One of my favorite places in the Inner Sunset on Irving Street has always been Aladdin Radio Repair.
Sadly, it now seems to have closed. It's a small miracle that it remained in business as long as it did. After all, when was the last time YOU took a radio to the shop for repair? This wonderful store was run by Mr. John Wentzel since at least 1949 (one source mentions 1946). He still answers the shop's phone number and does the occasional repair AND the store is still totally intact. I peeked in the window the other day and took this snap. Walking into the shop always seemed like time travel (I DID have a couple of radios repaired there). The shelves were (are) lined with beautiful sets for sale. Aladdin is a small window to a now lost era of big wooden radios (with tubes) and the people who repaired them. Every Main Street must have had its own Aladdin-like store. Are there any places like this elsewhere today? It's certainly the last of its kind in San Francisco.
Sadly, it now seems to have closed. It's a small miracle that it remained in business as long as it did. After all, when was the last time YOU took a radio to the shop for repair? This wonderful store was run by Mr. John Wentzel since at least 1949 (one source mentions 1946). He still answers the shop's phone number and does the occasional repair AND the store is still totally intact. I peeked in the window the other day and took this snap. Walking into the shop always seemed like time travel (I DID have a couple of radios repaired there). The shelves were (are) lined with beautiful sets for sale. Aladdin is a small window to a now lost era of big wooden radios (with tubes) and the people who repaired them. Every Main Street must have had its own Aladdin-like store. Are there any places like this elsewhere today? It's certainly the last of its kind in San Francisco.
No comments:
Post a Comment