J wrote:
I must say, Philadelphia provided slim pickings for a second-hand book
browser this weekend. The Rosenbachs would be appalled to see how few
nice shops remain in their city...not that New York City is so much
better these days. The only place I found anything I needed was Book
Trader.

The Rosenbach Library was a highlight of my trip. (I'd never been
there before.) The Poe residence was a bit of a disappointment: the
only survivor of the five Philadelphia houses he lived in, it has
fallen into the hands of the Parks Service. Not knowing how to restore
it--there are almost no documents of its furnishings or appearance--
they have stripped it down to the plaster, and leave it empty. At
least it's there...

I've sent my other update notes to Evelyn for her use.

For which she (I) thanks you.

Alas, most big cities provide slim pickings these days--rents go up,
sales go down, and if the stores survive at all, they survive as
Internet stores.

Toronto is headed that way. Of course, one of the main places we
visited (Jamie Fraser) had additional problems: the streetcars that run
down the street his shop is on shook the building so much that he came
in one day to discover that the shelves had toppled over! (Luckily, he
was able to recover without too much damage.)

--
Evelyn C. Leeper
A great many people think they are thinking when they are
only rearranging their prejudices. -William James