Vanishing Amenity

• The makolet (rather like a New York City bodega) was one of the greatest amenities (http://jerusalemblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/snow.html) of Jerusalem city life.
• A makolet was close at hand, offered excellent fresh bread, sublime fresh dairy, a widening array of essentials, a small selection of excellent fresh fruits and vegetables, and people who knew you and your preferences. Prices were about the same as at the supermarkets.
• Two years ago Shlomi at the local makolet told me that many apartments were being sold to people who only lived in them a few months of the year. I knew that was more and more true in Jerusalem, but Rehavia didn't feel empty. "It's affecting business," he said.
• By June the local Makolet had shrunk to half its size. No more could I be sure of finding exactly the white cheese I wanted. No longer did they have space for the particular kind of salad or or the red grapefruit juice preferred by too few customers.

Copyright 2009 Jane S. Fox