St. MarksDonald's

October 13, 2013

Last night I dreamed that St. Mark's Books had closed and the McDonald's next door expanded into it. The McDonald's was huge and horrible. It had plans to keep on expanding and expanding. I stood there looking at it, those red and yellow signs, and felt resigned to it.

--JM

Gem Spa & 7-Eleven

August 12, 2013

Last night I dreamed I was walking down Second Avenue at St. Mark's. I looked up and saw a sign over Gem Spa announcing it was closed and "thank you for 98 years of business" (in reality, not quite 98). The place was already empty. I stood there in shock for a minute, then flew into a rage. I stormed into the 7-Eleven across the street and demanded of the cashier, "Are you the owner? Are you the fucking owner?" I screamed at him about how the closing of Gem Spa was his fault and told him, "I hope you fucking die. I hope you die a thousand deaths. I hope you get cancer!" I considered trashing the place, but didn't want to get arrested, so I walked out.

I picked up the Village Voice and the Gem Spa closing was on their cover. Inside was a 5-page story about it, citing 7-Eleven as the cause. I felt powerless to do anything.

--JM

Ralph Lauren Pine

Last night I dreamed they opened a Ralph Lauren store on 1st Ave near 3rd--it was called "Ralph Lauren: Pine," decorated for urban lumberjacks with lots of faux trees.

--JM

Wal-Mart

I dreamed I was walking past the Korean deli on 14th and 8th when I saw workers hauling out equipment.

"Are you closing?" I asked. Yes, a woman told me, empty coffee pots in her hands. "What's coming here?"

"A big store," she said, "you'll never guess."

"Brooks Brothers?" I asked. Nope. "Marc Jacobs?" Nope.

I begged her to tell me. "WalMart," she said.

--JM

Originally posted on JVNY