Ha, Tulip, it's funny how one's perspective changes... when I lived in Newton as a kid and young teen, it sure felt like a small town, albeit 6 miles from the city (I think because, it was like, everybody knows your name, even when the population is 80,000).
Now it feels like the city and I can hardly stand to drive there.
Oakleaf, the wealthy owner of the LBS isn't absentee; he lives right here in town and opened his shop about 4 years ago, after owning a very successful shop in Cambridge for many years (it's still open). He is in the shop most of the time. I guess I just haven't had any warm and fuzzy experiences in any LBS. I also don't pay full price for much of anything; once in awhile here on TE, but mostly I buy from the sale section here.
The one LBS I went to that had a really funky vibe and I loved the sales guy moved across the street into new, modern, bigger digs. I am guessing it doesn't feel so funky anymore. It's not quite close enough for me to run over there, but not far enough away to preclude a visit once in awhile (about 12-15 miles). That might have also had to do with the fact that I went there to buy my Jamis Coda and he didn't approach me with any "roadie" expectations or BS. It wasn't until later that I told him about my "other" bike.