Ah. I saw a bunch of Bob's ads on tv when I was visiting family over Christmas, that's probably why I first thought of his store.

It's really sad when I think about the Forest Park area of Springfield and how downhill and violent it's gotten.  I remember spending time in the convenience store or just walking around as a kid.  Now, you'd have to stay locked inside.

Geoff, on MLK Blvd, between James St. and Orange St.

Dr. Seuss would be horrified, Jeremiah.   I lived on Kimberly Ave for 4 years in the 70s (Sim's Drugstore was at the end of the street) and around the corner from Raleigh Rug Company which is still there.  We used to steal rug samples.

Sad how it is nowadays. 

So many small cities have declined.

If you're driving towards St. Michael's, coming from NJIT, then it's past the row houses.  Same block as the bodega but before that big parking lot.  I lived in the old converted firehouse.  From what I've gathered, it's infested with morons now but it was a source of some strong memories for me when I was in college.  Nothing like hearing the ice cream truck pull into the projects at 2am or being able to distinguish firecrackers from gunfire.

Though a "wonderful" drunken late-night snack could be found at OFC (Orange Fried Chicken).  That was a dumb thing to do, but going in groups we felt more invincible.

Though a "wonderful" drunken late-night snack could be found at OFC (Orange Fried Chicken).  That was a dumb thing to do, but going in groups we felt more invincible.

I had stopped there more times than I care to admit on my way back from McGoverns.

Ed, I saw the Lil' Peach when I was back visiting relatives, but it was more of a quick drive.  It's troubling to honestly say "woah, it was actually better when I was a kid".

We used to take guests who were visiting from these small Midwestern towns to OFC, to give them the true ghetto experience.  Talk about a deer in headlights!

One of my closest friends who lives about a half-hour from Newark keeps wanting me to come up and said we'll go to OFC for old times sake.  I had to remind him that we did that quite a few times when we were stupid and/or drunk.  Going there sober wouldn't make a whole lot of sense.

We used to take guests who were visiting from these small Midwestern towns to OFC, to give them the true ghetto experience.  Talk about a deer in headlights!

That's actually kind of tame.  You should have taken them to 18th street or Irvine Turner Blvd.