Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

D's Shoe Warehouse was one of the very few stores left in Capitol Centre, the strip mall behind Columbia Mall which once held Capitol Centre Theatre, MOvies Behind The Mall, Circuit City, Cucos Mexican Cafe, Aliens & Alibis, and Jim's Discount Mall.

As of 31 January 2013, they have moved to Parklane, in the old site of Awesome Mattress.

I already did a closing on this building on Meeting Street in West Columbia near Triangle City for when it was Bell's Hamburger Drive-In, but I noticed a while ago that the follow on operation (which was not the immediate follow-on!) Chiva Auto Sales is now gone as well.

That gave me a chance to get some more shots of this place, without all the cars parked outside, and the guy wondering what the heck I was doing sitting inside. However, the place is tightly fenced off now, so I still can't get any close shots through the building windows. It will be a shame if the next owners tear down the building and marquee which absolutely scream of a certain era, but I can't imagine it being suited to much other than used-car office these days..

UPDATE 3 December 2014 -- This building has now been razed. See the pictures at the Bell's Hamburger Drive-In closing.

Growing up, Merita was one of our primary breads, along with Sunbeam ("It's batter-whipped!"). Gradually it seemed we moved away from white-bread a bit, and Roman Meal became our staple. Nowdays I tend to go with something denser like Arnold's. Still, I was rather shocked to find that Merita was part of the Hostess collapse (along with Wonder Bread and Butternut, which we never bought). I saw those diamond wrappers at the breakfast table many days in grade-school, with the scent of toast in the air..

This long little strip mall on Two Notch between the mall and Arcadia Lakes Drive has had more than its share of little storefront finance offices. I know of at least three, though they probably did not all operate at the same time. This one seems to have closed up shop about a year after its suite-mate, Cash N Go moved out.

I don't have a street number and so couldn't find out the name, but this little vacant lot adjoining Sunset Court was a used car operation in the not too distant past, though as you can see, their stock is now rather limited: