Formerly known as "Creepy-chusetts, Strange-chusetts".

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

J.R.'s Con' Enie Subs, Somerville


What is "Con' Enie"? Please somebody explain it to this non-native speaker.

"With Enie"? An abbreviation of "convenience"? I assume it's the latter, but I've never heard of that expression before. A dapper slang back in the day? What day?

Somehow this space makes me feel I've stuck in the fifties

This abandoned funky sub shop is off the Grove-Cedar Bikepath, nearby the site of the International Paper Company. I've been walking around the bikepath to find any interesting industrial structures to imagine its railway past. I found this sub shop during the excursion.

Me, too

An old guy was at the intersection working as a school crossing guard. This nice grandpa helped me crossing the road; how can you decline his offer? But sir, I'm 31 year-old...


Look at the lovely brick work, removed signboard...A shuttered counter on the storefront must have offered a quick, "con' enie" lunch for the nearby factory workers alike. It could have been an after school hang around space for kids, too; it has that kind of vibe.

Do you see the faded "J.R." on the shutter?

There is little information about the store; When did it open? What kind of clientele? How long it's been closed? And of course, what is "Con' Enie"?


Locate J.R.'s Con' Enie Subs @ Google Map

2 comments:

  1. Based on your close-up shot, I think it used to say CONVENIE, a "packy"-style abbreviation for "convenience" that pops up in store searches on Google.

    Betty Lou's Diner and Convenie

    The "V" must've been effaced along the way, perhaps by an overeager store painter.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi, Matthew,
    "Package store"= Liquor store! I've never heard of.

    I've heard slung for convenience stores like "bodega", "deps", "Kon-bini"(Japanese), but this must be the store owner's own creation.

    ReplyDelete