Today, Russia's Far East is wide open, and Mrs. Novozhilova has a second job, peddling imported Coca-Colas from her new workplace, a sidewalk stand.

Coffee drinkers can get coffee at a local sidewalk stand, parking lot, tiny coffee houses, big coffee houses, drive-through, and even delivery.

He remembered the time when, aged fourteen, faint with hunger, he would not steal fruit from a sidewalk stand.

Liberty Bonds were sold outside on sidewalk stands.

Suddenly hungry, he bought a chocolate from a sidewalk stand, and stood munching it.

"At first I was afraid," said Ala Juma, 28, who sold sundries today from a sidewalk stand.

And on that block, at least three shops sell pungent herbal medicine from sidewalk stands.

"I'd like to vote for Nader, I really would," explained Kevin McGrorty, 31, the proprietor of Bad Kitty Koffee, a sidewalk stand.

Today, sidewalk stands are groaning with heart-shaped candies and cards, nicknamed "valentinkis," which are available to anyone for as little as 10 or 15 cents.

"They asked about our conditions, and we told them the situation was bad," said Aboud Sharif Kadhoury, 63, who peddles prayer rugs at a sidewalk stand.