I can remember my mother giving me a grocery list and money to take to one of the neighborhood grocery stores; Stemerman’s I believe, on the East side of Elmira. I’d give the list and money to one of the owners, they’d fill the order then one of the delivery boys would follow me home carrying the groceries in a box. I might have been 7 or 8 years old at the time but I remember the neighborhood bakeries, markets etc.
I enjoyed your post, brought back many memories.