On 5/18/2016 8:29 AM, HerHusband wrote:
that doesn't include all of the "shopping centers"

Yeah, we do have lots of little strip malls scattered around town. There's a
Starbucks and Subway restaurant in almost every one of them.

Ours typically have a food store as anchor. But, beyond that, all bets are
off. You might find an eclectic art gallery, hardware store, public library
(branch), Kinkos, gelateria, comic book store, tobacconist, tool rental
shop, kitchen supply store, Bed/Bath/Beyond, etc.

There are also lots of specialty stores that are crammed in at
odd places.

Must be nice...

It's better than *nothing* : But, really pretty pathetic when I consider
what living in Chicago or Boston was like. OTOH, I can *park* at all of
these places without having to find a spot on the street!

We have probably 4 or 5 different "tire stores" -- not counting Sears,
Walmart, Costco, etc.

We have lots of tire stores around town, but Sears is in the mall. So we can
drop off the car, grab lunch in the food court, and wander around the mall
until the car is ready. At any of the other places you just sit there in
their waiting room. Boring.

I can walk from two of the tire stores -- or Costco -- to the house.
Or, walk around in one of the stores adjacent. E.g., do my grocery
shopping and just wheel the shopping cart over to the tire store to
unload it into my vehicle, when done.

But, it means *planning* what you are going to do with that time.
E.g., I'll bring some research paper or a pad with me just about
everywhere that I might encounter a wait and continue that even if
I only manage to get 10 spare minutes. Sure beats twiddling
thumbs or reading some populist magazine...