When I was growing up in Maspeth, Queens, our family shopped for boys' clothes at Muller's, a small department store on Metropolitan Avenue. It was on the same block as the firehouse, bakery, appliance store and butcher shop. Some good memories came back to me recently when I shopped for birthday gifts for myself and Christmas gifts for some male relatives at Robert's, a clothing store at 152 Jericho Turnpike in Mineola, The store has been a community asset for 51 years. My wife Lynn and I avoided the Christmas crush at the malls and felt good at doing our part to keep a local business alive. The service was friendly and knowledgeable. The prices were competitive and we only had to travel a couple of blocks from home. Check it out. Robert's has great buys in men's jeans, shirts, jackets and suits. It has a neighborly atmosphere, which you won't find at a mall.

Jim Smith

Williston Park