"Gone but not Forgotten in Atlanta" (Roswell, Mableton: ski resorts, theater)

[American Patriot]

There is no chronological order to this:

Plaza Pharmacy on Ponce de Leon at Highland

The Hurt Building was the tallest building in Atlanta in the 1940's and 1950's. On several occasions my mom took me to a dentist whose office was in the Hurt Building.

The Atlanta Crackers playing baseball at Ponce de Leon Ball Park - The center field magnolia tree is still standing behind Border's and Whole Foods. It has its own historical marker. When the Crackers were playing there would be a size-able contingent of gamblers in the right field bleachers making bets on every pitch and every play and every at-bat.

Uncle Sam's (in a warehouse off of Peachtree). Remember that traffic light they had inside that place on the way to the men's and women's restrooms? The music we danced to there was Disco.

Terminal Station - should not have been torn down.
Union Station - ditto! Atlanta could have two grand old train stations to be proud of now. Oh well!

The Roxy Theatre that was located where the Westin Peachtree Hotel is now - That Roxy was nice! It should have never been torn down!

The old "original" Underground
Muhlenbrinks Saloon in Underground
Piano Red on WAOK and later at Muhlenbrinks Saloon

You could ride a street car from downtown to Marietta, College Park, Decatur, Buckhead, or East Atlanta, or to The Old Soldier's Home on Confederate Avenue.

I got my first driver's license at the Georgia State Patrol station on Confederate Avenue.

Mayor Maynard Jackson renaming Whitehall Street - named it South Peachtree Street - he said it was to attract developers who would build skyscrapers there because it had a "prestigious" Peachtree Street address, then the City of Atlanta built the city jail there on South Peachtree Street - you can't make this stuff up, folks!

Southeastern Fair every year, in October or November, at Lakewood Fairgrounds

Racing on Sundays at the one-mile dirt track around the lake at Lakewood. That racing was the predecessor of NASCAR. Lee Petty, Fireball Roberts, Jack Smith, "Tiny" Lund (who probably weighed 250 pounds and stood maybe 6 feet 4 inches) - those are just 3 of the famous racers who raced at Lakewood.

Vittorio's Italian Restaurant on Peachtree south of Peachtree Hills
Stone Mountain when the only way to the top was to walk up the Mountain
The Chevrolet manufacturing plant on McDonough across from the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary
Ivy Street Library - it wasn't really a library, folks.

Peppermint Lounge on Ponce de Leon Avenue a block or two east of the Fox Theatre. I went to see Roy Orbison put on a great shown there around 1966 or 1967.

Cotton's drive-in restaurant in West End
The Yellow Jacket drive-in restaurant
The Blue Jacket drive-in restaurant
McKee's Beat in downtown Atlanta
Atlanta's first indoor mall known as "The Arcade" stretched east-to-west south of Marietta Street.
WSB-TV on channel 8
WCON-TV test patterns on channel 2
WLWA-TV in Atlanta

WAGA-TV's dog named "WAGA" (pronounced "Wagga"). WAGA-TV has been on channel 5 since the late 1940's. It used to be on West Peachtree Street at 10th Street. Later WTBS-TV started in that same building after WAGA-TV moved to Briarcliff Road.

Willie Nelson had a long gig at The Bistro on West Peachtree before he hit it big-time. Great times!

Wrestling at City Auditorium - that could get crazy!
The Shrine Circus at City Auditorium
Barry White at City Auditorium
The Atlanta Flames hockey team and Head Coach "Boom Boom" Geoffrion at the Omni

Elvis Presley at the Omni - numerous times

The first time I saw Elvis in person was at the Paramount Theatre (where Georgia-Pacific is now). The Loew's Grand Theatre was next door - well almost next door - The Zebra Lounge was sandwiched in between the Paramount and the Loew's Grand. Of course, the World Premier of "Gone With The Wind" was at the Loew's Grand in 1939 with live appearances made by Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and many other members of the cast.

The Braves-Falcon Lounge on Cheshire Bridge Road
The Domino Lounge
Friday night "adventures" at Knotty Pines south of Atlanta on Highway 42
You could buy a hundred, or maybe two hundred, live baby chickens at Sears-Roebuck in West End.
Five Points when it did not have that piece of junk they call art sitting on that middle "island"

The Varsity when it had a much larger drive in area - on Friday and Saturday nights it was the place to be - all the guys with really nice cars went Cruisin' through The Varsity - showing off their wheels!

The observation tower at Grant Park.
Stewart Avenue.

I-75 and I-85 did not always exist. It started out with limited access 4 lane highways north of town and south of town with nothing but a chain-link fence down the middle. You had to use city streets (what we now call "surface" streets) to get from the 4 lane on the south side to the 4 lane on the north side. Then they built "The Downtown Connector".

Spring Street used to be a continuous two way street from Peachtree Street to Trinity Avenue.

In the 1950's, the Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets would play double-headers at Tech's Grant Field. I think the last of those double-headers was in 1959 when Tech lost to Auburn 7-6 in a 2 o'clock game and Georgia beat Mississippi State 15-0 in the rain in an 8 o'clock game.

Believe it or not, during the early 1940's Buckhead was considered to be "out in the country". People who lived closer in to downtown Atlanta would ride the street car out to Buckhead for a Sunday picnic.

Neighborhood theatres where you could go see a movie on Saturday or Sunday afternoons.

Believe me, folks! Atlanta was a better place to live back then.

[Saintmarks]

Thanks American Patriot, this is the kind of stuff my grandmother used to tell me about -- except she didn't have much knowledge of the lounges, tea totaller that she was

[American Patriot]

I'm glad you enjoyed my post on here, Saintmarks. Both of my grandmothers were tea totallers also. They would have been horrified that I frequented several lounges during my younger years.

In my previous post I left out the Red Dog Saloon in Buckhead. It was between Roswell Road and Peachtree with swinging bar saloon doors opening to both streets. I never figured out which end was the front end. It looked very similar to the saloons you would see in the old western movies. Many great times were had there, and I'm sad that it's gone.

Another great place was Manuel's Tavern on Highland Avenue a couple blocks south of Ponce de Leon. The late Manuel Maloof was the proprietor and everyone from guys who had just played a softball game and were still in their team uniform to well known politicians would congregate at Manuel's Tavern. Mr. Maloof was a fantastic impromptu Master of Ceremonies so-to-speak as many discussions were carried on for all people at the tavern to hear and participate in. There is no place like it now that I know of. And yep ... it was the same Manuel Maloof who was the Chairman of the DeKalb County Commission for many years.

[satx56]

Originally Posted by American Patriot

I'm glad you enjoyed my post on here, Saintmarks. Both of my grandmothers were tea totallers also. They would have been horrified that I frequented several lounges during my younger years.

In my previous post I left out the Red Dog Saloon in Buckhead. It was between Roswell Road and Peachtree with swinging bar saloon doors opening to both streets. I never figured out which end was the front end. It looked very similar to the saloons you would see in the old western movies. Many great times were had there, and I'm sad that it's gone.

Another great place was Manuel's Tavern on Highland Avenue a couple blocks south of Ponce de Leon. The late Manuel Maloof was the proprietor and everyone from guys who had just played a softball game and were still in their team uniform to well known politicians would congregate at Manuel's Tavern. Mr. Maloof was a fantastic impromptu Master of Ceremonies so-to-speak as many discussions were carried on for all people at the tavern to hear and participate in. There is no place like it now that I know of. And yep ... it was the same Manuel Maloof who was the Chairman of the DeKalb County Commission for many years.

Thanks so much, for sharing this great information with everyone! Hope you all enjoy posting your memories and reminiscing with each other. This thread is huge back home and appears to be off to a good start here.
Happy memories everyone, enjoy! O.P. satx56

[ashbowl]

Originally Posted by American Patriot

Another great place was Manuel's Tavern on Highland Avenue a couple blocks south of Ponce de Leon. The late Manuel Maloof was the proprietor and everyone from guys who had just played a softball game and were still in their team uniform to well known politicians would congregate at Manuel's Tavern. Mr. Maloof was a fantastic impromptu Master of Ceremonies so-to-speak as many discussions were carried on for all people at the tavern to hear and participate in. There is no place like it now that I know of. And yep ... it was the same Manuel Maloof who was the Chairman of the DeKalb County Commission for many years.

Manuel's Tavern is still there. Still known for its Politicos too!

[American Patriot]

To tell the truth, ashbowl, I didn't realize it was still there. I may have to make a visit there for old time's sake. It won't be quite the same without Mr. Manuel Maloof, but I'm sure it would bring back good memories.

[George Chong]

Originally Posted by American Patriot

To tell the truth, ashbowl, I didn't realize it was still there. I may have to make a visit there for old time's sake. It won't be quite the same without Mr. Manuel Maloof, but I'm sure it would bring back good memories.

Manual Maloof may have passed - but some of the same characters are still there. I am sure that they had a great crowd for the Presidential debates last night. Still a great place. I had lunch there just last week. You should defiantly make the trip

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by George Chong

Manual Maloof may have passed - but some of the same characters are still there. I am sure that they had a great crowd for the Presidential debates last night. Still a great place. I had lunch there just last week. You should defiantly make the trip

In defiance of what, George? Republican insurgency?

[johnatl]

Yep, Manuel's is still going strong. Manuel's sons run the place now. Great place to get into wonderful conversations with total strangers. It's also the kind of place where you won't be a stranger for long.......

I remember when they used to have a location on Memorial Dr. in Stone Mountain, and another on Peachtree Corners Circle up in Gwinnett (mid-80's).

If Jimmy Carter is in town, you may spot him there around lunch time.

Gotta love a place with a larger-than-life portrait of JFK behind the bar!

[George Chong]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

In defiance of what, George? Republican insurgency?

Works for me