The East Boston Times-Free Press reports on the impending closing of Al's Shoe Store, where the Wein family has been outfitting the feet of East Boston since 1924.
Growing up in East Boston in the 60s there were basically two places our parents took us to get shoes. Al's was one. the other was Kushner's (on Chelsea Street I think?), referred to by the locals exclusively as "Kushie's". Both of these places were the least glamorous places I could think of as a kid,and were run by what seemed like old men, though they probably weren't as old as I thought at the time. Thom McCann wasn't a whole lot better, but at least it seemed a bit more sophisticated and grown up, if you can imagine that.
Comments
Sad
These small stores are wonderful and can't be replaced. 88 years old!
Is Al shoe store in Central
Is Al shoe store in Central Square next door to Dunkin Donuts, As a kid I use to shop for Shoes at Fayva in East Boston next door to Leechee Gardens.
Fayva!
Fayva!
They're not around anymore, are they?
East Boston shoes stores
Growing up in East Boston in the 60s there were basically two places our parents took us to get shoes. Al's was one. the other was Kushner's (on Chelsea Street I think?), referred to by the locals exclusively as "Kushie's". Both of these places were the least glamorous places I could think of as a kid,and were run by what seemed like old men, though they probably weren't as old as I thought at the time. Thom McCann wasn't a whole lot better, but at least it seemed a bit more sophisticated and grown up, if you can imagine that.
Thom McCann seemed grown up
Thom McCann seemed grown up and sophisticated to me because they brought you the shoes. The boxes weren't arranged on the shelves ala Fayva or KMart.
This post is giving me flashbacks of going shoe shopping at Fayva, and then going grocery shopping at Finast. They were in the same shopping center.