The TSA checkpoint also closes unreasonably early. My sister once made it to the checkpoint 30 minutes before a late night flight (think around 10pm) and they were closing up shop.

She had to beg them to let her through.

The answer to this question was Pour House. It was the cheapest place to get a drink (and food) in Back Bay IMO. But alas, it closed and I had to move out of Boston after a COVID layoff, so I don't really know a good spot anymore.

I hear Pour House is reopening from my old friends, but I kind of doubt that it will retain the old unbelievable price points it used to have.

The trick was to not try and get drunk at the Top of the Hub, because you'll waste a ton of money.

Top of the Hub was always an excellent way to start the night with your first drink or two with a view. Then you go somewhere cheap and dingy to get proper drunk.

The study by Levitt and Donahue that you’re referring to is far from settled fact and is pretty hotly debated by economists BTW.

God I switched from AmFam to ACAC 6 months ago or so and I'm never looking back. My only regret is that I didn't do so years ago.

OP: If you can swing the membership (it is pricey), I do recommend ACAC. They have lots of classes and the facilities are very nice. It's like a budget Equinox IMO. I can't speak for the one in Midlo, but the one in Short Pump is sweet. They even have a rooftop pool for 18+ adults only with a bar/cafe.

Sometimes at night I wish I wasn't taking a break from drinking.

I always wake up the next morning thankful I didn't drink, though.

I’ve got a soft spot for Laxmi Palace since I grew up growing there (I still remember back when there was a place next door that sold cheap bootleg Bollywood movies lol). But Royal Bazaar is massive and probably better for what you’re looking for. Seems like the kind of place that would have cheap bulk staples like lentils.

Ah gotcha. I lived in Boston for a couple years… I think slumlords are more common in large metro areas. I infinitely prefer the housing market in RVA for sure.

That being said, TBH I agree with your point about faceless corporations. I do kind of prefer them because I lived in a large, professionally managed building in Boston and it was great. Maintenance was fast and responsive. As opposed to the local landlord owned place I moved to where my stove didn’t work for SIX WEEKS. And he sold it to some guy in Japan halfway a few weeks into our lease so getting in touch for that maintenance was a total nightmare.

Super curious (not trying to be antagonistic), but where else have you lived?

Morrissey has already responded with a counter-accusation of child abuse, because of course he did.

This is gonna be a total shitshow.

If you do go down the road of checking bodybuilding forums, I highly recommend starting with this thread on the bodybuilding.com forums where a bunch of bodybuilders get into a heated argument about how many days are in a week.

I’m guessing you live in that little townhouse area behind the TJs? That place is a little unique in that the area is very self contained (and pedestrian friendly!) I actually really like it and hope that model becomes more common across the US.

But for everyone else living in short pump, it’s not feasible to walk or bike from a place like Twin Hickory to the mall, even if the distance isn’t super onerous, and I think that’s what most of us are talking about. Even walking from the Target to the Regal Cinemas is not easy even though it’s less than a quarter of a mile or so.

As someone who grew up in the area, I actually prefer option 3. Adding a totally new on-ramp will infinitely ease congestion in Short Pump because folks from the Wyndham area will no longer be driving up to broad to get onto 64 during rush hour. There are a LOT of families that live in that area.

Additionally, it will split the exit traffic between people who want to use the area around the Target/the Whole Foods (or TJs) area -- who will continue to take the Broad exit -- and people who want to go to the mall -- who will start taking that Gayton exit.

Re. your point about pedestrian accommodation, I definitely empathize with that and wish Short Pump was much more walkeable (especially after spending time in larger, more pedestrian cities like Boston), but I don't think these half-assed measures are really going to do anything. Barring a larger overhaul, Short Pump will never become truly pedestrian friendly IMHO, especially not with the proposed changes.

Just my $0.02 as someone who is intimately familiar with the hellscape that is that Short Pump 64 on-ramp.

I hear PBR and Dom Perignon is a great combination

^(god please don't try it)