Mid-century Reading Road (Cincinnati, Hamilton, Green: houses, rent, motel)

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by Linda Pratt

Ah! If it's the same Capri Pizza, they are now at 7 Woodsdale Ave in Cincinnati 45216. I am acquainted with the owners!

Please do ask the owners:
i) Whether this is the same business.
ii) If so, whether the recipe has changed.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Linda Pratt

I own a single family rental house on Lawn Ave (It's back yard butts up against the Showcase Cinemas property). It's a small house, but I'm amazed at the detail of craftsmanship that went into the building of the house. The brickwork is a work of art. In the basement is a large commercial ice box! I had The Wooden Nickel out to look at it!
Two streets over is Berkley, where the homes are much larger and even more decorative!
If you want to see a picture of the house, I have it on my website. You can see some of the brick work, but the fireplace inside is awesome!

We lived on Catalina, the street between Lawn and Berkley, and had
friends and/or relatives on both those streets. All three streets had
mostly single family homes, with a few duplexes and triplexes in the
mix. Those buildings had much more character than the newer stuff
that was going up in the suburbs, even as far back as the 1950's.

A friend of mine, also with Bond Hill roots, is an architect. He and I often
take a house tour of the "old neighborhood" when we happen to be in
town at the same time. When asked what styles of architecture
were displayed in the houses on central Berkley, all he could say was,
"These are toadstool houses, as if built for elves. They are in an
architectural class all their own."

[jkgibb1]

I, too, remember those great ice balls you could get at the Bond Hill Pony Keg. I believe the owner made them himself--they were in paper cups and you would have to dig at them for hours with those little paddle-shaped wooden spoons.

You had to walk up three steps to a small wooden porch to enter the pony keg. ("Pony Keg" is a term unique to this area, I believe. Someone correct em if I am wrong.)

I recall getting "licenses" and safety inspections for our bicycles across the street at the playground. I think we got decals for our bikes if we passed.
Does anyone else remember putting baseball cards in the spokes of the wheels so the bikes made a "click-click-click" sound while riding?

[jkgibb1]

Lowenthal's was one of the few air-conditioned places in town in the fifties. We would go up there to read the comic books (ten cents each) until the pharmacist (Herman Herzog?) would ask us to leave. There was a nice cashier named Laura and everyone knew you by name. My mom would send me up to Lowenthal's with a note saying, "Please sell this girl a carton of Salem cigarettes" and they would.

North of Lowenthal's was Sally's Dress Shop. Very exclusive. I believe Sally's shared a back entrance with Lowenthal's. I remember Ginsburg's Delicatessen and the big barrel of dill pickles near the front. There was a Fritzi's Beauty Parlor and a Betty's Drugs on the corner, which had a soda fountain. Around the corner on Dale Road was the wonderful Bond Hill Library.

On cold dark mornings, Overmann's Bakery and White Castle (both on California) would be open and their bright lights were a welcoming sight. WC never closed, except on Christmas.

I know there used to be a movie theater on Reading near Lowenthal's, but it existed before my time. (Bond Hill Theater?) Perhaps that was the same building where the synagogue was. The Jim Hayden seat cover business opened after Alber's supermarket burned down. I believe the small bank near Johnson's Cafe, just south of Alber's, was a Cincinnati Suburban Federal.

There was a variety store near Lowenthal's, but I don't remember it. I think it was called Brightholly's or Breitholle's--not sure of the spelling.

The butcher store on California was Johansson's and Catenzaro's Fruit Market was next door to them. There was a butcher at Johansson's named Johnny who flirted with all of the women who shopped there.

I think there was Ted's Variety Store on California. Also, does anyone remember the penny candy store across from the school? It was called Bee's and then became Tillie and Joe's. It was a very tiny place, but in addition to candy, they sold novelties like cap guns and puzzles and little plastic dolls.

[deneals]

Originally Posted by MiddleCincinnati

There was a brief mention of the Tom House in the original post to
this thread, but your recollections help to flush a few things out. We
occasionally carried out from the Tom House, but usually went to the
Mandarin for Chinese. In fact, I could not recall whether the Tom House
had seating, or was just a carry-out store.

Any idea what years they were in business?

I know for sure we have eaten in a few times, although the facility was a store front in an apartment building and was very small. It had a unique front window that was often steamed up.

Mandarin has been mentioined a few times, but I do not recall where that was. The mention of that name does bring to my mind a large yellow sign. Did the Mandarin have a large yellow sign on a tall post?

Speaking of food in Bond Hill, my mom used to love going to the White Castle at California & Reading (they were 12cents then) and my first ever Big Mac came from the McDonalds in Bond Hill.

Thanks again everyone, for this great thread full of fond remembrances.

[jkgibb1]

I believe it was an American Legion Hall on California Avenue near White Castle where the cannon was located. They had dances there on Sunday afternoons in the early sixties.

Porter Paints was the paint business on the NE corner of Reading and Tennessee. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think it is still there.

[Chuck Klein]

On the NE corner was the Cities Service gas station run by Garrett Kaufman. On the SE corner, the Roselawn Center Building was built in the early 50s. It was (is) a two story brick strucure in a U shape. The upper floor was for mostly doctors offices. Street level found drug, hardware, furniture, shoe stores and a bank.

Though others have covered Reading Road to the near north of Section - a couple of notes: Before the large apartment building (Amberley House?) east side across from the Valley Shop-in, there was Jimmy Bats welding shop. The apartment building was origanially a brick venear that particially fell off, c. 1970. Also, just south of the Valley Shop-in was the Roselawn Tavern building (two stories, brick) which housed a restaurant (bar in the basement) and the Roselawn Pharmacy.

West on Section Road, in Edgemont, was (is) Lefty's Tavern and behind it on a side street was a pony keg that sold fireworks on the side.

East on Section Road was a grocery (Thriftway? Albers?) at the intersection of Rienhold Drive which had horse riding trails and a golf course (?) before it became a industrial park. At the intersection of Section and the Pennsylvania RR was Tiny's Sohio (SW corner). Just across the tracks was the Progress Lithographing Company (built 1952) and across from that was (in 1955) the Gibson Art Company. Continuing East, before there was Elbrook (between Section and Losantiville) a dairy farm took up all the land up to Fair Oaks Drive. I was born in the house on that SW corner in 1942. Our mailing address was, RR 3, Lockland, Ohio.

[nightrider127]

Ah! If it's the same Capri Pizza, they are now at 7 Woodsdale Ave in Cincinnati 45216. I am acquainted with the owners!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Plese tell me what you think about the pizza. I have seen this place so many times and have never went to it. Everytime I eat at Frischs I look out the window and see it and swear I am going to try it, then promptly forget about it.

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by Chuck Klein

On the NE corner was the Cities Service gas station run by Garrett Kaufman

That must be the gas station replaced by Chili Time, ca. 1970.

Originally Posted by Chuck Klein

Before the large apartment building (Amberley House?) east side across from the Valley Shop-in, there was Jimmy Bats welding shop. The apartment building was origanially a brick venear that particially fell off, c. 1970.

That is the Essex House. I can remember when it was built, and when
the facade came off, but could not recall the welding shop which stood
there before. Many of the original residents were Bond Hill retirees.
The Amberly House is west of French Park, on Section.

Originally Posted by Chuck Klein

Also, just south of the Valley Shop-in was the Roselawn Tavern building (two stories, brick) which housed a restaurant (bar in the basement) and the Roselawn Pharmacy.

That building had a sort-of Tudor style. Ron's Hunt Club, a bar, was also
on or near that site at one time, as was Mario's, an Italian sandwich place.
Pilder's delicatessen, now in Dillonvale, was just south of this building.

Behind there, in the Valley shopping center, was a yellow-brick building
with a 5th. Third branch on the first floor and professional offices on the
second.

Any idea what lay south of the welding shop? There was an older brick
building with a dentist's office on that side of Reading, but south of that
was some kind of restaurant or bar with a lively exterior. Was this the
Gypsy?

Originally Posted by Chuck Klein

West on Section Road, in Edgemont, was (is) Lefty's Tavern and behind it on a side street was a pony keg that sold fireworks on the side.

There was a tiny dance hall in that block in the 1950's, which later
became a synagogue. I seem to remember seeing, from the sidewalk,
a large sailfish mounted on the wall behind the bar at Lefty's.
Somewhere near the intersection of Greenland and Section, closer to
Roselawn than to Edgemont Terrace, was another synagogue, built in the
mid-1960's. That stretch of Section had a type of two-story apartment
building common throughout Cincinnati: brick, built circa the 1930's
or 1940's, with double-decker screened-in porches and a neon tube
light displaying the street address.

Originally Posted by Chuck Klein

East on Section Road was a grocery (Thriftway? Albers?) at the intersection of Rienhold Drive which had horse riding trails and a golf course (?) before it became a industrial park.

There was a Thriftway around there, dating from the early 1960's,
as well as a Putt-Putt course. Interesting that there was once a bridle
trail in the area: my mother said that driving north to the Wishing Well
in the 1940's was like driving through the country. The Thriftway was
in a little plaza which featured small discount stores. For a while there
was another fish-and-chips place there, the "Wholly Mackeral".

Originally Posted by Chuck Klein

At the intersection of Section and the Pennsylvania RR was Tiny's Sohio (SW corner). Just across the tracks was the Progress Lithographing Company (built 1952) and across from that was (in 1955) the Gibson Art Company. Continuing East, before there was Elbrook (between Section and Losantiville) a dairy farm took up all the land up to Fair Oaks Drive. I was born in the house on that SW corner in 1942. Our mailing address was, RR 3, Lockland, Ohio.

That Sohio survived for many years. It sounds like Gibson Art must have
been the predecessor to Gibson Greeting Cards, the big factory at the
base of the hill, with bushes trimmed to spell "GIBSON". So before
Amberly houses filled up the area, it was all farmland - even as late
as the 1950's. Interesting that the rural route used the Lockland post
office: it is separated from Lockland by chunks of Cincinnati and
Reading. The incorporation boundaries must have been very different
back then.

[worseck]

There was a Castle Farm(s) Supper Club in Cincinnati in the 1930s and 1940s, possibly into the early 1950s. One reference I found to it said it was in Roselawn so it might have been on Reading Road. Does anyone know the locaction (street and/or intersection) of this club?

[jkgibb1]

I do believe that Castle Farm was across from the Jewish Community Center on Summit Road--back in the sixties. I think they held dances there. Does anyone else remember this?