Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

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:

I don't know what this little building on Knox Abbott just below Silver City was originally, but with that open front and closed back, it looks a bit like a dry-cleaner to me. (Though I don't see a drive-through).

The Secretary Of State's office says that from 1997 to 2004, it was Cayce Outdoor Power Equipment. I believe it was Signs 2 Go from then until now.

(Hat tip to commenter tonkatoy)

UPDATE 6 October 2011: Commenter Jonathan says Signs 2 Go have moved to Meeting Street, so I have updated the post title with "(moved)".

UPDATE 26 April 2014 -- It's now Wristwatch Doc:

The weekend of September 17 2011, all of Columbia's Wachovia locations unveiled their new Wells Fargo signs and the transition which had been forgone since the 2008 merger/rescue was complete.

In reading the Wikipedia entry for Wachovia, I learned a number of things including the fact that "Wachovia" is an old German/Moravian term for the area of North Carolina including Winston-Salem and that Wachovia, like many banks, has a complicated history.

The short version is that the entity that became known as Wachovia started in the Winston-Salem area, eventually bought First Atlanta and became a regional power with headquaters in both Atlanta and Winston-Salem.

In 2001 Wachovia merged with First Union, a bank with its own complicated history. Although technically First Union was the entity which survived, the new company took the Wachovia name and went on an acquisitions spree.

One of these acquisitions was the mortgage firm Golden West which proved to be a poison pill, cratering within Wachovia as the housing bubble burst. This put Wachovia in the position of needing more cash just exactly at the time Washington Mutual failed and dried up all investment cash for banks. I'm not entirely sure I understand what happened next, but the government intervened and tied Wachovia up with Citigroup, a pairing that somehow unravelled when Wells Fargo entered the picture and acquired Wachovia instead.

Or in the end, it could simply be that Wachovia had the bad fortune never to be written into a beloved Broadway show...

This AAA Car Care Center was at the Village At Sandhill on the Bi-Lo side of the stores. I notice that they say they are moving to 4526 Forest Drive, but I think it would be more accurate to say "consolidating", since as far as I know, this place was open along with Forest Drive, until Forest Drive burned down so the end result when Forest Drive re-opens will still be one location where there were originally two. (The sign from the daytime set of pix is more clear).

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I was having lunch at The Pizza Palace a bit ago when I noticed that the storefront next door was vacant. Leonardo's is in this year's phonebook (February 2011) so I'm saying the move was this year (and I'm pretty sure it was still there a few months ago). I don't know anything about the custom clothing business, but I imagine that it has been another area impacted by the Internet as you can now upload your designs and get them delivered without leaving the house. (You can even have M&Ms custom printed!)

And by that, I mean it's a mystery to *me*. I'm sure there was something in the paper or posted at Town Hall, or something, but it's the case that for the last year or so fire hydrants all over Forest Acres have been opened and spewing in the streets kind of at random. You'll be driving along on a dry day, and suddenly see a torrent headed for the nearest drainage grate and tracing backwards every time you'll find an open fire hydrant. I don't ever recall seeing that more than once in a blue moon until recently...

I recently noticed this little strip on Broad River Road, a little north of Boozer Shopping Center and on the other side of the road. It is mostly offices and services rather than retail.

Palmetto Parent Magazine seems to have started here around 2007. They are still very much around and putting out magazines, with their current office being at 6027 Garners Ferry Road. I have to say I really like their covers.

I noticed this building on the East side of Clemson Road the other day as I was heading from I-20 to The Village at Sandhill. I'm not sure when all the various businesses left, but Surgiform Technologies is listed in this year's (February 2011) phonebook, so I'll say 2011. Surgiform, at least, has moved (to Lugoff) so the others may have as well.

It's a pretty bland, warehouse-like building, but I like the fact that someone nonetheless took the time and trouble to put of a birdhouse on a power pole by the road.

Dems House of Diamonds goes back to 1969, and I recall hearing the radio commercials constantly on WIS probably as early as the early 1970s. Of course there is no spelling on the radio, so I always got a kick out of them because, well, Diamonds are sparkly, not dim!. And then there was that whole mental image of a house made out of diamonds.. I guess it helps to be 11 to find all that funny.

I'm kind of surprised to notice that the store was right next to the old Book Dispensary as I went to that store constantly, and have no memory of Dems being there. I guess my eyes kind of slid right over anything jewelry related.

In 2004, Dems moved to 1068 Lake Murray Boulevard, where they are still open as Dems Fine Jewelers.

UPDATE 30 September 2011 -- Commenter Andrew sends this picture of the new Dems location on Lake Murray Boulevard: