After serving Woodhaven for nearly 70 years, Jason's will be closing its' doors the week of February 23rd.  For most Woodhavenites, Jason's has been around their entire lives.  Gifts purchased on layaway adorned many a Christmas Tree over the years, and a few hundred thousand birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations were celebrated with cards and candles purchased at Jason's.  Chasing down a rumor that today was Jason's last day, Project Woodhaven headed to 90th Street and Jamaica Avenue for one last visit . . .

And when we got there, the cupboard was bare.  The front windows were empty, which is always a sad sight.  We stood outside for a few moments, reminiscing, and then walked inside.  The Jason's staff were in good spirits, despite the circumstances, and graciously allowed us to walk around taking pictures.  Joyce, a Jason's employee for over 14 years, spent a few moments talking to us.  And the owners took a few moments to explain the difficult circumstances that arose that forced them to pack their bags and move to Tennessee.  Here is our video report:

$10,000 a month! Can you imagine?  Under the current economic conditions, it would be hard to imagine many new businesses willing to invest that kind of money in rent.  In any event, here are some more pictures.  Keep scrolling down for some real beauties . . .

There are still plenty of greeting cards selling at 50% off, or more.  It seemed like a good time to stock up, so we picked up a enough cards to cover us through the end of the decade.

The toy aisles were barren although, as you may have seen in the video, there were still a few good bargains to be had.  It's a good sized store and I'm sure we all have lots of memories of the old days, walking down the aisles, our eyes reaching out and touching the things we wanted.  It was real sad to see this store, once a giant of Woodhaven, reduced to empty shelves.

This aisle still had a little life left to it, though you can still see that there's not much left.  I remember buying Whiffle Balls here on a regular basis -- I think they used to keep them in this aisle, near the front.

Back outside, for a last look at the sign.  It looks just as I remember it from my childhood.  Sure, it's a little beat up and worse for wear, but so am I to be honest. 

So, now that we've looked at Jason's today, and reminisced about our childhood, let's take a look way back, to the early 1940's, and see what this part of Woodhaven looked like.

Many thanks to the owners and employees of Jason's for letting us take photographs today, and for taking the time to speak with us.  We wish you all the best in the future.  And we thank you, and all of the employees of Jason's over the years, who have brought smiles to the faces of Woodhaven.

If you have any comments, or would like to suggest other projects, drop us a line at info@projectwoodhaven.com or projectwoodhaven@aol.com .  

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