Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Well, this has already been talked about enough that I'm not sure who the hat-tip goes to, but I finally got over to Lexington last weekend and got some shots of the Main Street Blockbuster closing down. It was already pretty near the end-days, and as I watched, I saw a guy walk out and hoick a set of display racks into his truck.

I was also in Aiken this week, and the Blockbuster there which closed about this time last year is still vacant despite being in a pretty good spot..

UPDATE -- the place is still vacant:

UPDATE 4 March 2014 -- This shot is through a windshield and from too far away, but you can see this building is now a Pet Supermarket:

UPDATE 5 October 2020: Changing name in post title from "Blockbuster" to "Blockbuster Video", updating tags, adding map icon.

Every now and then, I go down Afton Court for the theater at the bottom of the street, which sometimes seems to have slightly different selections from most in town. Nonetheless, I was pretty much unaware that there was a Restaurant/Pool Hall just a little up from there. According to their closing sign, Bailey's had been there 18 years, which is a pretty good run, especially with all the turnover on Columbiana Drive.

(Hat tip to commenter Tom)

The name Big Thursday refers back to an old Columbia tradition of hosting the Carolina/Clemson game at USC on a Fall Thursday. It was before my time, but apparently was quite the thing and schools would even get the day off. (We used to get a day off for the State Fair too -- go figure). I'm not sure if it dated back to my Grandfather's time, but Thursday or not I know he swore he would never give Clemson one red dime because they made him come to Columbia and sleep in a tent on game day when he was there. (Clemson was basically a military school at the time, I believe).

You have to wonder if naming a store after something that fewer and fewer people can actually remember is a good idea, and in the event, perhaps not as this USC and Clemson memorabilia chain closed shop at the end of last month.

(Hat tip to commenter TahoeChic)

I noticed a few weeks ago that the Express Check Advance adjacent to Tom's Wines & Spirits had taken their marquee down. I thought that the place might be vacant for a while, but just a few days later I saw a new sign for a Moneygram location which is apparently already up and running.

This is the follow-on operation to Carolina Famous Hotdogs & Wings (though curiously, Ihave that one at 6303 Shakeespeare), and was one of a number of Chicken & Waffle restaurants opening in Columbia last year. That's certainly a trend that seemed to come out of nowhere for me. I'd gone my whole life without hearing about that particular food combination, and suddenly I seemed to hear about it a couple of times a week. It almost sounds like a punchline. "Why did the chicken cross the road? To get a waffle.."

My first thought at seeing this former First Citizens branch at the corner of the Charleston Highway and Platt Springs Road was that there must be some sort of sporting event in the area as the lot was packed full of cars taking advantage of the Sunday bank closure to park there.

A closer inspection revealed the actual facts, which are that the bank is gone, and the lot is being used as an impromptu (I could see no business sign at least..) used car lot. I've heard the old GM described as a bank that sold some cars, perhaps the concept is spreading...

UPDATE 20 October 2022: Adding map icon and updating tags.

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.