It's not just New York City's Christopher Street that's seeing gay shops close. In West Hollywood, A Different Light Bookstore on Santa Monica is shutting its doors soon, just like Manhattan's Oscar Wilde.
[Owner Bill] Barker pointed to two significant events that negatively affected sales and ultimately drove the store under. The first was a major construction project renovating a stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard that started in 2001 and lasted nearly 2 years.
“[The city] came in and ripped all the sidewalks out and foot traffic and parking disappeared from West Hollywood for a year or 18 months and it never came back,” he says.
While the end result was a much wider sidewalk in the popular parts of town, many small businesses suffered and shut their doors during the construction.
The second event was the fire that burned down Mickey’s in August 2007.
“It was the business next store. They closed it down, barricaded the front and again I saw a drop off in sales. The bars attract people. They [Mickey’s] were supposed to open last June and that didn’t happen and then it went to October before Christmas and that didn’t happen. And now the economy is very very serious," he continues. [Instinct]
PHOTOS: Pipe Dreams (6)
· Ricky says: where exactly does one see ladies panties? Is this a “where’s Waldo”... »
Why Are There a Bunch of Naked Men Playing Baseball in the Library of Congress? (5)
· terrwill says: And I didn’t realize that bats were so much smaller back then……&#... »
· terrwill says: What would John Ashcroft say about this?????? »
· Brian NJ says: Nice painting. Historians are notorious for attributing homosexuality to other... »
Sen. Gillibrand’s DADT Strategy Isn’t Meshing With LGBT Military Activists. That’s a Big Problem (7)
· Brian NYC says: … the “blond” from NY … »
· Brian NYC says: Her actions are meaningless. We have 51 anti-gay US Senators. The bond from NY... »
· Brian NJ says: I think her actions put pressure on the Party for a full repeal, and are good. The... »
Megan Phelps Picked Her 5 Most Hated Americans and None of Them Are Lady Gaga (18)
· Brian NJ says: I wonder if they are on drugs. »
· terrwill says: Queerty, we acknowledge you need to get as many clicks per day to make your monies... »
How Did a Company That Offers Health Benefits For Gay Partners Wind Up on HRC’s List of Worst Companies? (15)
· Mark says: @StopHRC.com: 2009 poll = 20% support socialism. It’s unfortunate that socialists... »
Sad, the article says that the San Francisco store is remaining open for the time being and apparently they have some sort of online presence as well selling books.
It really is a dead industry unfortunately.
were the associated w/A different light in chelsea tha tclosed a few years ago?
@hardmannyc – seems like, the signage list NYC, but nothing listed on their website.
The closing of A Different Light would be a huge loss to the West Hollywood LGBT community. We really have to start embracing our gay businesses. http://www.echelonmagazine.com
Sad, indeed. Notice however the establishment directly to the right in the picture, the uber-guppie East West, seems to be thriving serving $15+ cocktails to the HRC crowd.
Yet these same Concerned Queers of America can't be bothered to support a business right next door that represents one of the historic pillars of what was once called the Gay Liberation movement. Welcome to WeHo in the 21st century.
Sebbe: Just noticed that. Probably an old awning, never replaced it. That was such a great store, but it expanded into too much space. Still, very sad w/Oscar Wilde. But independent bookstores are closing all over, not just gay ones.
Brad: It seems a little unfair to rag on a bar trying to make a living just because it's next door to a bookstore that's closing. If you don't like to pay $15 for a cocktail, fine. But don't make people who do out to be self-hating homos. It's not that simple.
@hardmannyc: You're reading way too much into what I wrote…
E/W, along with 7-Eleven, There, etc. are certainly free to cater to whatever clientele they choose and to set their drink prices accordingly. My ire was directed not at them but at those who don't blink an eye at dropping $100 bar tab, yet won't pop in next door once in a while to pick up a book, calendar, or even a $3 greeting card. After all it's cheaper on Amazon right? And now it's gone.
This is quite simply a matter of priorities, not self-loathing. A sign of how times have changed and gay neighborhoods (along with their establishments) don't inspire the same sense of community and support they once did.
As a teen, I lived in LA, and that bookstore was my entire experience of being gay for well over a year. Aside from the blushing looks at the Steve Kelso calendars (I am that old), I also bought all sorts of real books that helped me enormously. But I suppose I am part of the problem, as a proud Kindle user.
Out of the other younger gays I know, few read. I am an avid reader because I enjoy it and while I don't read exclusively LGBT books, when I do I try to buy from a local lgbt owned business. I admit to often buying from the Harvard COOP though since it is an awesome bookstore with an amazing selection.
Gottenberg's printing press replaced scribes.
Eli Whitney's cotton gin replaced the cotton pickers.
Henry Ford's tin lizzy retired the horses and coachmen.
TV replaced the radio.
Word processing replaced the typewriter.
Does anyone mourn those?
@Charles J. Mueller: I do, but I was born too late. ;)
Well, not the cotton pickers. I wouldn't imagine that would be fun.
@vernonvanderbilt:
Not in the least. It was a horribly painful and blood drawing job.
Welcome back to the boards. You have have been missed, oh great Sahib! ;-)
Thank you kindly, good sir. It's nice to be back in action.