Post #4807 by thejab on Wed, Jul 31, 2002 3:05 PM

I'm glad to see so many others feel the same. I get real depressed about the standardization of America (and the world) but I try to do what I can, such as:

I don't shop at the big chain stores. They really don't have a better selection. Their customer service sucks.

I tell friends about stores that I have tried and had good experiences with. For example: In the bay area, I go to an old barber on San Pablo Ave. in El Cerrito called Grand Barber Shop. The gentleman who cuts my hair always complements me on my aloha shirts and he cleans around my ears with hot lather and a straight razor. For pizza, try the Pizza Joynt in Hayward on Hesperian Blvd. They have great pizza and best of all they have organists 5 days a week playing a Wurlitzer organ. For hardware, I usually go to Ace Hardware. They often are old hardware stores that are now Ace franchises. Independent bookstore: Walden Pond on Grand Ave. in Oakland.