Driving through Carytown yesterday, I saw a huge “Closing Sale” sign on one of my favorite stores, Lane Sanson.  I was hoping they were just moving - No such luck. 

Carytown is one of my favorite places in Richmond.  On a personal level, it reminds me of those glorious years of pre- and post-marital bliss, wandering the streets looking at clothing I couldn’t afford and buying crap I didn’t need for the house.  If you want something unusual, Carytown is the place to get it.  It was a nice break from the miles of suburban wasteland and strip malls.  In the back of my mind, I always dreamed I’d open a store there, except I hated working retail, so I kind of knew that was never going to happen. 

Lane Sanson, along with Mongrel, are two of my favorite places to shop for wedding and Christmas presents.  About 80% of my cool ornaments come from LS, and all of my great magnets come from Mongrel.  Most of my friends and family received wedding presents from LS.  Let’s hope Mongrel can hold on - otherwise Carytown will have nothing for me except Nacho Mama’s, and Nacho Mama’s is not Weight Watchers approved.  Mmmm, margarita.  But I digress. 

I talked to one of the manufacturers we carry at Sassy Monsters yesterday.  One of her shirts was featured in People Magazine recently, and she was hoping more stores would pick up her line.  Instead, she got a bunch of individual orders - which is great, yes, but it’s a sign of the times.  Some of the stores that carry her have gone out out of business.  In a nice way, she was asking me about our future.  For now, I’m okay.  Thankfully I never did go to Carytown, or one of the big malls.  Overhead can be managed, and as long as I’m making enough to pay down the credit line (paying myself right now is out of the question), Gloria Gaynor and I will survive. 

Still, the sadness I feel as I roam Cary Street and see all the “For Lease” signs break my heart.  These are small business owners, just like me.  These are places I’ve frequented, supported, and loved since I’ve been in Richmond.  I know that this is cyclical and eventually things will turn around, but it doesn’t make the “Closing” signs any easier to stomach.