Old Joe's, New Joe's

A reader writes in lamenting the fate of Joe's Shoe Repair, a standby on Fifth Avenue between President and Carroll in Park Slope. The original had a lovely hand-painted sign ("Do you have shoe problems? See Joe!"), and this reader feared that when the shop moved a few doors down the block a few months ago, that would be the end of said sign. That prediction appears to have come true. The new store has a bright red cloth awning, looking just like every bright red cloth awning you ever saw. But Joe, whoever he was, may no longer be involved. His name has been dropped and the shop is now called the rather-less-charming Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair. But cheer up: there's still something offbeat about the new awning. It reads, on the side, "Key Made." Just one. One key made. Bring in an order for two keys to be made, and you're shit out of luck.