Category: Retail

Do You Remeber Your Favorite Video Rental Store in Fresno?

The Fresnan 1 Comment
The_Last_Blockbuster_storefront-1024x676 Do You Remeber Your Favorite Video Rental Store in Fresno?
This is a picture (belonging to the Wiki of) the famous Last Blockbuster, located in Oregon. I sadly could not find one of a Fresno Blockbuster or Hollywood Video.

Because of a Substack Notes thread (and I tend to get nostalgic about old Fresno), I was thinking about video rental and remembering Friday nights at a Blockbuster. I happen to be living in Los Angeles during the Golden Era of video renting, so my memory of Fresno’s video rental stores isn’t complete as it could be. But I remember some. Before Netflix. Before the fall.

  • Blockbuster at West & Dakota. This was my neighborhood from, like, 94 to 2010 ish. So the mid-nineties, I was there most weekends. Now it’s a laundromat.
  • Hollywood Video on West Shaw in the Winepress Center. They used to have good discounted DVDs and VHS to buy.
  • Blockbuster at First & Nees. I think it was a Blockbuster (Southeast corner shopping center). This was my early 20s when I actually had disposable income, and I bought way too many overpriced DVDs.
  • Blockbuster – West Shaw & Feland. There was a girl who worked there I was too intimidated to ask out – this is the thing I remember the most 🤣.
  • The Warehouse at Barstow & Blackstone. They had the movies in the back where the Chuck E Cheese animatronics were. I can’t remember renting from there, but I remember buying. Really, I would go back there to try and picture the old Chuck E Cheese shows.
  • Blockbuster on Olive in the Tower. When you didn’t score at any of the bars, you at least had a video to take home and watch.

There are more, but those are the Fresno video stores that came to mind first. If you want to be overwhelmed by VHS/DVDs/Blu-rays today, check out Mad Monk on Blackstone.

If you feel like deep diving into some Blockbuster content:

-Mikey

Parking Lot Art: Whole Foods

The Fresnan
IMG_8197-1-768x1024 Parking Lot Art: Whole Foods

This pour little cart got left out all night.

Whole Foods in Fig Garden is well closed, so this little guy got left out. I feel bad for him. So lonely. I know how ya feel, brother.

Let’s hope the person that opens at Whole Foods tomorrow morning corals you proper so you can be with your friends again.

Why The In-N-Out Owner Moving From California, Fries Me Off

The Fresnan
in-n-out-fries Why The In-N-Out Owner Moving From California, Fries Me Off
A basket of the infamous In-N-Out fries I had the other day

The fries at In-N-Out suck. They just do. But they are unique to In-N-Out. I have always enjoyed them for that. They may not be great, but they are all In-N-Out’s.

The uniqueness of In-N-Out: The vibe, restaurant setup, California chain, simple food menu, super friendly staff, the secret menu, and yes, the fries.

Sadly all that is tainted because the nepo baby owner, Lynsi Snyder, (who didn’t come up with a damn ass thing that In-N-Out is successful for) has decided California is too lame and is creating an office in Tennessee so she can move her family there because California is “SOOOO harrrd guuuuyyyyz”

in-n-out-snyder-1024x1016 Why The In-N-Out Owner Moving From California, Fries Me Off

“Raising a family is not…easy here. Doing business is not easy here.” says the billionaire nepo baby.

Dude, California MADE you! You became iconic because of us. You are rich as shit because we bragged about you to everyone not in California. Brought all the people visiting to your dad’s restaurant.

I had always admired In-N-Out for being at or near the top of pay for fast-food workers. It seems that was dad’s policy, not the nepo do nothing daughter’s. She would rather move somewhere whiter where she can pay employees less. Let’s be real.

It always comes back to more when you are so rich you don’t know what else to do.

“That’s just business!” some will say. I say that is just bullshit. It’s just fucking greed.

Disrespectful to the people (Californians) who got you where you are today. So little is respected anymore.

How hard could it be to live your life out as a billionaire in the greatest state in the country? Dear God.

The basket of fries pictured above was the first time I went to the Blackstone & Nees In-N-Out. My go-to is Blackstone & Ashlan. I can’t say I will never go to an In-N-Out again because of this betrayal; that would be unrealistic.

But I will hate myself a little bit when I do. Just like Lynsi should be doing right now.

Hey! Does River Park Even Deserve Ragin’ Records?

The Fresnan
eefce550-1fda-4b54-9dab-9f928a430c97 Hey! Does River Park Even Deserve Ragin’ Records?

It’s been mixed feelings about Ragin’ Records opening up a place in River Park.

First you’re like “Wait. WHAT!? River Park? But Ragin is, like, TOWER, dude. Metal. Punk. All subculture and stuff!”

River Park is not that.

When River Park went in it was mostly chains and a movie theater. North Fresno. The death of Fashion Fair. Sprawl. A traffic circle we didn’t get.

It was exciting and new, but no heart. Felt like it shouldn’t be.

Over the years it has evolved. Either by design or by necessity it is maybe a little more local – at least the core is.

Teazers. Barrelhouse. Coney Island Me&Ed’s. That place that used to be the sports bar. You know, stuff like that.

It feels more Fresno and I don’t know how to describe it to you more than that. Maybe it has just been there long enough.

So I guess after you work it out, it is okay that River Park has a Ragin’ Records now. Especially since it is in the parking garage (which makes it totally punk).

I’m getting soft in my old age.

Joshua Tehee and I have a good discussion about this on this month’s Flowing With Famous.

Memory Map: Shaw & Blackstone

The Fresnan 2 Comments
img_2684 Memory Map: Shaw & Blackstone
Badly drawn map of Shaw & Blackstone

A new blog series where, in a crudely drawn map format, I write down memories and random thoughts about a Fresno intersection.

I am trying to keep a record for myself and maybe jog a memory or two for you.

Good luck trying to read my sloppy and quickly drawn map of the intersection of Shaw & Blackstone (Or do you say Blackstone & Shaw?).

Anyway, with the exception of the current Heroes Comics, Rocket Dog, Electronic Billboard and Vineyard Farmers Market, the map is all old references.

  • The old convenience store at the Vineyard was a great place to get baseball cards that weren’t Topps.
  • Nothing compares to the old conversation pit in the Peppermill bar.
  • I can’t remember the name of the sporting goods store my old step-grandad worked at.
  • I miss both locations of Plaza Ventana.
  • I miss all the Wavelengths too.
  • When that Electronic Billboard went in it was like “Oh we’re big-time now?”
  • Bring back Circuit City please.
  • That video store is gone now, right? It’s the only store in town I ever noticed having a “red door” for the adult section.
  • How and why is there still an empty lot right next to a freeway and on a major street!? One of those kind of property owners that just sits on it forever, hoping to make some huge payday, I assume.

There you have it. My first Memory Map post. I would like to think I’ll get better at the map part, just wanted to get this up before I talked myself out of it.

Feel free to share your memories or home made maps in the comments or on Twitter.

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