If you're shopping for athletic training gear, you gotta go to Mo's. This sporting goods store has been around forever, and they're a staple in every inner city neighborhood here in NYC. In the past, they've had some unfortunate floor spacing issues that made browsing an impossibility, and most of their clothing was straight-up garbage, the type of ill-fitting, low quality crap you'd find at a typical ghetto discount store, where the clothing is thrown haphazardly into huge bins.
But recently there's been a change. I have to give it to this store for evolving with the times. I stepped into their Fordham Road store in the Bronx and was extremely pleased with what I saw. Employees actually approaching customers, much more floor space devoted to walking around the clothing racks as opposed to everything being crowded, and separate clothing lines in their devoted floor space.
And the quality of the stuff they sell has definitely gone up several notches. Don't get me wrong, they still have to cater to the public assistance crowd and there is no shortage of inexpensive, cheaply manufactured clothing (hey, you can't expect the children of Section 8 housing subsidies to walk around naked now, do you?), but now they carry product lines from Under Armour, Adidas and Nike. And not their bullshit lines either, but the real thing.
For anyone wondering, the 'hood is the best place to seek out those bargains when it comes to basketball/running/training apparel. That's nothing new. But the difference now is you can get the same athletic gear ou'd find at the Sports Authority, Paragon or Macy's in downtown Manhattan for a little bit less. Plus, there is the added incentive for any red-blooded American male of loitering on the corner of Grand Concourse and Fordham Road and watching some of the most beautiful Puerto-Rican girls in the city walking around shopping with their friends and family. I'm telling you, this shopping district rivals Castle Hill and Washington Heights for stunning young latinas.
But I digress. Where were we? Oh yeah, Modell's. It's been my experience that while they don't carry EVERY item from a particular sports clothing line, they do offer some nice stuff. Let's face it, there are certain items that just won't sell in the hood due to cost. That's the reality, and sometimes you'll have no choice but to go downtown and pay those bullshit full retail prices if there is a particular item you need that Modell's doesn't stock.
And there is always the internet, but it's not always what it's cracked up to be. For example, I found the Adidas TG basketball shorts on sale for $12.50. That is a hell of a price for such high-quality gear. Try finding such prices anywhere else in the city. Such sale items are not advertised on the internet, so you actually have to go outside on occasion and step into a store to see what's happening.
Two things-one, you won't find everything on sale at close-out prices, but if you're patient and look around hard enough you'll find something at a great price. Nothing wrong with a $5.00 discount on an item like a workout t-shirt, especially if you are looking to buy more than one.
Two, there are Modell's all over the city, so you don't necessarily have to go to the 'hood if you're a fraidy cat. But don't be scared. Head uptown and walk around the other shops in the area, have a slice of pizza and stare at the insanely gorgeous latinas. Fordham Road is safe during business hours for even the biggest chicken-shit motherfucker. Some of these women look as if they've been genetically enhanced, so for me a shopping trip to Modell's is a no-brainer.
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