When I was kid in the Rosemont neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia there was a Mom&Pop DGS grocery store. Owned by an immigrant family who lived on the upper floor, it was a required stop going to-from school. “Sy” the owner was always kindly to kids, allowing us roaming rights to discover so much stuff in equally small space. He also gave us more than a fair shake when redeeming pop bottles for their 2-cent deposit. Twenty-thirty cents was big money for kids and good business - “gute geschäfte” for him - we spent the proceeds on pogey bait in his store.
Last time through the area the store had become a wine & coffee shop. There went the neighborhood!
Amazing it's still there. My school, Roosevelt Elementary, was right up the street from there. Last time I was back there, the elementary school had become the Academy of Excellence and Greatness, an Islamic school.