1950's-1970's Stratford Manor & Eastwood Village (2009, condos)

[A.F.D.]

I know,I can`t hardly wait to see the pics!!!!!!

[A.F.D.]

S.T., thank you so much for the pics.Doesn`t look quite the same,does it?A.F.D.

[ChiDiana]

Originally Posted by NightBazaar

Great link! I've seen that before. I remember the Wildcat Roller Coaster Ride. Others included were the Cyclone, Shooting Star, Wild Mouse, the Rotor, Fun in the Dark, just to name a few. There was also a 'Tunnel of Love' boat ride (but I can't recall the name of it now) and a tower with rockets attached by cables that would swing out as it spun around. Many good times were spent there.

Yes, it's my understanding that an effort to somewhat restore Coney Island was underway, although a complete restoration isn't likely. I think somewhere in this thread, I posted some links about Coney Island. One website included a number of photos which showed the original entrance gate is still there.

I remember at least three amusement parks (including Coney Island) in Cincinnati. One was located on the same highway, not far from Coney Island, heading back toward the city. And there was a very small, but fun one at the zoo.

Way back then, Coney Island was the BIG amusement park of Cincinnati. Of course, it's pretty dinky compared to Kings Island. Still, there was a certain kind of magic and charm about Coney Island that just doesn't exist in the gigantic theme parks.

Remember the "kiddy" section of the park? They had a smaller roller coaster called the Teddy Bear. They also had one of those rides that looked like helicopters that went around like a merry go round and if you pulled back on the pushbar they would go up, or down. I remember when I was really little they even had pony rides.

I also loved going to Coney. My grandparents took us every year at least once. It must have worn them out. I cant remember the name of the Tunnel of Love ride, either, but I remember that at the end it would climb up real high and then you would go down into the water and if you weren't careful you got wet.

[ChiDiana]

"I remember at least three amusement parks (including Coney Island) in Cincinnati. One was located on the same highway, not far from Coney Island, heading back toward the city. And there was a very small, but fun one at the zoo."

I think one was LeSourdsville and the other was Fantasy Farms?

[ChiDiana]

Originally Posted by ShawnoeTrail

Hyden, Night Bazaar, ChiDiana, and others:

I'm going to try and answer some of your questions/notes from the past week or two.

Loved those False Phospates!! My Mom made great ones. They were made with the flavorings and the carbonated water. Same as you put in sodas. Remember those?? My Mom also made the best Vanilla Freezes with the ice from the iceball machine that was at the drugstore. Oh how, I wish I had that iceball machine today. It was a large, chrome, round machine that sat on the soda fountain. We had to fill it with ice. The flavorings back then were the best. It's hard to find them now, but I order them still online at Hawaiian Ice something. I order the flavorings ($3) and then mix them in a gallon jub with 5 lbs. of sugar. That's how we made the flavorings at the drugstore. When I worked at the drugstore, I gained 10 lbs. in a few months drinking cherry cokes, phosphates, and malts. I made the best cause Mom taught me well there.

Thanks for the very kinds words you said about my Mom, Dessie. She loved all the kids that came in the store and they loved her. She really enjoyed working there until things changed in the 80's. She was held at gunpoint there while drugs were stolen. It took her a while to get over it and she quick the store and went to work at Cambridge Inn and then at National Uniform at Kenwood Mall. Cambridge Inn closed and the building was moved to Hyde Park Plaza. Does anyone remember that? It was awesome seeing it move--probably in the early 90's. It's now the Oakley Recreation Center and sits next to the ball fields there. Close to where Zayre's was if you remember that.

Someone mentioned a Carol from Shawanoe Trail. It was probably Carole Iliff. I believe she is about 3 yrs. younger than me and I ran into her recently at the Burlington Coat Factory that is now on Ridge Rd. where Ontario was.

Coney Island is just not the same now!! I really miss the old Coney and all the rides all of you mentioned. The Shooting Star moved to Kings Island and they made it into a double roller coaster where one set of cars went frontwards and the other went backwards---it's called "The Racer", but the one set of cars stopped going backwards last year. I remember the Rockets and I have an old picture of them with me in the rocket. I loved the rockets!! The is also a book that was published a few years back with great old photos of Coney in it. I bought it on Amazon.com and it is available at book stores here in Cincinnati.

I don't remember the Farmers Market on Duck Creek with the circus. I'm wondering if it could have been held in the area by Shawanoe Trail. That is the area that use to be "old Duck Creek Rd." There was an old flagpole there (the back of my house there faces the Duck Creek side) and my Dad and the Civic Assn. use to hang the American Flag on the pole. Does anyone remember the poney keg on Kennedy Ave.? Use to get penny candy there and candy bars were only 5 cents then. They also sold cigarettes there and Mom sent me there to get hers with a note. Can't do that nowadays!!

Ok, going to post a few pics now for you. I'm starting with the industrial park that is now on the Straford Manor property. Eastwood School was torn down (very sad for me) and the Schroeder Jr. High is there now. I have pics of the street signs, too. Stratmore DR. is now between Shawnoe Trail and the graveyard. There were apartment buildings built there probably in the 70's/80's called Lindsey Apts. You could get to the Manor pool at the end of those apts. Use to be all woods where we played and there is a creek there we played in. There are even new houses built by Shawnoe Trail. Does anyone remember the bus shelter there that was close to Duck Creek Rd. At Christmas time, the Civic Assn. put up a spectacular manger scene with lifesize Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus and the 3 wise men. The clothes were so pretty and they put straw in the bus shelter on the floor. The bus shelter was made out of wood. All that is gone now.

Wasn't Cambridge Inn a restaurant?? I think my mom worked there for awhile, too.

And yes, Carole Iliff does sound familiar. Did she have long blond wavy hair? If it's the same one, she was in my fourth grade class. I don't know why I remember her, but I do remember that she lived "in the Trail" and I remember talking to her on the phone.

[NightBazaar]

Originally Posted by ChiDiana

"I remember at least three amusement parks (including Coney Island) in Cincinnati. One was located on the same highway, not far from Coney Island, heading back toward the city. And there was a very small, but fun one at the zoo."

I think one was LeSourdsville and the other was Fantasy Farms?

LeSourdsville Lake amusement park was north of Cincinnati. It had a number of cool rides, and a great two-story walk-through funhouse.

I wonder if Fantasy Farms might have been the one not far from Coney Island. It wasn't as impressive looking as Coney, but was still a lot of fun to go to. We'd usually make a stop there after a day a Coney Island.

Another one was next to the old Kenwood Plaza (I think). I remember my parents would do some shopping, then we'd head over to where the rides were. It was more the size of traveling carnivals at the fairs.

There was a tiny amusement park at the Cincinnati Zoo. It had a dark ride called Laff-in-the-Dark, a medium-sized roller coaster. I think that was also where you'd hop on the train that went around the zoo.

Although not in Cincinnati, the Riverside Amusement Park at Louisville, KY, was pretty old, but a great place to go. It had an excellent House of Mirrors, and a two-story building with three strange wooden slides (one was a sheer drop that was closed most of the time), a barrel roll, and various spinners.

[NightBazaar]

Originally Posted by ChiDiana

Remember the "kiddy" section of the park? They had a smaller roller coaster called the Teddy Bear. They also had one of those rides that looked like helicopters that went around like a merry go round and if you pulled back on the pushbar they would go up, or down. I remember when I was really little they even had pony rides.

I also loved going to Coney. My grandparents took us every year at least once. It must have worn them out. I cant remember the name of the Tunnel of Love ride, either, but I remember that at the end it would climb up real high and then you would go down into the water and if you weren't careful you got wet.

I remember the Kiddyland section at Coney Island. They also had a small oval dirt track where kids could ride gentle horses.

[RHONDA W1954]

The only amusment park (not really a park) I can think of that was near Coney Island might have been the parking lot of Rinks. They had rides out there. I remember the ferris wheel, the first time I rode it the person I was with rocked the car at the top and scared me to death. I have been afraid of them every since then.

[NightBazaar]

Originally Posted by RHONDA W1954

The only amusment park (not really a park) I can think of that was near Coney Island might have been the parking lot of Rinks. They had rides out there. I remember the ferris wheel, the first time I rode it the person I was with rocked the car at the top and scared me to death. I have been afraid of them every since then.

You're right Rhonda, that it wasn't a park. In appearance, it resembled a traveling carnival, although it wasn't. It was pretty small compared to Coney Island. It reminded me of a place that was trying to get a start to become an amusement park or center. I'm saying "park" because I don't know what else to call it. What is (or was) Rinks? All I remember about it is that it was pretty close to Coney Island.

[soozycue520]

Fantasy Farm was located right next door to LeSourdsville Lake. It was geared toward younger children, with smaller rides & animals. After you went to LeSourdsville Lake, Fantasy Farm was no fun anymore.

Cambridge Inn was a restaurant. Actually, a cafeteria. And I thought it was located on the west side of Hyde Park Plaza, near where Jeckyll's was, and now is Kroger's gas pumps.