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Fry's was mentioned in Douglas Coupland's "Microserfs". I loved that book and thoughts Fry's was cool even before I set foot in one.

Years later I entered a store, and somehow it was already nostalgic then :)

So weird, I haven't thought Fry's for the past 20 years.

> There was something about wandering the aisles and seeing the merchandise and getting ideas

That. Exactly.

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In that sense, at least for me, it was a third place where we could roam to get inspired and connect. We lost that. I was in Akihabara last weekend. And its the same in a way. While there are still a few, most tech stores are now phone/laptop stores that don't sell parts. Making the hunt for tech really boring.

There are a few stores left that sell parts in Akihabara, but only a few and they're not that easy to find. Akihabara now is mostly a place to go to maid cafes.

It’s pretty much for the same reasons. All those stores and types of stores that used to be in SF, Cambridge, Tokyo are all found in Shenzen now. That’s where the critical mass is.

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