11
small business
Why That Storefront Has Been Empty for Three Years (And the Landlord Doesn’t Seem to Care)
The sign in the window says “For Lease” in letters that have gone slightly yellow at the edges. It has…
The Last Light On: How Small Auto Shops Are Holding the Line on Car Repair Costs
On a Wednesday afternoon, the only full bays on the block are the ones with peeling paint. Around the corner,…
The New Price of a Cheap Cut: Inside the Disappearing $20 Barbershop
The wait starts on the sidewalk now. A folding chair, a Bluetooth speaker, kids taking turns with the clippers on…
When the Corner Bodega Becomes a Construction Site
By the time the permits go up in the window, the regulars have already scattered. On one block, it is…
What Happens When a Neighborhood Loses Its Last Hardware Store
On a gray Tuesday on the south side, the line at the self-checkout wraps around the seasonal aisle at the…