VTMBH Article: Body
This rental shop was the soul of our community. We left our keys and our children here. Its hard to believe that its gone, says Wayne Padgett, a customer and a friend of Stroll-Inn Video on the corner of Bedford and 9th Street. The owners were forced to shut down the rental store when the Polish landlord dramitically raised the rent.
Anne, 24, from Bedford Avenue stopped dead in her tracks at the front door. Twice she checked if she was in the right place. I thought there was a robbery. Empty shelves, cartons everywhere. Then, I saw the notice: Sorry. Stroll-Inn is closed due to the rent increase. I almost cried, said Anne as she dropped off the cassette with a shaking hand.
Everyone has the same reaction, said Joyce, an employee and a friend of the rental shop. There is no more Stroll-Inn, which was a favorite meeting place for the entire Bedford communityand not only for Americans. Many of our customers were Polish, especially the English-speaking ones.
Ms. Basia from North 11th Street enjoyed coming here. My English is not good enough to converse on every subject, but I can understand American movies and always watch the original versions. Sometimes I would rent something by Kieslowski they had a very good foreign section. But I also visited because of the atmosphere. The owner Irene joked around and the shaggy dog Daisy was always barking. We were allowed to give her a biscuit treat, the Polish woman remembers. She could hardly believe it when she saw the closing notice on Sunday. I will be all right, since Ive only lived on Bedford for two years. I am sort of in transit. But for those who lived here for a long time, the rental shop was a second home.
People left keys or packages for their neighbors here. Parents could drop off their children in strollers if they wanted to do some quick shopping, said Joyce. On September 11th, we put out a TV set in front of the entrance, so that passers-by could follow the most recent happenings in Manhattan. Later on, the shop served as a holding place for all the donations for the fire and police personnel who were working at Ground Zero. Each morning, we put out a box, which was then picked up by the firemen from Engine Company 212. People donated whatever they could: blankets, food and water. And now, all this comes to an end.
Stroll-Inn Video is closing because of lack of funds. Monee, monee, said owner Irene Jankelwich, poorly imitating a Polish accent. There were no negotiations. When our lease ran out in August, the owner demanded $4,000 a month, or we would lose the place to someone else. We didnt take long to make a decision; $4,000 would ruin us. There was nothing left to do but close the store.
Anne, 24, from Bedford Avenue stopped dead in her tracks at the front door. Twice she checked if she was in the right place. I thought there was a robbery. Empty shelves, cartons everywhere. Then, I saw the notice: Sorry. Stroll-Inn is closed due to the rent increase. I almost cried, said Anne as she dropped off the cassette with a shaking hand.
Everyone has the same reaction, said Joyce, an employee and a friend of the rental shop. There is no more Stroll-Inn, which was a favorite meeting place for the entire Bedford communityand not only for Americans. Many of our customers were Polish, especially the English-speaking ones.
Ms. Basia from North 11th Street enjoyed coming here. My English is not good enough to converse on every subject, but I can understand American movies and always watch the original versions. Sometimes I would rent something by Kieslowski they had a very good foreign section. But I also visited because of the atmosphere. The owner Irene joked around and the shaggy dog Daisy was always barking. We were allowed to give her a biscuit treat, the Polish woman remembers. She could hardly believe it when she saw the closing notice on Sunday. I will be all right, since Ive only lived on Bedford for two years. I am sort of in transit. But for those who lived here for a long time, the rental shop was a second home.
People left keys or packages for their neighbors here. Parents could drop off their children in strollers if they wanted to do some quick shopping, said Joyce. On September 11th, we put out a TV set in front of the entrance, so that passers-by could follow the most recent happenings in Manhattan. Later on, the shop served as a holding place for all the donations for the fire and police personnel who were working at Ground Zero. Each morning, we put out a box, which was then picked up by the firemen from Engine Company 212. People donated whatever they could: blankets, food and water. And now, all this comes to an end.
Stroll-Inn Video is closing because of lack of funds. Monee, monee, said owner Irene Jankelwich, poorly imitating a Polish accent. There were no negotiations. When our lease ran out in August, the owner demanded $4,000 a month, or we would lose the place to someone else. We didnt take long to make a decision; $4,000 would ruin us. There was nothing left to do but close the store.