Home Sweet Home

I often tell people that I live in a strip mall. In a way, I really do. There is an access road that runs about a mile between the entrance to my condo community behind several little strip malls and then in front of the Publix Shopping plaza.

I parked at the very end of the parking lot so I could see both my condo and the grocery store. Next to the grocery store is a UPS store, an insurance company, a chinese place, a cafe/restaurant, another restaurant/bar, a mini liquor store and a dry cleaner. There used to be a hair salon and a healthfood store, but those are empty now.



I'm still standing in the same spot. Just turned slightly. This is the scene for the entire half mile all the way to my condo - We've got a place called Copelands (it is a New Orleans type place), Arbys, a coffee shop called Java Cove (Hey Bob! They either changed names or sold to someone else - this place used to be called Bad Ass Coffee. I hated seeing that name, but my friend Bob thought it was a hoot), a custom drapery shop, a spa type place, Fed-Ex Kinkos, nail salon, pizza place, cigar bar, Larry's Giant Subs, a game store (I think they sell video games, but I have no idea), a sushi restaurant (but it's also been a tapas place, a sandwich shop and something else just in the last three years), lets see, what else - Oh a bank, another fast food place and a Snap Fitness center. I'm missing about a dozen more stores I'm sure, but you get the idea.


These condos are 5 stories high and overlook another condo community, a little "lake" and of course, the Publix Shopping Plaza. I live in that far back condo building. You can only see a portion of our building - it's sort of tucked in behind the other one. At night the lights are on in the parking lot of the Publix plaza and it always looks like the pavement is covered in snow. I think it's just the way the light reflects, but I love it.

A few weeks ago the lights were out - the whole parking lot was pitch black. It was so odd.

I really like where we live. I like to be so close to so many things. I especially like being so close to the grocery store. I tend to go there daily. It's too easy to buy food for a day when you live next door.

So this is where I live.
I live in a strip mall :)
Kristin