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You Can’t Go Home Again


 

Thank you for your responses to yesterday’s post. It was the kind of conversation that makes writing a community blog worthwhile. So far I haven’t been trolled. I think that’s largely because those folks stopped reading my blog a long time ago and for that I am grateful.

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I posted this photo on the Howard County Eats FB page yesterday hoping to stump folks. I did not. Not one bit. My question: Just for fun: who knows what this is and do you know if it’s still there?


I’m rather proud of this artsy view. 


Well, if their responses are any indication, you recognize it, too. It’s the fireplace feature at the old Pizza Hut on Route 108. This particular location is now Pupatella and I’ve learned that they didn’t keep it as a part of their decor. 

That’s fine. Going into Pupatella expecting it to be a nostalgic recreation of the Pizza Hut era of your youth would be both unfair and ultimately disappointing. It doesn’t claim to be that.

Now, about Toys (backwards)R Us. They may be trying to lure you to their seasonal pop-up locations with just that kind of nostalgic hook. There’s one at The Mall in Columbia. It’s been covered by the local Patch outlet and hyped by local realtor Joe Phillips with so much enthusiasm I thought at first that he worked for the company. 

Big News at The Mall in Columbia – Toys “R” Us is Back! 

If you grew up in Maryland, chances are you have some amazing memories from The Mall in Columbia — a place that’s been at the heart of family shopping trips, weekend hangouts, and holiday traditions for decades. And now, one of the most iconic names in childhood fun is making a comeback: Toys “R” Us! 

That’s right — the legendary toy store that fueled countless birthday wishes and Saturday morning adventures is returning to The Mall in Columbia. Located on the lower level near Macy’s, this new Toys “R” Us location promises to bring back the magic with a modern twist.

It’s possible he had access to a great press release or works closely with ChatGPT.

Hats off to the local who jumped in with this very Columbia answer.

Thanks Joe. Hate to be that guy, but the toy store in Columbia Mall was called Potomac Toys. We never had a Toys R Us in the mall.

Can’t you easily imagine that comment being spoken by the Eeyore of animated Disney films? Or is it just me?

Anyway…not Howard County but there’s a guy in YouTube who has reviewed another of the new TRU incarnations and he is not impressed.

New TRU is Bad! Let it Die! Joe Go Toy Reviews, YouTube

I haven’t been to the Columbia one so his take may not be one hundred percent accurate for all the stores they’ve opened. Fill me in if you have already visited. 

If someone wants to lure me back to a toy store with a full blown nostalgia campaign I want it to be Mumbles & Squeaks.

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One more thing about yesterday: the best part was learning things from readers that I had not known. In particular, that Manor Lane used to go from Route 40 to 108 and was closed at the request of the Caroll family (Doughoregan Manor) in the 1980’s. A public road. Hmm. 

If anyone used to drive that way to get home I imagine they really did feel like you can’t go home again. Yikes. 


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