tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529184728607075662.post8681974395243737063..comments2015-01-18T18:00:22.633-05:00Comments on The District Curmudgeon: What have we gained (and what have we lost)?IMGophhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10389077782536090328noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529184728607075662.post-66775587262206669242010-11-19T15:55:47.039-05:002010-11-19T15:55:47.039-05:00Dano: I went to college (and high school) in Michi...<b>Dano</b>: I went to college (and high school) in Michigan, so let me tell you, if there were some way we could swap out Walmart for Meijer in DC, I might be willing to sacrifice a few digits.<br /><br />I remember driving by that Meijer on I-75 and thinking it was more than just a little off. Who are you thinking you'll fool with that faux-town thing?IMGophhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10389077782536090328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529184728607075662.post-7349529644363274992010-11-19T15:50:25.334-05:002010-11-19T15:50:25.334-05:00ha! your kitschy Meijer store is like 3 miles from...ha! your kitschy Meijer store is like 3 miles from where i grew up. i do miss Meijer. yes they're big box, but they have much higher quality items available, have great groceries and produce better than most chain stores around here can muster, and they are, IMHO, better corporate citizens. Plus when youre in college, the ability to buy underwear, mac n cheese, beer, liquor, and video games at 1am is amazing.danohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02769751188263205461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529184728607075662.post-23225888247163681332010-11-18T23:52:17.293-05:002010-11-18T23:52:17.293-05:00Dan: I made the fix, it says Landover Hills now. T...<b>Dan</b>: I made the fix, it says Landover Hills now. Thanks!<br /><br />I totally agree with you about the best urban Walmart we can get. I could go on and on about goods made in China, or the value of small neighborhood stores versus a agglomerated box like this, but that's a debate for another day. I guess I'm just worried that the leadership in the city won't push for that urban model. They'll let Walmart <i>say</i> they're bringing an urban model, but we'll find out that means some kitchy thing like <a href="http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/15543738.jpg" rel="nofollow">this</a>. I hope not, but I don't have faith in the best outcome.<br /><br /><b>CR</b>: <i>If</i> they can do it without incentives. We'll see. Councilmember Wells said on twitter that they aren't asking for them, but I've been told that some mayoral staffers are saying that they are.IMGophhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10389077782536090328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529184728607075662.post-4086280430387322342010-11-18T22:33:09.671-05:002010-11-18T22:33:09.671-05:00If they can do it without tax incentives (DC USA, ...If they can do it without tax incentives (DC USA, Baseball Stadium), without massive surface parking (Home Depot/Giant), and without blocking mixed use residential, then why not? <br /><br />I probably wouldn't shop there much, but in the locations mentioned they wouldn't be competing with much aside from liquor stores and Chinese food.<br /><br />I take your point about the massive PR swoop, but much of the opposition seems like "I'm liberal, and we're all supposed to hate Walmart, right?" Sometimes I think Target just has an ad campaign that strokes the smug urbanite ego.CRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529184728607075662.post-39676360514126412662010-11-18T16:39:14.225-05:002010-11-18T16:39:14.225-05:00am i missing something? what i read in the Post wa...am i missing something? what i read in the Post was all hypothetical... i don't think this ship has sailed. <br /><br />methinks this is a walmart strategy to get one store here. they announce four stores and an ambitious plan knowing the push back they will get from DC and 'settle' for one store.<br /><br />i am in the NIMBY corner on this one. i would prefer stores to be very good and knowledgeable at one thing, not grossly inept with poor customer service and cheap junk. well, that's been my walmart experience anyway.danohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02769751188263205461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529184728607075662.post-76782850824633035772010-11-18T16:22:24.904-05:002010-11-18T16:22:24.904-05:00I'm not sure if it's necessary to set Walm...I'm not sure if it's necessary to set Walmart up as part of the urban-suburban dichotomy (which doesn't really exist IMO, as long as there are ranchers in Michigan Park and rowhouses and highrises in Arlington). Whether or not you agree with Walmart's practices and policies as a retailer, there's a difference between the big box that sits behind a sea of parking (the suburban model) and the big box pulled up to the street (the urban model). I don't necessarily agree with Walmart and I don't shop there (mostly because there isn't one near where I live), but I'm not convinced that bringing Walmart to any part of DC is akin to "bringing suburbia" there. If Walmart is coming, we should push for the best urban Walmart we can get. After all, we got it (sort of) with DCUSA. I don't see why that can't happen again.<br /><br />And BTW, the current Walmart is in Landover HILLS, not Landover (or They're totally unrelated and aren't even near each other. If we're gonna be accurate about how places are named in D.C., we should do the same for elsewhere.Dan Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10594208011755406956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2529184728607075662.post-26878196064097285262010-11-18T15:50:25.345-05:002010-11-18T15:50:25.345-05:00You mean you didn't have legal handguns.You mean you didn't have <i>legal</i> handguns.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15057113283154126104noreply@blogger.com