New Paltz, NY

[NewYorkD]

Hey! I'm pleased to find this site. It's good to know that I'm not the only freak who still thinks about Ames ;) Anyway, I hail from New Paltz, NY, where our local Ames--which has been closed for some time now--was demolished just a couple of weeks ago to make way for a new Stop and Shop.

I really miss the convenience of having a department store like Ames in our town. Now I have to get in my car and drive at least half an hour to buy the things I could pick up right down the street, seven days a week.

 Ames was an invaluable resource when I moved to town a decade ago. They were there for all the odds and ends you never think about until you start settling into a new place. If I suddenly found I needed some household item during off-hours--in the evening, or a Sunday afternoon--I could run down to Ames and I found what I needed every time. Every corner of my apartment holds something or other that I bought at Ames. That store was also invaluable for last-minute gifts, or any kind of crap-you-forgot-to-pick-up-earlier. ;)

I flat out REFUSE to shop at Wal-Mart, so Ames closing has been doubly inconvenient for me. Where can I go now--K-Mart? Maybe, but there's no K-Mart anywhere near my town. But still,  I have to give props to K-Mart for being the "last man standing" while all the other department stores have been crushed by the Evil Smiley Empire.

So long, Ames... and Barkers... and Jamesway... and Caldor... and Bradlees...  :(