Laredo, TX Video Stores (VHS Rentals)

Not too long ago, before Netflixing and chill became common place, you had to run down to the ol' video store to get your movie night fix. For a few bucks a night, you could take several movies for the night and binge to your hearts content.

Locally, we had several mom and pop places that thrived with the weekend rentals. Now, in 2018, none of those remain. Video stores have mostly become extinct! Only Redbox remains as a place to rent physical media, at least in Laredo. However, not too long ago, video stores where abundant and you could select from a variety of genres and even languages, from Steven Segal and Chuck Norris to Mario Almada and Sergio Goyri vistas.

I even remember the first place I peered behind the red curtain at one of these establishments that offered adult videos for viewing pleasure. It was a magical time for videophiles. Now, VHS and DVD are slowly being phased out. Still on Saturday nights such as this, I feel the nostalgic hark to the good days, of walking the aisles of the video store, with friends and family, as we argued over which movie to take home. Those days seem like a lifetime ago, a lifetime of memories on film.

Las Pulgas en Laredo, TX

If I have one hobby that I never pass up on the weekend, its going a pulgear (flea marketing). We do have several in Laredo: Guadalupe Heights Pulga, Pulga 359, Pulga en Park Street and Pulga La Blanca. However, at a recent trip to Pulga 359 I was surprised to see so many vacant spots. It was on a fair weathered Saturday morning and so many stalls were closed.

I had heard talk that the old pulga on 359 was being shut down, some might say relocated and it seems like that is truly happening. UISD is opening up a middle school just blocks away from this eye sore. Many vendors have already fled to the new pulga down the road, with its broad open spaces and clean facilities, it is light years ahead of the old one but without the vintage old merchandise found at the old 359 pulga.

Which makes me think, why are our local Laredo pulgas in odd locations.? One is near the city landfill and other adjacent to a headquarters for teen hoodlums. I guess this makes shopping fun and keeps us on our toes.