Acres may close last chapter

Another factor they left out is, when you import a sizable immigrant underclass into a city, places like bookstores start making less money.

A significant reason the Press Telegram, as well as the Los Angeles Times, have been waylaid by the dramatic loss of readership, is ironically due to the success of their editorial stance on illegal immigration.

The comic irony for both papers is, the very people who they were editorially supporting, generally don't read english-speaking newspapers!

The new development sounds marvelous, but I certainly hope that someplace is found for Acres of Books. It's a fabulous, almost unique place. I would hope that Long Beach eventually becomes the last place with it's own independent book store. Such places may be a "buggy whip", as the article states, but I love them.

Allen,

To place blame on the demise of Acres of Books on illegal immigration is a stretch. The demise of Acres of Books is the likes of Borders and Barnes & Noble, end of story. I'm glad to see that eye sore go! Everyone always cries about the historic value, blah blah blah.... move on. Progress is better, regress is for Allen.

I'm really sad about this. I was born in Long Beach in 1984 and grew up going in Acres of Books probably more than any little kid downtown. Even then it already had a wonderful, magical old feeling that doesn't seem to exist anywhere else anymore. This store is part of the reason I've become such a book-worm, as well as writer, and I'll miss this part of my childhood a lot.

Progress isn't always for the best. We need to be able to find the old, and Acres of Books is the only place to get many of the books I have gone there to buy.

The big problem is no one wants to shop downtown if you are required to pay for parking. I could spend hours in Acres of Books if I didn't have to worry about stuffing the meter.

Keep Acres of Books open and put in free parking structures. It would be the best thing that could be done to get me back downtown again.

LB Lover wrote:

Allen,
To place blame on the demise of Acres of Books on illegal immigration is a stretch. The demise of Acres of Books is the likes of Borders and Barnes & Noble, end of story. I'm glad to see that eye sore go! Everyone always cries about the historic value, blah blah blah.... move on. Progress is better, regress is for Allen.

LB Lover, to say the demise of Acres of Books is based on any one factor is beyond "a stretch." It's being stupid.
Good luck with that.

Linda wrote:

Progress isn't always for the best. We need to be able to find the old, and Acres of Books is the only place to get many of the books I have gone there to buy.
The big problem is no one wants to shop downtown if you are required to pay for parking. I could spend hours in Acres of Books if I didn't have to worry about stuffing the meter.
Keep Acres of Books open and put in free parking structures. It would be the best thing that could be done to get me back downtown again.

Again, if you oversupply a city with poor immigrant peasants, providing them with kiosks to keep their large crowds organized while pimping themselves for work in front of Home Depot, then you will find your community bookstores are not going to be selling a lot of the new biographies of John Adams, the complete works of Shakespeare, or even copies of the magazine "Real Simple."

You can't float a bookstore by just selling daily copies of "La Opinon."

25 million mexican immigrants currently residing here in the united states, and many of the ladies will have at least 3 kids by the time they reach the age of 25. Most of the kids will drop out of high school by 11th grade. The current rate is 80%.

Stupid is the new smart. There's no reason for Acres of Books to exist.

I am appalled that the redevelopment agency would be an agent in the demise of a cultural landmark. Once it is gone, it is gone. That can't be said for yet another mixed-use redevelopment project. Aren't those everywhere?
Acres of Books has been here far more than 40 years,( it was previously on Pacific Avenue across from the public library).
Where is the public benefit in helping to send it to the limbo of other features of Long Beach that were developed out of exisitence, Rainbow Pier, The Pike, and Lincoln Park?
I applaud
Bob's Big Boy steping in to re-build a drive through restaurant, but no one will do the same for a world-famous bookstore?
What in the world does it mean that redevelopment will be "mindful" of the historic nature of the site? Does it mean they know what they are destroying and have some vague wistfulness about it?

Thank you for your article. I drive over a hundred miles to visit the bookstore and every trip is worth while. No more browsing to find surprises that are hidden there. how do i now find out the names of books that just "might" be what I'm looking for. As an author this bookstore has been a true find that I have loved to go to for many,many years. So long, dear friends. You're a dying breed. I mourn your loss. Marirene Blevins. mzgoose@earthlink.net

Please forward this note to Acres of Books. Thank you.

Christee Bodick wrote:

I'm really sad about this. I was born in Long Beach in 1984 and grew up going in Acres of Books probably more than any little kid downtown. Even then it already had a wonderful, magical old feeling that doesn't seem to exist anywhere else anymore. This store is part of the reason I've become such a book-worm, as well as writer, and I'll miss this part of my childhood a lot.

That is totally true. I agree with you sis.

That is true I agree with you it does take away a huge part of my childhood.