Friday, July 16, 2021

There were a lot of feelings about Kmart closing

As you likely know, the Astor Place Kmart closed this past Sunday after 25 years in business. (Top photo by Stacie Joy.) 

Throughout the week on Twitter, many people shared their feelings — and remembrances — about this Kmart. In fact, at one point on Monday, this became a trending topic on Twitter — in the United States.
Loved it or hated it or just here for the restrooms, the Kmart made an impact on people's lives. Here are some reactions to our tweet...
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11 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 16, 2021 at 9:42 AM

    Got a Furby there the year you couldn’t get a Furby for love or for money. I kept showing up in the toy department asking for a Furby. Finally, a shipment came in and that night I showed up asking again for Furby and they’d saved one for me! I took it to the checkout and everyone in line pointed and asked where I got the Furby. I was nervous walking home, thinking someone would follow me a steal the Furby. Got home safely and FedExed it to Canada just in time for my friend’s kid to open it on Christmas Day. Kid hated it because it was pink and he was a boy. Where’s gender fluidity when you need it?

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  2. AnonymousJuly 16, 2021 at 9:43 AM

    I love every single one of those comments.

    I don't have many amusing memories except maybe for the guy who was trying to cash an obviously counterfeit $100 bill by buying a pack of gum. After shutting down all the registers so all the cashiers could gather together to inspect the bill, lines backed up and people were pissed. In the end, they let him have the cash and gum!

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  3. AnonymousJuly 16, 2021 at 11:04 AM

    Bye, Kmart. I took a pregnancy test in your restroom and found out I was pregnant and also went into labor while shopping for some baby things there. Good times.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJuly 16, 2021 at 11:47 AM

    If this turns into a bookstore I'll wake up because that would only happen in a dream in 2021. More likely is joining the vast number of empty street level retail spaces as real estate patiently waits for prices to reinflate.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJuly 16, 2021 at 12:56 PM

    No comment!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJuly 16, 2021 at 1:34 PM

    Lost track of all the times I would sit in the large, never-busy, quiet cafe by a window in winter drinking hot chocolate and watching people and traffic go by. A truly Zen experience...

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJuly 16, 2021 at 1:53 PM

    I love this post so much, I've read it several times. These tweets could be set to music and turned into a song. I'm not musical, or else I would give it a shot.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJuly 17, 2021 at 12:15 AM

    One of the places I associated most with my move to NY and the EV 7 years ago, Decking out my apartment with anything and everything the bizarre basement had to sell, conveniently accessed from the station en route home from work (???). Truly a liminal space.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousJuly 17, 2021 at 1:46 AM

    I bought the cutest plush stuffed strawberry here once. When I got to the register there was no price tag on it, and it was the last one. I was regretfully putting my money away when the cashier hugged it to her chest, looked at her Goliath of a manager with dewy anime eyes and said "but I want her to have it!". 5 dollars later I left with the prize and I still think about that sweet kid whenever I use it.

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  10. AnonymousJuly 17, 2021 at 10:46 PM

    It's true it was an excellent place to buy new pants for your kid after he peed in the old ones. Otherwise. Nah. Not so much. Really depressing escalators.

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  11. AnonymousJuly 21, 2021 at 4:21 PM

    Always felt like such an odd and random kmart. The selection sucked, but always used the bathrooms and bought random things like tooth paste here, or a cheap flannel when I was out and about all day and it got cold in the evening.

    ReplyDelete

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