Cincinnati Shopping Centers of The 50's & 60's (Reading: sales, how much)

[blockhead]

I went to North Avondale.

I am not sure where the club was, but I believe it was in that general area. I went to a Barber shop (I have no idea of the name) in that area, also.

Do you remember the **** n Bull, at Paddock and Reading?

I did my sled riding at Avon Fields Golf Course.

When did you graduate from WHHS

[unctheel]

Graduated from WHHS in '68.

[blockhead]

I graduated in 1970. Great school. My favorite teachers were Mr. Klatt (history), Mr. Woodward (Biology) and of course, Mr. Gleason. I still get the Chatterbox alumni mag, and it looks like, while much of Cincinnati may be on the decline, WHHS is not.

[MiddleCincinnati]

We lived in Bond Hill in the mid-1950's and early 1960's, moving to the burbs in 1963.
I attended Swifton Primary school, several blocks from the shopping center.
We continued to frequent small businesses in and around Swifton until the 1970's.

In addition to businesses already mentioned, I recall a bakery/ice-creamery to the
north of Walgreen's which may have been a Graeter's. There was a hardware
store, Carlson's, near the north entrance. Just to the west of Rollman's (Mabley's)
was a children's clothing store, Garson's, which also had a branch at Reading and
Section, next to the drugstore (Rexall?). There was a record and sheet-music store,
the Numark Melody Shop, on the main concourse.

I, too, can recall the men's store, Squire's, as well as the fact that Gentry's had a
storefront on both the mall and the lower level. The lower level also had a
barbershop. If I remember correctly, Franklin-Simon catered to both men's and
women's fashions; I still have my father's old overcoat, with a Franklin-Simon label.
There may have been a travel agent on the main concourse, as well.

The aisles in the Liberal store had house phones, from which shoppers with
questions could contact the office. Liberal opened a much larger store in
Hartwell, directly north of a Kroger's already there, in the late 1960's.

I remember the Colony Restaurant as being dressy. Cannot recall anything about
the food, although it occasionally featured entertainment.

The south-west entrance had a very steep driveway, coming off of Langdon Farm.
At the foot of the driveway was a gas station, probably Sohio.

I seem to recall a large swimming pool to the east of the parking lot, probably
associated with the Swifton Village apartment complexes.

Swifton seemed to fall on hard times after about 1970. The suburbs were
beginning to sprawl and retail growth was concentrating in the malls. The
smaller Valley Shopping Center, about a mile to the north, also began to
deteriorate a few years later.

A few respondents have mentioned other area businesses, up and down Reading
Road. I would like to commence a new thread to recall some of these.

[blockhead]

if you kick it off, I will have plenty to add to the new thread

[jayboydog]

top value stamps had a redemption store on the east outside lower level near pasquale's. hills barber shop was in the lower level corridor that began at the lower east side parking lot heading west to a staircase which went up to the main mall level. i remember these stores: neumark's records, marx toys, schiff shoes, florsheim shoes, shoe store began with Gall__
a store that sold patterns for making dresses, singer sewing machines, maybe town & country women's clothing, marlboro books, orange julius,

graeter's on area from the west parking lot. carlson hardware, candy store, eppy's jewelry, there were rides in this area (ferris wheel, merry-go-round). GC Murphy and SS Kresgie were called five and dime stores.

i remember Gleucks Drug store on SW corner Reading Rd at Clinton Springs. Mandarin chinese restaurant on west side Reading Rd at Avondale Av., Pure gas station was on east side of Reading Rd. just north of Paddock, Humble gas station was built on NW corner of Reading Rd at Paddock.
and the overhead electric bus wires at that intersection. Dunkin Donuts on Reading Rd., a Gulf gas station late r became Union 76. Frisch's Mt. Vernon on Reading Rd just north of the B&O overpass. Chili Time was on the east side of Reading Rd in Bond Hill near Lowenthal's pharmacy, a seat cover place.

before Hillcrest shopping center was developed, there was a sign at the NE corner of Reading and Seymour which illustrated three high rise office bldgs. the one tower which was build had Central Trust as a tenant. The tower was built before the shopping center.

Zayer was the primary tenant on the NW corner shopping center when it was developed in the late 60s. Red Barn was on west side of Reading Rd. Seymour Bowl the north side of Seymour Av.,

Bond Hill School demolished in 2006. was built in 1937. Sinclair gas station was at the SE corner of California / Paddock Rd. A-1 drycleaning was on the NW corner. 5/3 bank on the NE corner. Bonded gas station at the SW corner of Laidlaw /Paddock.

[unctheel]

Bond Hill School demolished?? Anything saved that you know of? What will replace it?

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by jayboydog

top value stamps had a redemption store on the east outside lower level near pasquale's. hills barber shop was in the lower level corridor that began at the lower east side parking lot heading west to a staircase which went up to the main mall level. i remember these stores: neumark's records, marx toys, schiff shoes, florsheim shoes, shoe store began with Gall__
a store that sold patterns for making dresses, singer sewing machines, maybe town & country women's clothing, marlboro books, orange julius,

graeter's on area from the west parking lot. carlson hardware, candy store, eppy's jewelry, there were rides in this area (ferris wheel, merry-go-round). GC Murphy and SS Kresgie were called five and dime stores.

Hill's was my childhood barber shop. I can still remember Bud, our
regular barber there.

Marlboro books also had a store downtown. The lower level of that store
had books that might have been considered "progressive" by the day's
standards.

SS Kresge was owned by the company that later became K-Mart.

Was there a "pony keg" somewhere in the plaza - maybe toward the east side?

Does anyone remember what kind of food the Colony restaurant served?
Was there a sort of nightclub on the lower level of the restaurant?

[jkgibb1]

Yes, before the big department store was Mabley and Carew, it was indeed Rollman's. I have a little illustrated book I made when I was about seven years old and I make a reference to a ladybug shopping for new spots at Rollman's.

Other stores I remember at Swifton include: The Honeycomb, which sold shaved ice, ice cream, and popcorn--the store was about eight feet wide, but very deep--it was west of Murphy's. I think there was also a hat shop next to it. Across the way, where the amusement rides were located, there was a Wilson's Paints (or another art supply store) and a jewelry store. Walgreen's was also there as well.

There was also a National Shirt Shop for men and a Baker's Shoes. I could buy a pair of loafers there for 2.98 and they would last me an entire year at Woodward. I believe there was also a Thom McCann shoes and Maud Muller candy. There was a bank next to the supermarket near Murphy's. Neumark's Melody Center was the record store. I bought my first Beatle's album, "Meet the Beatles," for about 3.98 there. (Not sure why all of these prices ended in 98 cents!)

The Franklin Simon store was very exclusive. I remember their white boxes with a blue logo that included a stylized butterfly.

G.C. Murphy's was wonderful--you could find EVERYTHING there. On the first day of school, the place would be swamped with Woodward students buying their school supplies. I can picture the layout of the store as if I had just shopped there yesterday.

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by jkgibb1

Other stores I remember at Swifton include: The Honeycomb, which sold shaved ice, ice cream, and popcorn--the store was about eight feet wide, but very deep--it was west of Murphy's.

Aha - The Honeycomb. I had vague recollections of a narrow store, with
a sliding walk-up window, that served jimmy-coated soft-serve ice
cream cones. Assuming these memories are genuine, The Honeycomb
would fit the bill.

Originally Posted by jkgibb1

G.C. Murphy's was wonderful--you could find EVERYTHING there. On the first day of school, the place would be swamped with Woodward students buying their school supplies. I can picture the layout of the store as if I had just shopped there yesterday.

Do you remember the photo booth at Murphy's? It was the old-fashioned
kind, common in "dime stores" of the day. Five pictures, while you
sat, for about a dollar.