Video Fridays: The Last Typewriter Store in NYC... Okay

I was looking for something fun to write about today and found this short video in my feeds. It’s a reminder to me that sometimes things stick around because enough people just like having these kinds of things in their lives, like physical books or vinyl records or, in this case, manual typewriters. I taught myself how to touch type on an old black manual typewriter when I was in the seventh grade, actually the summer before seventh grade. I have no idea why I did it, no one told me this is something I needed to do. I just sat at the kitchen table and built up the strength in my fingers as I pounded on those keys and developed a sense of when I was striking the wrong key for the letter I wanted. I think someone had brought home a typing instruction manual from school and I decided to do this instead of running around outside in the Southern California heat. Whatever. Personal computers hadn’t yet been invented, but this skill I had learned would certainly become handy when that eventuality occurred.

So, there’s this store that still exists in New York City where they specialize in selling and servicing typewriters. I get why typewriters are so nostalgic and why young people who didn’t grow up with them find them “interesting.” I mean, I made a LEGO Typewriter a couple years ago, mostly for nostalgia’s sake and because I remembered all the years pounding away on those keys to write my school papers back in the day. But as soon as I bought my first computer (a giant Kaypro luggable), I couldn’t imagine trying to compose on a typewriter and then have to retype whole pages because of the numerous errors I’d make on every single page. No thanks. But I still made and have that LEGO typewriter displayed on my shelf. I love the idea and memory of typewriters. But personally I have no desire to go back to the days when that was the only way that all of these crazy ideas of mine would make it into existence. Yeah, that’s a weird intro… oh well. Enjoy.

Sources:

How NYC’s last typewriter store stays in business, posted by @morningbrew (2025-02-27), https://youtube.com/shorts/-ozkHmbLBnA?si=Fy08GOQ6Q4oXFKhe

Tags: LEGO, manual typewriter, nostalgia, tech nostalgia, video Fridays