Sunday, January 08, 2006

Sunday, January 08, 2006

Ode to Jack's I've lived in Sylvan Park for a couple of years now. I first found out about this area in 1997, and I've wanted to live here since then. In '97, the area was still up and coming, the houses were old and cute, but a lot of them were in a state of disrepair. You could still pick them up pretty cheap. By the time I got around to buying a house at the beginning of 2004, prices had risen dramatically, and I bought the biggest house I could afford, which is probably the smallest house in Sylvan Park. The area continues to become more and more gentrified - there are new boutiques and coffee shops and yoga places and conservation overlays. However, one thing remains the same, a bastion of trashy old Sylvan Park, Jack's Market. Jack's is there for all your "pop down the street" needs. I went there for eggs and hangover cure coke this morning. Almost any time you go, you'll find one of the owners leaning over the dingy counter smoking and sporting huge gold chains and rings, a dry smile and a smart alecky remark about your hangover. Jack's has, in its own way, moved and adapted with the times. As well as your usual market fare, Kools, Coor's Light, Hamburger Helper, and pork rinds, Jack's also caters to its posher neighbours - they have Haagen Das, Ben & Jerry's, Blue Moon, Hefewiesen, and lemons and limes. You have to respect a place like Jack's - they know their clientele. If you live in this neighbourhood, or you're visiting, pop by and give them your business - they appreciate it. Currently listening : Final Straw By Snow Patrol Release date: 30 March, 2004 10:12 AM -