Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

This nice little building on Sunset Boulevard in West Columbia, just behind Hawthorne Pharmacy and more or less across the street from Atlanta Bread was an end-of-life-care hospice. From what I can find out, they used to be on Center Point Circle, moving to this location in 2010 (based on the copyright of their now gone but archived site), and closing their doors sometime in 2011.

There's an old joke that goes back as far, probably as the invention of the telephone, and it goes something like this:

1: "Hello, Burkett, Burkett & Burkett"
2: "Yes, I'd like to speak to Mr. Burkett."
1: "Sorry, he's out to lunch right now."
2: "Well, then, I'd like to speak to Mr. Burkett."
1: "I'm afraid he's in a meeting right now."
2: "Ok. Then please let me speak with Mr. Burkett."
1: "Speaking!"

And I'm sure all of the Burketts have heard that one many times by now..

All that aside, the firm has recently relocated from this building on the East side of Sunset Boulevard next to the gas station and Auto Spa. The LoopNet listing says it was built in 1980, and I can believe that. I'm not quite sure when the move was, though I posit 2010 as a guess, but it's been long enough for the shrubbery to grow a bit, and a few limbs to fall in the parking lot.

I was rather surprised when I drove back in there to find that there is no cut-through to Fairlane Drive and the stoplight there, which would make southbound access easier. Google maps suggests there is a stream paralleling Fairlane which separates this lot from that street. I'm guessing it would be behind the storage shed.

Burkett, Burkett & Burkett have moved to an impressive new building just a bit North and on the other side of the street at 3101 Sunset Boulevard:

San Jose is probably the biggest local Mexican chain (though they don't all have the same ownership), and one I like pretty well. I never made it to this smaller location on Sunset not far from the zoo, and in fact am pretty sure I did not know that it was there. Commenter MB notes that it wasn't there too long. I have to say Sunset Center has a good-looking ice cream cone on their sign!

(Hat tip to commenter MB)

Commenter MB points out that this maternity consignment shop in the "Office Suites" strip at 1055 Sunset Boulevard (across from the Brookland Baptist Church,site of the former Sub Cabin) has closed though their web site is still up for now.

(Hat tip to commenter MB, obviously)

I have an uncle who's quite accomplished at woodworking, but I myself can't drive a nail straight, and had no idea there was a woodworking supply shop in Sunset Court.

As of Saturday, the closing sale was apparently still going, so screw up your resolve, think a bit, hammer out a plan, pick a route and hop a plane on over there before it's awl gone and you just have to think of what mitre been.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry).

UPDATE 8 September 2012 -- The place is now The Karate Dojo. (Also added the Sunset Court sign above)

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

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)

I wrote about the Main Street location of Baker Brothers a while ago. I finally got around to looking for the Lexington location last time I was on Sunset. Of course it was a) nighttime and b) freezing cold, so these are night shots from the car. However you can see that the space has not yet been sold or leased and there is still a good deal of gear inside -- lots of chairs in particular.

When I did the Main Street closing, a number of commenters said that it was quite a good place, making me sorry I never got around to it (or this one). It looks like partaking would be a bit difficult now. According to their web site their current restaurant tally is:

Texas: 12
Iowa: 1
Indiana: 1
Kentucky: 1

making Bowling Green our closest option..

I noticed this one driving down Fontaine Road to SC-277 recently. The landscaping operation across Warner Drive from the old Hertz Equipment Rental has either closed or moved. I think it's probably moved as in this year's phonebook, the phone number goes from "John Deere Landscapes, 1300 Fontaine Road" to simply "John Deere Landscapes, Columbia" with a new number given for a Sunset Boulevard location.

Apparently the dog hasn't moved yet..

You can see that this Citifinancial was still in business back in December of 2009, when I took these pictures of Gooney Birds. I know they still operate several locations in Columbia, including one whose mail I always get.

This is another bit of churn in the Westland Square strip mall, which also had Gooney Birds as noted above and the Burnette's Cleaners/ Palmetto Fine Cleaners / Dasini's Hotspot"> shuffle in the corner spot.

I'm not quite sure about this spot on the West side of Sunset Boulevard between I-20 and Pizzaeria Uno. The street number on the trailer at the back of the lot is 4845, which comes up as Graceland Buildings of Lexington. This makes sense given the two outbuildings set beside the trailer. The place may even still be in business though if so, the stock is pretty limited.

However, the sign by the road does not match up with the Graceland listing. Most of it is obscured by a realty paste-up now, but it cleary says something like South Carolina ****** ***** LIquidators **** and the verbiage at the bottom of the sign sounds like it was a sales lot for reposessed mobile homes. Trying reverse lookups on the 359-2989 phone number doesn't return anything useful.

Curiously, the South Carolina state flag homage on the sign has the moon on the wrong side of the palmetto..