I have found that AI struggles with building modifications. I’ve used it as more of a search engine for old address listings. It’d be more helpful if white and yellow pages had been uploaded to the internet before disappearing as physical media. The Fairfax building has driven me nuts for ages. You can find me at El Pollo Rico at least once a week and I’m constantly noticing new architectural details. If it was a grandmothers it wouldn’t have been in operation long. I rely on a friend who grew up in the 60s and 70s for info and he can’t even picture that building. I bet it wasn’t “cool enough” to go to as a teen and early 20s so it failed. Maybe it was only popular with boomers that had nostalgia for the old diner concept. But Hot Shoppes was still around in Fairfax and so was HoJo at that time. The Red Hot and Blue was next to the Courthouse. That was the one in operation for 30 years. We went there right before it closed and I asked what it was before. An older employee came out and said it originally was a Greek restaurant before Red Hot and Blue. The Greek owner retired and RH&B took over. Back to Lee Highway. Before El Pollo Rico it was a Title Max (or other loan place) between 1-3 years. I remember it stood empty for long stretches. In the early 90s I remember specifically it was Popeyes. My brother played baseball at nearby Chilcott Field and we’d eat after games at Burger King, McDonald’s or the Popeyes. Other people remember it as Roy Rogers (maybe after grandmothers) and even Wendy’s (I’m skeptical). Across the road where the audio store is was Tres Amigos (former Redskins players) we loved that place. And where the Anita’s is supposedly is a heavily remodeled Googie Burger Chef, and of course the Red Barn next door. I bet that block was awesome BITD. Keep up the great investigation!
Cool! Yeah a lot of people thought it was built as Popeyes (I don't think so). I asked once on a Facebook group but that thread doesn't seem to still be around. I would love to solve it!
What was Grandmother's? Was it the Midwestern chain and did it really come out here briefly?
I have no idea about Grandmother’s. I first read that in your article and did a quick internet search. I’ve never heard of Spoons either. We moved to Virginia from Texas in 87 so I was desperate to find restaurants that reminded me of home when we first moved here so I retain a ton of useless info. I don’t think Rax was in this area but they were in Danville, VA, at least. My brother recalls eating at one down there in college. It closed when he was still in school in the early 2000s. Probably not big enough for a Ponderosa, etc. that weird stone is actually a stucco material over chicken wire. So it’s been modified for sure. I think it was Popeyes from 90s to early - mid 2000s.
But it's not, it's like taking the thing apart to look at how it works. Given that a lot of people are saying it is useful for research, I thought it was worth a little analysis as to why it isn't (YMMV, I suppose, but that is my finding). Entirely different than using it to actually write something.
I have found that AI struggles with building modifications. I’ve used it as more of a search engine for old address listings. It’d be more helpful if white and yellow pages had been uploaded to the internet before disappearing as physical media. The Fairfax building has driven me nuts for ages. You can find me at El Pollo Rico at least once a week and I’m constantly noticing new architectural details. If it was a grandmothers it wouldn’t have been in operation long. I rely on a friend who grew up in the 60s and 70s for info and he can’t even picture that building. I bet it wasn’t “cool enough” to go to as a teen and early 20s so it failed. Maybe it was only popular with boomers that had nostalgia for the old diner concept. But Hot Shoppes was still around in Fairfax and so was HoJo at that time. The Red Hot and Blue was next to the Courthouse. That was the one in operation for 30 years. We went there right before it closed and I asked what it was before. An older employee came out and said it originally was a Greek restaurant before Red Hot and Blue. The Greek owner retired and RH&B took over. Back to Lee Highway. Before El Pollo Rico it was a Title Max (or other loan place) between 1-3 years. I remember it stood empty for long stretches. In the early 90s I remember specifically it was Popeyes. My brother played baseball at nearby Chilcott Field and we’d eat after games at Burger King, McDonald’s or the Popeyes. Other people remember it as Roy Rogers (maybe after grandmothers) and even Wendy’s (I’m skeptical). Across the road where the audio store is was Tres Amigos (former Redskins players) we loved that place. And where the Anita’s is supposedly is a heavily remodeled Googie Burger Chef, and of course the Red Barn next door. I bet that block was awesome BITD. Keep up the great investigation!
Cool! Yeah a lot of people thought it was built as Popeyes (I don't think so). I asked once on a Facebook group but that thread doesn't seem to still be around. I would love to solve it!
What was Grandmother's? Was it the Midwestern chain and did it really come out here briefly?
I have no idea about Grandmother’s. I first read that in your article and did a quick internet search. I’ve never heard of Spoons either. We moved to Virginia from Texas in 87 so I was desperate to find restaurants that reminded me of home when we first moved here so I retain a ton of useless info. I don’t think Rax was in this area but they were in Danville, VA, at least. My brother recalls eating at one down there in college. It closed when he was still in school in the early 2000s. Probably not big enough for a Ponderosa, etc. that weird stone is actually a stucco material over chicken wire. So it’s been modified for sure. I think it was Popeyes from 90s to early - mid 2000s.
dude this ain't it
What isn’t?
AI slop sent to me in mailbox. Look, I understand what point you are trying to make, but it's still a waste.
But it's not, it's like taking the thing apart to look at how it works. Given that a lot of people are saying it is useful for research, I thought it was worth a little analysis as to why it isn't (YMMV, I suppose, but that is my finding). Entirely different than using it to actually write something.