> There’s no kiraana stores (i.e. small local stores) that sell grains and rice and vegetables here, it seems. (Or small stationery shops, or shops of any kind.) Almost all shopping has to be done at a big chain retail store like Lidl or Megamart or Target or any of the other big-names.
I wonder where in the D.C. area he is. Many areas around D.C. have an enormous variety of places to go grocery shopping, and there are grocery stores of varying sizes (from tiny to huge) from all sorts of countries - Chinese, Korean, Indian, Filipino, Ethiopian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Iranian, etc. There's also an enormous number of farmers markets, as well as a decent number of boutique grocery stores (though those tend to be on the pricier side of things), independent grocery stores, delis, and seafood markets.
I think it varies heavily by region. NYC has bodegas that sell basic groceries and household goods, and their defining feature (other than cats[1]) is that they're on every corner. The street I grew up on had 3 of them: one on each end, and one right in the middle.
He mentions his house is near a street named Baltimore. And he said he's near DC, not in DC.
One possibility is University of Maryland in College Park.
The main street that runs through campus is Baltimore Avenue. And it's just a few miles outside of DC. It's close enough to be on the DC Metro.
There's a Megamart a few miles away. A Lidl supermarket is just north of campus. And there's a very small Target with a nice sized grocery section with fresh fruit and vegetables, etc. right in the middle of campus.
If you're walking from the middle of campus, Target is your best bet. Lidl is a possible walk, depending on exactly where he lives, but a little further. Next would be Whole Foods, two miles south of campus. Maybe he hasn't discovered that yet?
I wonder where in the D.C. area he is. Many areas around D.C. have an enormous variety of places to go grocery shopping, and there are grocery stores of varying sizes (from tiny to huge) from all sorts of countries - Chinese, Korean, Indian, Filipino, Ethiopian, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Iranian, etc. There's also an enormous number of farmers markets, as well as a decent number of boutique grocery stores (though those tend to be on the pricier side of things), independent grocery stores, delis, and seafood markets.