instrument and supply store, a store that sells rocks, a bakery, a corner grocery, and another sandwich place.
Everything you need within walking distance. Sustainable life. Its an urban thing to get excited about something that is actually pretty mundane I guess.
I love seeing the pictures of Madison. I’ve found that in my four years of living there, businesses in Madison generally seem to have a high turnover rate. I wonder if it due to the high rents and also perhaps to the slowing economy. I also heard that the bead store down the street from Company of Thieves has now turned into an art venue/ performance space.
I always wondered about the store that sells rocks.
But I loved having the convenience of that corner grocery and the hair salon. And the easy bus/bike ride from campus.