1:00

It’s been an eventful hour and a half. We had our first visitor, my mom. A baby boomer, she was able to fill us in on some of the storied history of the Ballston Corridor/Parkington Place. Hopefully one day we’ll be telling future generations of the mall that once stood here.

Most of what we’re doing today is pointing at locations and remembering what used to be there. First floor gems include the poster store and that candy shop with the rocket inside. We are dismayed, DISMAYED, to find that neither Claire’s nor Wet Seal are on the second floor anymore. We’ll probably do an entire Claire’s post.

I should’ve noted a time stamp when we entered the Dollar Store, because those places are kryptonite for Catherine. Catherine spent $8 and got a bow and arrow, a hat, a bra, a keychain and a ring. I had to dissuade her from getting a lot more.

While in the Dollar Store, the ceiling began to shudder. No, they had not begun demolition. We surmised that it must be the gym upstairs. The ceiling tiles were undulating and it sounded like a train going overhead (that or a loud **love making** session). It was terrifying. If you are looking to buy a storefront in Ballston Common, do not buy any real estate below the gym.

Below the gym. Related to the shaking ceiling?

Above the gym

We then made our way down the hallway to “Bb Jeans” a store for all your clubbing needs. Catherine again, is keeping these businesses afloat, and bought a sweater with studs on the sleeves. The theme of the day is studs. We avoided the siren call of “J’adoube” perfume. Looking at the receipt we now know that “Bb” stands for “Brazilian Boosting.” This store is Ballston in a nut shell.

Purveyors of “j’adoube”

While in the store we may have uncovered one of the things that makes Ballston so unique: The stores don’t play music. Except for the train/gym sounds coming from above, and the gentle encouragements from the lonely cashiers, the stores are eerily quiet.

Flanked by empty storefronts