Liem's Aquarium and Bird Shop

Took a fieldtrip here in 6th grade. It still sticks in my memory as weird and wonderful and a little bit scary. Maybe I ought to take another trip down there, without all the other kids this time.

A back alley leads to a decrepit storefront with stinky cages, moist aquarium air, and the collective buzz of birds, chicks, mice, fish, guniea pigs and more. They are both pets and food (for bigger pets) waiting to be purchased and taken away. Unpredicatable hours add to allure as you simultaneously step back in time and into a scene from the cutting room floor of Blade Runner.

On my last visit an infrared device sensed me crossing the entrance threshold and blurted out “welcome, welcome”. Unless you’re accustomed to barnyard smells you may want to make it a quick visit. But listen carefully above the animal chatter as the robotic voice that welcomed you knows to say “goodbye, goodbye”.