1960's anaheim/orange county (San Diego, Long Beach: quality of life, living, stores)

[C2ShiningC]

Originally Posted by DewDropInn

C2: Have you got a date on that photo?

And any chance of enlarging the bottom right so we can read the sign on the storefront of that building?

Great find, BTW.

(Just so I have this straight, downtown Anaheim would be to the right?)

The date says "circa 1950," here is the link to the actual image, you can zoom in on it there: Aerial View of Anaheim, Intersection of Lincoln and Manchester Avenues. [graphic]

Downtown Anaheim is to the left.

This is the description in case the link doesn't work, it has been not working for me for the last hour - some storefronts are identified:

"Aerial view looking south at the intersection of Lincoln and Manchester Avenues, Anaheim; image shows Manchester Ave. running north/south at left, with Lincoln Ave. intersecting at center/left; Loara runs diagonally across the lower, right corner; Southern Pacific railroad tracks are visible running diagonally from lower, right corner to upper, left corner; businesses identified include Anaheim Cooperative Orange Association (1540 Lincoln), Anaheim Spray Chemical Co. (303 N. Manchester), Vista Furniture Co. (1541 Lincoln) and Leffingwell Service Co. (8911 Loara).

[DewDropInn]

I asked my brother about Manchester and Lincoln. He immediately said there was a Big O tire store there. Unfortunately he doesn't remember what the building looked like. Just the rows and rows of tires. And he said it was there for a LONG time.

[C2ShiningC]

Originally Posted by DewDropInn

I asked my brother about Manchester and Lincoln. He immediately said there was a Big O tire store there. Unfortunately he doesn't remember what the building looked like. Just the rows and rows of tires. And he said it was there for a LONG time.

I checked on Google Earth's timeline feature, and luckily it goes back to 1994, just before they razed all the buildings along Manchester and some on Lincoln. The first pic is from 5/31/94 - lots of buildings along Manchester. The second is from 10/2/95, and they're all gone. I marked one building on the south side of Lincoln with a red "X" - on Google Street View, that building houses a tire store but with a different name, I wonder if it was previously the Big "O" tire store that your brother remembers.

[DewDropInn]

Sorry, C2. Could be, but neither of us are sure. (50 year old memories and my brother can't remember where in the intersection Big O Tires was.)

[AOrangeCountyGirl]

Originally Posted by C2ShiningC

Now there's a name I haven't thought about in a long time. Was it on Brookhurst or Euclid? My parents loved that place.

I used to go to the Chicken Pie Shop a lot when I worked in Anaheim, along with The Red Vest(is that right?) on Euclid and La Palma, Copper Penney on Katella, Mama Cozza's on Ball Road in Anaheim . . .

I love reading these threads too. I grew up with an orange grove six houses down the street, and had to walk by many going to school. When I first got my car, I would go for a "drive in the country" on Chapman into Santiago Canyon, and the only things really there were trees - hardly any houses. When driving down to San Diego, there was absolutely nothing between, what, El Toro and San Juan Capistrano? I think we camped once at Featherly Park, that too was out in the country, no homes in the canyon, lots of farms and ranches.

And that is one of the reasons I left SoCal. People can talk about how great it is now, but back then it wasn't crammed with millions of people like now, there was still such a thing as open space, it wasn't concrete and asphalt for miles and miles in every direction. It was truly the constant physical and psychological crush of humanity that I needed to get away from, and I did. But it makes me sad that I had to leave my home because it became too crowded and too expensive.

Sorry, but nostalgia is just that, makes you happy, makes you sad.

I agree with you, I too had a wonderful time growning up in Orange County, Disneyland, Knots Berry Farm, Harmony Park, Retail Clerks Union hall where we danced til it closed, baking our skins at the beach and thinking I was a champion swimer trying to survive the waves, and many many more adventures all over, but both me and my husband which we both were born there, also chose to leave due to all the people moving in. Way too much traffic. I still miss what was, but not what it is now. I remember driving down Brookhurst to the beach and after garden grove blvd. there was only one stop sign. Pure open fields. It was beautiful. Also driving on the highway or freeway at 12 at night there was no one around. Now its like everyone has somewhere to go 24/7. No peace. I sure do not see how these new people think it is so grand, they just don't know what they missed. Yes it is so expensive there now and even if I wanted to come back I would not be able to afford a tent to live in.

I too loved that Chicken Pot Pie place, to this day when I eat a not as wonderful frozen Marie Calendars Chickem Pot pie, I think of those little bowls full of goodness, I still have one of the bowls from there, not sure how it got to my moms house, but she gave it to me because I loved that place and its wonderful little chicken pot pies.

We have a beautiful home in a close state that we would not have had if we had stayed in California.

I have had other happy memories since, but non to compare to growning up in beautiful Orange County, California. Miss Miss Miss it.

[AOrangeCountyGirl]

Originally Posted by DewDropInn

Who remembers the carmel corn from that little booth at the Buena Park Mall?

A rep if you can tell me the colors of the boxes it came in.

I rememer it very well. Wonderful, loved just walking by the shop, the smells out of this world. It is sad when these business go away. Buena Park Mall is almost history too, right? Have not been there in years, but the last time I was there was not much to make you want to come back. Time marches on.

I don't think I remember the colors of the boxes, the ones now are white and red, blue and gold. I think they were red and white, but not sure been a while, I am just guessing on that. How we soon forget little things like that.

[AOrangeCountyGirl]

Originally Posted by donballard

Does anybody remember a restaurant called the Water Wheel on Euclid and La Palma?

Yes, but I only remember drivin by. Not sure I ever ate there. Was it good?

[AOrangeCountyGirl]

Originally Posted by jacobwilliam77

My grandparents moved to La Mirada in the early 1950's and they bought a house there for like $15,000.

Your a youngun, My parents bought a home in La Mirada in 1958 for 14,800. My father was so pround because that is the address on the house. Your grandparents probably paid the same but just rounded it up. My sister still lives in the same home. La Mirada is still a nice town.

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by AOrangeCountyGirl

No peace. I sure do not see how these new people think it is so grand, they just don't know what they missed.

Which is why they think it's so grand. You can't miss what you never experienced.

[DewDropInn]

C2- I talked with a different brother and he said the Big O tire was on the NE corner of Lincoln and Manchester. He said he remembers driving down Lincoln from West Anaheim and it was a left onto Manchester and then an immediate right into the parking lot. And he said the parking lot was very small.