1. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    Question for Americans

    Discussion in 'Research' started by Naomasa298, Dec 2, 2019.

    If you have Nathaniel Avenue crossing St. Mary Street, is it correct to call the crossing point "the corner of Nathaniel and St. Mary"?

    Also, what's the difference between a convenience store and a bodega?
     
  2. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    Yes, the "corner of" language is fine.

    My understanding re: bodega is that is a term used primarily in New York city, and maybe other parts of the northeast. They ones I went to were what I'd call convenience stores out here in California.
     
  3. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    Thanks EFMingo! Shows that a high proportion of American TV that I watch is set in New York...
     
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  4. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    I would think that a bodega would also be a single-location, probably family-run and Hispanic. When I think of a convenience store, I'm thinking of something with a national or at least regional brand on the sign: 7-11, Circle K, White Hen (that last is Chicago-area), when I think of a bodega I'm imagining posters for international phone cards and money transfer services in the window, and probably not 24 hour operation. Might be some lingering stereotyping on my part though, so take it with a grain of salt.
     
  5. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    Thanks both. Sounds like bodegas are similar to our "corner shops", which offer everything Iain said and are usually run by people of South Asian heritage.

    My story is set in a generic mid-sized US city, so I'll use "convenience store". I imagine any New Yorkers will know what I mean.

    Although since I've never been in an American convenience store, I'll have to base it on ours and the Kwik-E-Mart. :)
     
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  6. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    We have a corner shop downtown that I go to--they have a little bit of everything. It's just a local place, but I still call it a convenience store. That may just be me, though. I'd be interested to learn whether most people around here do the same.
     
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  7. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    Okay, just one more thought. Urban Dictionary* says:

    *unlike many entries to the Urban Dictionary, this one is mostly SFW, with only occasional references to bodegas as being connected with illegal drug sales.
     
    Last edited: Dec 2, 2019
  8. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    Cough ...Steerpike, not Mingo... Cough
     
  9. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    I have NO idea why I thought it was Mingo!!! Sorry Steerpike!
     
  10. EFMingo

    EFMingo A Modern Dinosaur Supporter Contributor

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    Ahhhhh! Get that credit away from me! Blegh!
     
  11. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    There's a movie with Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz coming to mind.

    That's all I've got to say about that.
     
  12. frigocc

    frigocc Contributor Contributor

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    No idea what a Bodega is, but in New England, a convenience stores is called a package store, or a "packie."
     
  13. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    On military bases (Army, maybe Air Force) the "Package Store" is the liquor store on base. (On Marine bases it's the "Class Six," which I assume relates to some regulation or other.)
     
  14. frigocc

    frigocc Contributor Contributor

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    Maybe different people call it different things, but where I'm from, the convenience store and the liquor store were always the same, since every convenience store carry liquor.
     
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  15. Catrin Lewis

    Catrin Lewis Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023 Community Volunteer

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    Depends on the state and its laws. In Ohio, yes. In Pennsylvania, no.
     
  16. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    Yeah, last I checked in Illinois convenient stores could carry beer and wine, but not harder stuff. In New Hampshire (I think), every place you can buy booze is run by the state liquor commission, no strictly private sales at all (as I understand it, open to corrections)
     
  17. Naomasa298

    Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

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    Out of curiosity, how similar are American convenience stores to the ones in Japan?
     
  18. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    99% identical. Small differences in the types of snacks, but 7-11 is one of the big chains here as well.
     
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  19. Earp

    Earp Contributor Contributor

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    In Michigan, it depends on what kind of license you can get, just beer and wine, or everything. Licenses are limited in number by geographical area, so often a decision to open a new store is determined by license availability. It used to be that stores which sold gasoline could only sell beer and wine, no liquor, but I think that changed. The State handles all wholesale distribution of hard liquor from state-owned warehouses, and controls retail prices.

    Alcohol has prompted the goofiest laws everywhere it is sold. Until a few years ago, all alcohol sales in Michigan were suspended from 2 AM to 7 AM, and before noon on Sunday (can't booze it up, may as well go to church) and from 9 AM on Christmas Eve until 7 AM on the 26th. Those laws were changed a few years ago, but municipalities can stay with the old regulations if they choose.

    I think they also changed this, but it used to be that if a strip club sold alcohol, the girls could be topless, but not 'bottomless'. If they only sold soft drinks, total nudity was allowed. We had examples of both where I lived. Tough choice.
     
  20. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    Illinois has tons of different regulations by county. DuPage had early closing hours (1 or 2 am), so everybody would bop over to Cook (which is the county Chicago proper is in) where some of the clubs could stay open until four, and there was one that I can't remember the name of that was open until seven am. Only did that once, and I was in my twenties and on midnight shift at the time.
     
  21. Earp

    Earp Contributor Contributor

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    We had a similar thing when I lived in Port Huron. Hop on the bridge to Sarnia, Canada, where the drinking age was (and still is, I think) 19. I spent a couple of weeks working in Ironwood in the UP, which is on the Wisconsin border, where the bars stayed open until 4 AM.
     
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  22. newjerseyrunner

    newjerseyrunner Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2022

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    I'm pretty sure that's a term used exclusively by the Puerto Rican community in specific villages. I've literally never heard anyone call it that while speaking english. "Minimart" is probably the most common term for such a store in Manhattan.

    If you're putting your story in NYC, most roads have both a name and a number and which is used will depend on which one it is. For example, if you were giving the location of the 14th street station, some new yorkers will saw "15th and lexington" others will say "15th and 8th." The cross street almost always comes first.
     
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  23. NobodySpecial

    NobodySpecial Contributor Contributor

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    Convenience stores in Ohio can sell liquor- except on Sundays. (I’m not sure if the rules cover all alcohol sales or just wine and liquor) But we also have some fun drive-thru liquor stores. Seriously. You drive in one side of the building, tell an attendant what you want, and drive out the other side.
     
  24. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    To me, (west coast), a bodega is something south of the border.

    We tend to say mini-mart here and sometimes seven-eleven even if that isn't the store franchise.

    Growing up in LA we called them liquor stores. When I moved to Oregon, people would just stare at you when you said liquor store. In OR and WA a liquor store is a state run liquor store.
     

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