Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I used to be obsessive about many things, well, I guess I still am though the things have changed over the years. One of them was records in general, and record stores. Since I spent most of my teenage years broke, after I discovered rock music in 1975 or so, I was all about the "cut-outs" and used records. At garage sales, I would flip through every album, at record stores, or even Woolworth's and Kmart I would look at *every* LP in the cut-out bin.

If I recall correctly, I first visited Manifest when it was on Main Street somewhere near Jefferson Square (though on the other side of the street). Two items I recall in particular buying there, were a The Nails album with one version (there are at least 3) of 88 Lines About 44 Women (nsfw), and Songs Of The Spires by The Gleaming Spires.

By the time the moved to Boozer Shopping Center, I was living out of town and listening almost exclusively to CDs (more accurately, to tapes of CDs in my car). In its way, this was sort of a Golden Age, because I had a job (and spending money), and used CDs, if they would play at all, sounded just as good as new CDs. When I was in town, I spent many hours flipping through all the "used" bins, as well as buying some of the more interesting "import" CDs which usually only turned up at Manifest or Sounds Familiar in Myrtle Beach.

The Golden Age didn't really last too long. By the end of the 20th Century, it was clear that the future of music was digital, and unclear where record stores fit into that future. In the event, it turns out that they more or less don't. Carl Singmaster, the founder of Manifest sold the store in 2004, and as I recall there was a closing scare at that time, or not long after.

Also, at some point, the name of the store changed from Manifest Records & Tapes (or at least that's the way I recall it) to the current name of Manifest CDs & DVDs. Unfortuneately, the bottom dropped out of the DVD market not many years after CDs crashed and burned, and that puts us here in the twilight of an era.

UPDATE 5 February 2019 -- Now closed:

I was driving down the Old Bush River Road section of Bush River Road the other weekend, coming from Lexington into Irmo, and I noticed that Century Glass has moved their Bush River location to the other river road at 4059 Broad River Road. I believe they may still be using this building for non-customer space though as it is still listed in the phonebook, and Google Street View from March 2017 shows the moving sign already up.

After commenter MJ mentioned that this place, at the corner of Bush River Road & Morninghill Drive, might be closed, I went to check it out, but I could never be completely sure. The delivery notice post-its stuck to the door made me 99% sure, but there were no actual posted hours I could verify it not being open at, and looking in the windows, all the furnishings and glasses seemed to be in place. There was a sign on the door, but it was facing inwards, and illegible.

That was in June. Going back a few days ago, the situation is now clear, with a sheriff's notice and a real estate sign. However, the interior still looks largely untouched.

(Hat tip to commenter MJ)

UPDATE 9 October 2023 -- This place has been razed:

UPDATE 10 October 2023 -- Some night-time shots that show the demolition

UPDATE 24 October 2023 -- Beter demolition pix:

UPDATE 22 February 2024 -- There is some sort of small-ish concrete block building going up here:

UPDTE 16 May 2024 -- The new building on this site is in progress:

UPDATE 18 September 2024 -- The new Checkers building is coming along:

Well, I find this a bit surprising: I go by Boozer Shopping Center fairly frequently, but somehow I entirely missed a new restaurant in there until it had already closed.

It appears that down-home/soul-food joint Hungry Moments started sometime around April 2016, and lasted at least until March of 2017, when the last Yelp review appears. The reviews are mixed, but it seems if you hit it at the right time, you could get a good old-fashioned Southern meal.

I also apparently missed the previous tenant in this slot, Generations Bakery & Catering.

UPDATE 20 October 2018: Added picture of Boozer marquee.

I noticed this empty storefront in Boozer Shopping Center the other day. I know they were licensed for business here in 2014 but don't see any other information about this shop.

However, they were either a branch of a Greenville operation, or moved to Greenville, and you can see their colorful clothes here, here and here.

I noticed this vacant storefront as I was walking Main Street the other day. Judging by the signs, this is an old building that is way overdue for a big overhaul, and got past the point of everyday maintenance. I would be interested in what is upstairs, and what shape it is in. As you can see from the sign, the tenant, House of Fabrics has relocated to 652 Bush River Road.

UPDATE 5 June 2019: According to The State this building is to be razed. Adding map icon too.

UPDATE 18 June 2019 -- Demolition started Monday (17 June 2019) and the building is now gone:

UPDATE 18 November 2020 -- The vacant lot from this building is now hosting a huge Christmas ornament:

Here's another Rite Aid this one where the River Roads come together at Boozer Shopping Center. I am having a little trouble thinking of a Walgreens within a mile of here, which is the usual closing criteria for this transition.

Apparently the LoopNet folks decided they already had a photo on file and didn't need another one -- that's certainly a blast from the past.

UPDATE 20 June 2021 -- As mentioned in the comments, this place has been razed:

Also adding a map icon.

UPDATE 24 June 2021 -- The canopy for the Murphy USA already going up:

UPDATE 11 August 2021 -- Construction continues:

UPDATE 27 September 2021 -- Getting there (picture from 18 September):

UPDATE 26 February 2022 -- It's open:

I believe the only reason this former banquet hall is counted as being on Bush River Road is that it predates the massive re-working of the area which was entailed by I-26 coming through. (If I'm right, the same work eventually put paid to Boardwalk Plaza). At any rate it is certainly not "on" Bush River Road now.

I don't know much about the place other than the the LoopNet listing says it was built in 1975, and it was listed in phonebooks up through the February 2014 one.

I would have thought that there would have been enough traffic going to the Days Inn to keep the taggers and vandals mostly off of this property, but apparently not.

As reported by commenter Ralph, HobbyTown USA, home of

Radio Control, Models, Rockets, Games & Toys and more!

has left Two Notch Road for the former Tuesday Morning location at The Clusters Of Whitehall:

At one time, I was very into model rockets, having only the slight problem that my father was adamantly against my ever having any (I believe now, having read more, that he was probably thinking of "amateur rocketry" from the 50s where people would regularly manage to blow themselves up rather than "model rocketry"). There used to be a store on Forest Drive with either Centauri or Estes rockets, and a store at Boozer with both if I recall correctly, and I would go to look whenever I could. In the end, he kind of had to agree when it was an approved school project, but darned if one guy didn't manage to set the polo field on fire anyway..

All of which is to say, I'm sure I would be checking out out HobbyTown if I were still 14!

(Hat tip to commenter Ralph)

As reported in The State as the plan was announced, West Marine, has moved from Dutch Square to Columbiana Station.

I have not yet gotten a picture of the new location, but here is the company announcement of the opening and ribbon cutting at the new store on 19 March 2018.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew, I believe)