Oh, I loved Bookstop and I especially loved this Bookstop. I actually had "dates" to go there! (And I mean in more recent years - not lately, tho. Aggh, not even this century, come to think of it!)
We'd get a bite at Butera's and browse the late Cactus and then stroll the Bookstop and compare "finds."
Wish I could do something about all this, but I can't.
Most of the businesses around there have changed. Whole Foods moved up the road and was replaced in the former location by a PetsMart. Cactus closed. Bookstop cut their hours and selection years ago. Across the street, Record Rack closed. Hunan Dragon changed owners/recipes/chefs.
Even the Alabama Ice House doesn't look the same since the (grand)son inherited it. BUT he is prohibited from making some changes (his ice house is grandfathered back to the 1920s).
There was a Thunder Cloud Subs where Mission Burrito and Little Woodrows now stand. And we've already mentioned the demolished Ale House.
And much of Shepherd Plaza is vacant (whereas 10 years ago it was thriving).
Odd that every city has a damn new "retro" baseball park but people don't do anything to preserve actual old buildings.