Paradise By The Dashboard Lights and the Big Box---The Theory

Frequent reader Paradise left a comment about my last post concerning the new Walgreens that opened around the corner from my home.

While his (or her) theory is sound and very well thought out, unfortunately the intent of my post was to illustrate the lack of goods and services in my immediate neighborhood and throughout Woodlawn.

In short P., if a Target or Wal-Mart plopped down in the middle of Stony Island right now, I’d do the happiest of the happy dances.

Normally I don’t shill for the man. Both superstores are well oiled corporations that know how to squeeze a buck out of everything they do.

But Woodlawn, and in my opinion most of the south and west sides of the city, are in an entirely different situation than the north side and most of the suburbs.

I think it’s nice to wax on about the “unsustanibility” of big box retailers and how their car dependent focus affects everything from the “walkability” of a city to the effect on mass transit. The truth of the matter is that affordable quality shopping options are few and far between where I live.

I used to be the biggest Wal-Mart hater you could find. From what I’ve read, they are not the best corporate citizen and they tend to treat their workers poorly.

I railed against the machine until Wal-Marts started plopping down in and near my hometown of South Bend, IN.

I continued to rail as my sister found her way to their doors and started to shop there.

I held my nose aloft until my sister put it in terms I could understand:

“I can’t feed three kids on principle. Unless you’re going to start buying my groceries, shut your cakehole.”

Whomp there it is.

I know P. is right. I’m smart enough to see the forest through the trees but corporate disdain is for those of you who have options. When you have none (or fewer than most) those absolutes aren’t so absolute.