Upper West Side Relics

I cannot believe this. I went to Oppenheimer Prime Meat's and Seafood today. And there it was in the window. Yet another "LEASE AVAILABLE" sign staring me in the face.

I could not be more broken-hearted. This was the place I was going to miss most when I left the Upper West Side for the bleak suburbs beyond. This is the place that made my special occasions special. This is the place I got brisket for Hanukkah. Roast chicken for Rosh Hashanah. Short ribs for Pesach. Bologna for the kids. Burgers for Mike.

And worst of all, it will give away the fact that I am not a great cook - I just have (or should I say had) a fantastic butcher.

To those of you not fleeing the Upper West Side for lands afar, I think the time has come to take back your neighborhood. No more Oppenheimer. No more Jake's Fish Market. No more Little Extras. No more Liberty House. No more Ivy's Books, MurderInk, Embassy Florist, or Happy Burger.

The time for (real) change is now.