As one of the rare “born and bred” variety of New Yorker (although I do spend lots of my time at my parents’ place in New Jersey … shh), I remember certain things about the city that are lost on newcomers. These recollections range from the banal (I remember when Broadway Farms disappeared from the corner of 85th and Broadway, only to reappear across the street about a year later) to the nostalgic (Where have all the checkered cabs gone? And what’s with that one left that circles the city, offering free rides?). The focal point of my reminiscence today are for the Love’s stores. Apparently, there are two left (go see em while you can! One’s on 3rd Avenue, the other’s on 72nd street), but they used to be as plentiful as Duane Reade (which, incidentally, pushed them out). When I was a kid, the Love store had the same epononymity as Pampers diapers and Kleenex tissues; for years, I would say that I had to go to a Love’s store instead of a drug store. And then, they were exterminated from our neighborhood like so many roaches. Ditto Coconuts; I used to waste my time with my then best-friend Lia in the Coconuts that used to exist where the Urban Outfitters on 72nd now stands. Leading to my open question: What do you miss about the New York of old(er than today) ?