The older that I get the more I look back on things from my young life. There are things that I miss… so I figured that since I have time on my hands I would go over some of the places that loved that no longer exist. I don’t really browse social media in the way that I used to but people on Twitter know how to spark a discussion or at least an internal dialogue.

I have not thought about this in years but when trying to think of things to take my niece and nephews to do for the holiday break, it occurs to me that a lot of what I did as a kid has been shut down or greatly diminished. So Millennials… bear with me as I travel down memory lane. So let’s jump into it.

1. Blockbuster/ Hollywood video – I mean… Let’s get this out of the way. It was a way of life in the 90’s. And at a young age… I was able to actually pick things that I wanted to watch. “Be Kind, Rewind.” My family and I weren’t all that rich but it was a thing I could count on doing that wasn’t all that expensive. Rent a few flicks and get some snacks and spend some time together. In the beginning, Blockbuster only did videos/VHS tapes but then I was able to get games for my Sega Genesis. It was a good time and with all that is going on with Streaming services and how no one owns anything anymore…. We want that old time back. There is only one left in Bend, OR.
   
2. Borders/Waldenbooks – I will never understand how Borders went out of business but for some reason Barnes & Noble is still in business. Only one of them could stand the wave that was Amazon when it came in. There was a Borders in my neighborhood growing up and it was where I saved up money to go and browse. I was able to browse DVD, Books, and music. It was a place that I could sit and be for hours and no one cared. Walenbooks was something that was in every mall and airport where you could get what you needed on the run… but alas… I want that old thing back. It is so funny to me that people are now rebelling against B&N and Amazon… and really Border’s should still be here. Books-A-Million tries but no cigar.
   
3. Discovery Zone – Apparently there is one left in Cincinnati OH, but for those of you that don’t know. It rivaled Chuck E. Cheese. And let me tell you… DZ did it better. DZ was a chain of entertainment facilities featuring games and elaborate indoor mazes designed for young children, including roller slides, climbing play structures, and ball pits. It also featured arcade games. Every kid in the neighborhood went there. I remember that I chipped my tooth and lost so many hair ties there. Kids need more indoor spaces for themselves… Chuck has cut down on the mazes and things. The mouse has opted for more video games than anything else… and I know that kids also love to run around and the world seems to be moving away from that. (But that is a soapbox for another day.
   
4. Toys R Us/ KB Toys – There is a theory that kids do not want to play with toys anymore. I feel like is not entirely true and the country went with electronic store over toy stores and used this excuse to justify it. One of my favorite things as a kid was getting the Toy R Us catalog and circling a bunch of nonsense that I was never going be able to convince my parents to buy. Again my family wasn’t rich but for Christmas we got to go and pick out everything we wanted… I used to enjoy walking through there with my family and picking things out that I knew I was going to play with for the next few weeks. I got a lot of bikes and skates from there. (Took me forever to find a bike nowadays and let me tell yall it was more expensive than I remember.) Going to get things for my nieces and nephews is hard because not many places sell toys anymore. Target is going what it can and I don’t venture to Walmart for any reason. Amazon’s toy section needs to step their game up. Toy R Us still lives online as part of Macy’s but KB Toys is dead. I did not go to the mall with my parents a bunch but when I did…. we did not miss an opportunity for stopping by KB toys.
   
   
5. Media Play – Anytime I mention this place, no one knows what I am talking about. But I have to say… When I was living in Atlanta, my family and I lived in an apartment complex that was right behind a shopping center that contained one…. And lemme tell you… when I couldn’t get to Borders. I was here. My siblings and I would save up birthday money and then walk down there to get something new. Media Play was a chain of retail stores founded in 1992 by Musicland that sold VHS, DVDs, music, electronics, toys, video games, anime, books, and board games similar to Hastings Entertainment, 2nd and Charles, and Half Price Books. But they did it bigger and better. (2nd and Charles is cool but I do not live close to one. It is a bit of a drive. But of course… Amazon ruins everything.
   
6. Radioshack – RadioShack still lives online but there is nothing like running into a store to fulfill your electronic needs. There were people that could help you narrow down what you are looking for. This one of the many stores that closed down when Amazon hit it big. It was easy to get things to fix your electronics without having to buy something new.
   
7. Arcades– I spent many a coin at the nearby arcade that I could walk to. That is a big deal in Atlanta since much of it wasn’t walkable. Me with a bag full of quarters trying to past the summer days away… Ms Pac Man, Time Crisis and NBA hoops. And where else would I be able to play table tennis. There’s not a lot of great arcades around now or not some that kids can get to easily. I miss the 90’s.
   
8. Sports Authority – Anything sports related you could find here. Dick’s Sporting Goods is fine but the Sports Authority and Academy Sports really had things for the outdoors. Not just sport clothes and shoes. They had great exercise equipment. But this country has since gotten rid of outdoor spaces and working out can really be only be done if you pay monthly. It is ridiculous. People need places to ride bikes and inline skate and just exist outdoors without having to pay. But again that is a soapbox issue for another time.
   

I think there are some things that I had as a kid that would be great to still be around from the 90’s. The older I get the more that I understand the need for a places for us to go and kick back that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Hopefully, we can get back to loving our personal time together. And that we can get outside again.

Any thoughts on things you miss from your childhood… Leave a comment.