Blackstone Bicycle Works is unlike any bike shop you've seen. For one thing, most of the bikes they sell are refurbished used bikes - saved from landfills 
and condo basements. But the real difference is that the shop welcomes neighborhood kids to come in and learn bike mechanics. They start small, fixing flats and adjusting seats. But as they work on used bikes under the close supervision of trained mechanics, they have a chance to become quite expert. They don't pay for this training. In fact the shop pays them -- in bikes. After a certain number of hours helping in the shop, they can choose an old bike and get it in working order themselves -- again under the tutelage of the adult mechanics. I love this place.
