Shopper Piranhas

How did this place get its nickname: the Big Scary? Well, it's big, and if you go at feeding time, it's scary. Feeding Time usually happens a bit after noon. People are waiting near the back of the store, and when a staff member rolls out a giant bin of items, people attack. I've seen plenty of good stuff come out of these, but I've also found TVs sitting on top of smashed glassware, opened cat food, and already eaten chicken wings still dripping of grease. Most of the people waiting for the treasures are friendly, but I've seen people playing a pretty vicious game of tug of war with an outdated computer. While I've never seen a situation get out of hand, there is always a security guard in the store. (I've always been curious to ask him for some good stories.) Besides Feeding Time, the Big Scary is a great place to visit at any old day. The place is packed full of finds, ranging from anything and everything that you would expect from a thrift store.

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Shopping • Roxbury

kids are people too

My grandfather was a teacher in the Roxbury School System for his entire career, and I can still remember how proud he was to help them learn. He also helped them learn awful jokes, but that's a balanced education. I find myself in a position to follow in his footsteps a bit by volunteering at the latest chapter of 826 National, the non-profit organization dedicated to help students become better writers. 826 Boston opened just this past Fall 07 and is gearing up to offer free workshops, tutoring, homework assistance, English as a second language help, and even some publishing for all students, ages 6 to 17. The storefront is labeled The Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute because they're opening a full Cryptozoology store, for all the Bigfoot and Creature of the Black Lagoon fans out there. How freaking cool is that? Everyone is welcome to come by to check out the offerings, and any assistance you yourself could provide, through volunteering, publicity, or donations would be much appreciated. It's a great program, a worthy cause, and if it's something you'd like to learn more about, please hit the website attached.

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Schools • Roxbury

Ideal Sub Shop

Ever been to one of those weekday lunch places in the financial district where the line is moving at lightning speed, the cashier is impatiently tapping his fingers, and the guy behind you won’t stop bumping you with his tray? Ideal Sub, just outside Dudley Square, is the exact opposite. At lunchtime this place is packed. And slow. There are no piles of pre-sliced ham or cheese. And you won’t see stainless steel buckets of tuna salad getting just a tad icky on top. Everything is made to order, slowly. You’ll have plenty of time to think about what you want. And once you’ve ordered, you can chat with your line-mates while your turkey is in the slicer. Then comes the weird part. You’ll go to the register, take out what you think is the right amount of cash for lunch, and walk away confused and happy that you got a seriously fresh, enormous sub for the price of a medium latte.

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Restaurants • Roxbury

Bikes Not Bombs

The other day, my brakes fell off my bike on the doorstep of Bikes Not Bombs. I went in to find a bike shop that does so much for the world. Functioning as a non-profit bike and repair shop, BNB acts as a surrogate bicycle community center. Their store is a cave of bikes. Old, new, racing, single and fixed speed, mountain, and BMX bicycles. These bikes have been donated and worked on by volunteers and teenage graduates of the Mechanics Job Training program for teens. The place was packed when I arrived, with a lot of bike parts and people’s bike needs being happily fulfilled. The mechanic was efficient, resourceful, and surprisingly calm dealing with so much action. Kids twelve and up can earn a bike by learning to fix one. Over 2,400 bikes are shipped around the world, and Bikes Not Bombs also organizes rides and teaches bike safety. On Wednesday nights, volunteers repair bikes and work in the office. Bikes Not Bombs offers a wealth of resources, including bike maps and information about neighborhood events.

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Shopping , Bike Shops • Roxbury