Gone but not forgotten in Jacksonville! (Middleburg, Orange Park: camp, living, mall)

[convextech]

And the old Duff's Smorgasbord. Loved that place!

[ggregchap]

Parkerclass, That old Krystal is closed. It was a Mexican restaurant for a while after the Krystal closed...and now even it is closed. And the old Skinner Store is just up the street there on Arlington Road.
I opened that Publix store there on the Arlington Expressway, and yes, CJ's was in the out building there...which started out as an Italian Restaurant. The shopping Center opened with the Publix, Roses' Department Store and Eckerd Durg Store, a greeting card store and a pet store...and some others... on the outside. The mini mall had "the petunia patch, Al Conns' florist, an Air Force recruiting station, the Publix Credit Union, a sandwich shop (with some VERY cute waitresses) and a jewlry store that I cannot remember the name of...probably Underwoods...the twin theaters had not yet opened, but opened a few months later. They did OK and when they finally closed, they were 'dollar theaters"....i had some great times there at that shopping center and was sad to see it close up.

[Rubberleggersonly]

Just found this forum, and what great memories. I have a few more
for you. Exotica gifts (throwing stars, bongs ect.). Oh Bangkok! gifts in the Normandy mall. Ali-ba-ba's game room on Normandy Blvd. Fast Eddies smoke shop on Cassat. By the way, my first job was as a D.J. at Skate n' Space
in Orange Park.

[Sawtooth235]

Nichol's Alley wasn't on the Arlington Exway, it was off of University near Beach Blvd, I think?

The only big bar I knew that was on the Arlington Exway was the Thunderbird.

[ggregchap]

Yep, Nichol's Alley was in the K Mart shopping Center on the corner of Beach and University and later was a Pizza Inn and now the building is some kind of Crafts Store. The Thunderbird had Several bars...the Zodiac Longe and the Mamba Club and the Terrace Room...There was a topless bar hust off the Arlington Expressway and Arlington Road for years...it is closed now...and there used to be a MEGA bar in what is now the Food Lion in the shopping center on Rogero and Arlington Expressway. It has several levels and GREAT bands....and it was ALWAYS packed....and of course...remember Victoria Station on Arlington Expressway....kinda neat....and Convex...my dad LOVED that Duffs...that was the only place he wanted to go when we went out....it was a neat place, though....and who can remember that ALL of Regency Square was CLOSED on Sunday's...with the exception of Picadilly Cafeteria....

[convextech]

Originally Posted by ggregchap

who can remember that ALL of Regency Square was CLOSED on Sunday's...with the exception of Picadilly Cafeteria....

I remember that! We were little kids and it was so quiet in the mall, plus coming in thru a secret side door... ooooh.... we alwasy wanted to sit next to the big blue mosaic fountain (at least I think it was). After they closed I always wondered what became of the fountain. It was so pretty (to me, at that age, anyway). ;-)

[Parkerclassof72]

My family ate many Sunday after-church dinners at the Picadilly; heck, there would be a couple dozen families from our church there. We always tried to get there before the Baptists, (we were members of St Pauls's Meth). There still is a Picadilly, it's in the NE corner of the parking lot where the Rocking Chair Theater used to be.

Speaking of Regency Square, the link below is from the Jax paper this past Sunday; great b&w photo of the mall in 1967.


Jacksonville.com

ggregchap, I loved Victoria's Station. What a unique structure it was.

[ggregchap]

Convex, I remember that fountain !! It was neat !! I can only assume that it didn't survive the construction. I do remember the barber shop outside the mall and the LARGE cheese and gourmet meat shop outside by Pennys'....man, that shop had some excellant food !! And the Orange Tree used to be just down from Pennys....right next to the Kay Bee Toy store....and what was the store...it was a "Pier 1" type of store that used to have ALL kinds of neat stuff in it....what a place Regency was...and thanks for keeping this going...it is a gretat effort !!!

[ggregchap]

And I do remember how quiet the Mall was on Sunday's....and how much fun it was to just window shop or sit by the upside down fountain and talk for a while. Very peacefull....and the grocery stores were closed as well....as were most other things. It was just a slow peacefull day. And Parker, us Catholics strived to get into the Picadilly afore andy of ya'll !! LOL !! Our services were only an hour and a short drive to the Mall....and we would stop by the Skinners Dairy store...which was open...and get a gallon of milk and some ice cream and the Sunday Paper....does andyone remember the Jacksonville Journal ??? The AFTERNOON paper.....

[convextech]

I know which place you're talking about, it was in an L shape and it smelled delicious, like eucalyptus and bamboo. It was right next door to the Hallmark store. I bought my first papasan chair there! My mom used to take me to the Walgreen's(?) restaurant and we'd sit out near the rail and watch the people go by. They had great milkshakes.