Echo Park Time Travel Mart

Always since I kickoff heard nearly this place, I have wanted to check it out. I mean, how tin you lot non dear a store that tells yous it is selling to all eras of history equally an official time travel mart? When I walked into the store I got even more excited because I was greeted by the man behind the counter telling me "how-do-you-do again, I saw your future self in the store today, he told me you would be coming in." That inherent cheesiness is what makes the Fourth dimension Travel Mart such a success. Also, in one case you get to know them, you realize it is merely a front end to provide funds for 826LA, their center for reading and writing that helps all the neighborhood children to succeed, which is crawly. Read on for my total review.

History

Based on what the human being working behind the counter told me, they have multiple stores like these in cities like Chicago and San Francisco. Chicago's is a spy store called The Boring Shop, and San Francisco's is a Pirate store. The story goes like this: the man who started the offset reading center in San Francisco was told by the city that he needed a storefront, so he set out to create the featherbrained pirate shop that has become the flagship for their stores so that he could keep his nonprofit. This was such a success that he tried other ideas for his unlike locations.

826LA

The store itself is function of 826LA — a non-profit tutoring center for students and budding literary enthusiasts ages six-18. It specializes in afterwards-school tutoring, workshops, and programs. The kids are encouraged to be creative, and once a month, one of their stories gets published and put into the shop for people to buy. They as well taught the kids skills like music and created a CD of original lyrics the kids wrote. These songs accept been performed by bands like Common cold War Kids, Fiona Apple, and She and Him. This is such a absurd idea that makes me similar the store fifty-fifty more.

Store Online

If you are interested in helping out the store/nonprofit just aren't in the area, consider shopping for all of their fun gifts online hither. Who doesn't need a "what happens in the tar pits stays in the tar pits shirt" added to their wardrobe?

The Fourth dimension Travel Mart

At present that nosotros have gotten the history and awesome non-profit stuff out of the way, we tin talk about the epic shop that is The Fourth dimension Travel Mart. I fancy myself to be somewhat of a nerd, and I could but equally easily take a weblog that debates the subtler points of the new Batman comics as a travel blog, so I am a fan of things that are unique similar this. The store itself is pretty pocket-size, simply from the moment you walk upwardly to it and run across a caveman shaking hands with a robot y'all know, information technology's going to exist fun.

The iii small aisles are cleaved down into different time periods, catering to their time traveling customers. The oldest section has barbarian, chain mail, and dinosaur stuff.

A middle ages section has gems similar medical leeches, cause who wouldn't want those?

The hereafter section has robot milk and ray guns. There is likewise a department dedicated to the piece of work the kids take been creating in their program.

Every detail of this store is thought out. The employee of the month program spotlights people from all periods of history, and the surveillance camera in the corner shows cavemen, robots, and Victorian people all walking the shop on its four screens.

This is 1 of those places you just keep laughing at. My personal favorite was the shade tree with directions that stated: "take the seed, travel back in time, plant it, return to the present and relax under your tree." It is the little things in life.

The guy working behind the counter said most everything in the store is made by the people that work at that place, and while the prices seem loftier, all of the proceeds become to the nonprofit. This makes it easier to spend your money on an "I would rather be tricking cavemen" bumper sticker or a new can of barbarian repellent.

Lastly, they accept a "wanted ads" section in the back of the store that has everything from volunteers to solve the bubonic plague to a hereafter message near finding a cat, which is a possum, super fun.

As you can tell, I loved this store. Information technology is pocket-size in size merely big in centre, and I was happy to buy something that benefited the kids they were working with. I recommend y'all check information technology out for yourself, you tin go directions below, and if you are from the future, you can shop online as well.