<HTML>In a message dated 11/13/02 9:18:18 AM Pacific Standard Time, sokol@jhu.edu writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">However, within a 10 minute walk  an upscale Whole Foods chain opened - they offer decent quality food and good variety.  They are a bit pricey, but not so much if you account for the quality of their merchandise - which superior to what Safeway offer, not to mention the convenience joints that offer junk at the same or higher prices.   </BLOCKQUOTE> Whole Foods "a bit pricey"????? The one closest to me is a complete yuppie food museum, and there is another local chain food museum even closer so guess which option I usually choose. Of course I also avoid Whole Foods because of lack of diversity in the employees and the customer base as well as because I believe I read somewhere that the management is completely anti-union. As for Safeway, mixed reviews all around. Here the Safeways are unionized and have a very diverse workforce. The union that represents Safeway workers has even been good and outspoken on behalf of some workers who had various ugly tangles with immigration matters. That's the upside.       The downside is the store with the highest margin in the area is the one in a poorer area with the worst lighting and the longest lines. I suppose part of that issue is older building stock and lower depreciation, but still..... So I am not surprised; in fact I am glad someone is documenting this! DoreneC</HTML>