I will never have a grocery store

The top criteria for choosing my new place were location, location, location. And space. And light. And price. But mostly location. It had to have everything I needed within an easy walk out my front door -- bars, restaurants, cleaners, liquor store, drug store, groceries and transportation. This place had it all, including a grocery store a half-block over and a half-block down.

I moved in on May 1, 2005. Exactly five weeks later it burned to the ground. And that's been its status ever since. I've grown used to the other one a little over a half-mile northward, but without a car, and especially in the rain, hauling 30 lbs. of groceries every week is a real drag.

The empty lot sat there month after month, year after year. Then they finally put up a sign announcing a brand new superstore, with condos up top and a Starbucks inside, etc. They even put in a sales office across the street for the condos. And again, the empty lot sat there month after month, year after year. 

I assumed they were having trouble selling the condos (starting at $1.4 million). Then comes this news today in Crain's. It's hard to follow but it appears the interminable delay has something to do with speculative investments and leveraged financing and the usual shenanigans.

So I will be long gone from the neighborhood by the time I have the luxury of doing my grocery shopping one item at a time.