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Archive for December, 2010

Danger, Will Robinson!   no comments

Posted at 11:42 pm in Uncategorized

Written by ted on December 21st, 2010

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Three Bean Net Cafe, 5454-A Sunset Boulevard (Lexington): Early November 2010   9 comments

Posted at 9:30 pm in Uncategorized

Commenter Andy pointed out that this Internet cafe just to the right of Publix in the Lexington Place strip mall had closed.

I admit that that's far off my usual beat, and I wasn't even aware it existed, but he says

It was one of the few coffee/internet cafes here in Lexington, and it’s especially sad because it was local and always had a pleasant, relaxed vibe.

Judging from their still extant web site, they went beyond the standard Starbucks/Atlanta Bread/Panera wi-fi model in that they also provided on site printers and computers. I have found such places to be very helpful when I'm away from home and need to print out work documents, driving directions etc..

The name apparently came from the fact that there were three owners. I hope the association with "Three Bean Salad" (which I have always hated) didn't hurt them..

(Hat tip to commenter Andy)

UPDATE 3 April 2011 -- It's to be a yogurt shop:

(Hat tip to commenter Elisabeth A)

Written by ted on December 21st, 2010

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Icy Finger Waves..   no comments

Posted at 11:38 pm in Uncategorized

Written by ted on December 20th, 2010

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AAA Car Care Center, 4526 Forest Drive: 20 December 2010 (open again)   12 comments

Posted at 6:19 pm in Uncategorized

Well, thankfully, according to WLTX nobody was injured though $2,000,000 damage was done to the building by the fire which started in an oil heater.

This AAA Car Care Center opened rather recently, being built after a number of pre-existing buildings were taken down in May of 2008.

UPDATE 25 Dec 2010 -- More pictures from 21 Dec and 22 Dec:

UPDATE 30 Dec 2010 -- Here are some more pix from 26 Dec:

UPDATE 25 Feb 2011 -- Well, they've completely knocked down the building now (and the burned out SUV is gone..):

UPDATE 25 May 2011 -- rebuilding has started, here are some pix from 13 May 2011:

UPDATE 1 June 2011 -- Work continues in these pictures from 29 May:

UPDATE 30 August 2011 -- Nearly done:

UPDATE 20 October 2011 -- Open again:

Written by ted on December 20th, 2010

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Laundry / Rivers Variety Store / Jerry Thompson / The Locker Room, 10101 Garners Ferry Road (Eastover): 1990s (?)   2 comments

Posted at 12:54 am in closing

I noticed this place in Eastover on the west side of The Sumter Highway just past Horrell Hill last week. This former restaurant and pool hall has obviously been there quite a while, and has just as obvioiusly been out of business for many years too. (In addition to the clinging vines, most of the roof seems to be gone as you can tell in some of these shots). I suspect from the "Video Games" signage that it was last open during the video poker era, but not until the actual end of that era as it does not seem to be listed in the 1998 phonebook.

I got Rivers Variety Store and The Locker Room from the signs. Googling the phone number, (803) 783-5440 brought up the Jerry Thompson name.

UPDATE 21 Dec 2010: Added Laundry to post title based on the comments.

UPDATE 31 January 2023 -- This building has been razed:

p1860518_tn.jpg

Also adding map icon.

Twelve More Days!   no comments

Posted at 1:05 am in Uncategorized

Twelve days left in 2010, so get your Columbia Closings or Pawleys Island calendars before your current calendar runs out!

Remember, it'll be 2011 for a whole year -- you're going to need some way to keep track!

Written by ted on December 19th, 2010

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South Carolina Federal Credit Union, 1405 North Millwood Avenue: 2010   2 comments

Posted at 2:53 am in Uncategorized

I just noticed that the South Carolina Federal Credit Union on Millwood is gone, or mostly gone as their ATM is still there. The nice little building is at the corner(s) of Millwood, Washington & Heidt, not too far from the former NAPA auto parts building. If the lot does sell, I don't see much future for this building -- it's hard to visualize it as anything other than a bank.

Written by ted on December 18th, 2010

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Cash Advance, 4723 Devine Street: 2010   1 comment

Posted at 12:39 am in Uncategorized

Here's another vacancy in the old Robo's/Slot Car building behind the Fort Jackson Boulevard K-Mart.

Their sign says they've moved to the Augusta Highway, but the phonebook shows that the Augusta location co-existed with this one, so I think it's more of a consolidation than a move. I don't know about that location, but this one is not ideal for drive-by traffic. You have to be coming into the K-Mart the back way to see it, and given that the K-Mart auto bays on that side are closed (and I believe the garden center may be as well) and that the general "pull" of K-Mart is pretty low right now in general, it can't have got a lot of notice.

Written by ted on December 17th, 2010

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Beta Tech, 6699 Two Notch Road: 2009   5 comments

Posted at 2:13 am in Uncategorized

I'm not totally sure that Beta Tech was in this building (next to Mayo's). Its archived web page gives 7500 Two Notch Road as the Columbia address. However google gives both 7500 Two Notch and 6699 Two Notch as addresses. I suppose they may have had a front office as the main address. I'm pretty sure I can almost read "Beta Tech" on this loopnet listing for the property, and I do seem to recall some sort of school there.

At any rate, assuming I'm not all wet, Beta Tech was a vocational school:

Beta Tech has locations in Charleston, Columbia, Richmond, and Richmond - West campus. Between each of these Beta Tech schools, * we offer adult education degree and diplomas in practical nursing, paralegal law, computer support, computer administration, network tech , medical assisting, business and legal assisting.

Their website www.betatech.edu seems to be inactive now (all the info above is from the Wayback Machine at www.archive.org), so I'm assuming they were a casualty of the recession. The loopnet listing seems to imply that there may be a plan for the whole strip mall (it's kind of an interesting building, especially this vacant part, if a bit hard to get into and out of), but for now it just looks like they are leasing the space to any comers.

Written by ted on December 16th, 2010

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Groucho's Deli, 2009 Broad River Road: December 2010   2 comments

Posted at 1:11 am in closing

I eat at Groucho's from time to time -- most often at the Forest Drive or Pawleys Island locations. (Curiously, I've never been to the Five Points original store). I never made it to this location, on Broad River Road at Intersection Center.

This particular strip of Broad River, with easy access from the Diamond Lane in the back, used to have quite a number of fast food joints. Some like Sandy's and Church's are hanging on. Others like Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have moved. Others like Taco Cid have simply closed.

The care someone took to line the old signs up with the checks on the floor is rather touching.

(Hat tip to commenter Thomas)

UPDATE 22 November 2011 -- It's now an Indian grocery as shown in this not very good pic:

UPDATE 28 August 2023: Updating tags and adding map icon.

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