Nothing improves a neighborhood like a used car lot

That is, like a used car lot that goes out of business.

At the corner of Kingway and Inverness, which is just a block away, there is a used car dealer called Super Choice Auto. As you might expect, this is not the most glamorous of places and I’ve always kind of hoped that maybe one day it would be replaced by a nice ethnic restaurant, even if the neighborhood needs another one like Vancouver needs another Starbucks.

Two days ago when walking by it on the way to buy groceries I noticed they had the large sign out front partially dismantled and i assumed they were just changing the bulbs in it. But lo, yesterday half the compound was behind a locked gate and every car and most of the signs were gone. The dealership had apparently gone kaput.

Normally I would not wish ill on those eking out a living in these recessionary times but a year ago when we were up to our armpits in regular snowfalls these guys never shoveled the sidewalk around their lot, not even to clear a path for themselves. They did actually clear part of the lot itself to presumably get cars in and out. One of the bright lads in its employ thought it would be a good idea to use a kettle of hot water to help melt the snow on said lot.

I’m sure that turned out well.

So here’s to 2010 and whatever might be going in at that corner in the coming year. Hopefully it won’t just be a vacant lot for ages, though that may be just as likely.

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