What Was There: 182 Elm Street
This little ex-storefront at the corner of Elm and South Swan Streets (182 Elm) was a neighborhood stalwart for over 50 years.
It was once home to prominent Albany attorney John J. Acker, and might have been built for him (probably around 1871). From his death in 1902 until the mid-1930’s it remained a residence. It looks like the corner store came into being in 1937, when Royal Higby opened a little variety store there. In the years to follow, it changed ownership a number of times:
1944 Theodore T. Jomopoulos variety
1947 Paradiso’s Corner Variety (Rose Paradiso)
1958 Hermann’s Corner Variety (Abraham & Sadie Hermann)
1969 Kaplan’s Grocery Store (Max Kaplan)
1973 Becky’s Food & Variety
1976 J&B Grocery
1978 Empire Grocery
1998 Plaza Mart
The storefront has been empty since at least 2010. As of this writing (7/18/20), it was being converted into an apartment.
Doc Circe Died For Our Sins 
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