by
Bill Smith
The downtown Evanston music store Dr. Wax has hung up the going out of business sign.
The 16-year old store, which sells new and used CDs, has struggled for years in the face of growing competition from online music sales.
Some time back the store stopped buying used CDs from customers, a leading indicator that the shop, at 1615 Sherman Ave. in the landmark Hahn Building, likely was not long for this world.
Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now. More by Bill Smith
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Goodbye,Dr. Wax
Bill Smith wrote:
“the shop, at 1615 Sherman Ave. in the landmark Hahn Building, likely was not long for this world.”
Landmark? Maybe…but thanks for not calling it ‘historic’.
It is always unfortunate to see a business go under, but I think everyone saw this coming. I didn’t think that they would be able to hang on as long as they did.
This opens up yet another storefront on the 708 Church/ Hahn plot . While the prospects for constructing the tower are pretty bleak given the turmoil in the financial markets- especially real estate lending – it does show that the alternative to renewal and redevelopment is just stagnation or decay. Now, more than ever, we need to encourage more business development, and more construction, in downtown Evanston.
Dr. Wax will be missed
I have a pile of records and CD’s that I’ve bought at Dr. Wax. While I’m not surprised that yet another local music shop has fallen victim to online sales and a sluggish economy, I will miss this store.
Boo Who Who!
Given the presumed demise of the Hahn building, one can understand why the tenants are disappearing.
Perhaps Mr Who Knows What?, no doubt reeling that Paul Krugman received the Nobel for economics, might distract his distraught persona and use some of his vast economic knowledge to assist the City Council in coming to some resolution on the branch libraries.
In the meantime, one can assume that Klutznick and Focus, given the real estate market (with several impromptu “parks” in the city), are overjoyed at the delay, if not demise, of their “iconic” EMF project.
Perhaps Mr. Who Knows What? can console himself with the iconic AT&T boxes, reaching for the sky from our parkways.
branch libraries
Vito wrote:
Perhaps Mr Who Knows What?, no doubt reeling that Paul Krugman received the Nobel for economics, might distract his distraught persona and use some of his vast economic knowledge to assist the City Council in coming to some resolution on the branch libraries.
Actually, I was glad to see Krugman win it. I enjoy reading his columns in the Times. And really, it is not a true ‘Nobel Prize’ that he won – the prizes in Economics were not in Nobel’s will, and were added later by the Bank of Sweden. Those of us who have won ‘real’ Nobels are quite snobbish about this – I never invite the Economics winners to my parties.
As for branch libraries – it doesn’t exactly take a Nobel Prize in Physics to figure out what the solution is: close the branch libraries!
Have you ever been to a branch library?
Mr Boo Who – wrote “As for branch libraries – it doesn’t exactly take a Nobel Prize in Physics to figure out what the solution is: close the branch libraries!”
inquiring minds – would like to know have you ever been to a branch library?
uber burger
Yes, Junad, I have been to both branch libraries. They are dumps, and not necessary.
Enquiring minds are more concerned about the Uber Burger site. I see a sign saying ‘Grand Opening’. What is opening?
Neu Uber Burger
Mr. Who Knows (me) wrote:
“Enquiring minds are more concerned about the Uber Burger site. I see a sign saying ‘Grand Opening’. What is opening?
I went by the site today, and am (tentatively) happy to report that “Neu Uber Burger” , apparently a reincarnation of Uber Burger, is now in business.
I have not yet been inside. Enquiring minds certainly want to know if the menu is the same and if the prices are the same.
Italian Coffee Bar, too
So Italian Coffee Bar (Church St. location) also closed up shop. I wonder what will move in…that storefront is, unfortunately, too small for an IHOP.
More importantly, this leaves Mr. Who Knows without a good source for coffee when taking the morning Metra into Chicago. ( I often have to go down there in person to explain the intricacies of Net Present Value to the folks at the Federal Reserve Bank and the CBOE). I was never too fond of Italian Coffee Bar, but it beat the shop upstairs in the station.
Another CD store becomes victim of technology
I was surprised Dr. Wax hung on as long as it did. These CD stores began biting the dust a decade ago when people started getting music downloads on the Internet.
I still think the tower is a good idea if the architecture is unique. I think the real estate market in Evanston has hung on pretty well comparitively.
Downtown Evanston is still a vibrant and dynamic and commands a healthy demand of people who want to live there. It will be just a matter of time when it rebounds, in my opinion.
Now is the perfect time for city officials to court a hungry, unique and exciting developer to come up with some grand plan for that location.
Come on city planners and alderman, show some chutzpah and foresight.
Anonymous Al