Some Orlando Institutions Long gone (Pine Hills, Conway: association, used car, electricity)

[zafron60]

When I was a kid there was something almost hypnotic about that large sign in front of Grindle Dodge. I loved it and wonder if it was preserved or demolished. Although there are many long gone landmarks I remember - Ronnie's, Malcolm's, The Painted Horese, the cool putt-put courses on the highways around town, etc. - one thing that always made me laugh was the waving women who would sit on stools next to the signs of the various OBT strip clubs. Talk about surreal...

[mysticcho]

Originally Posted by cmj_fla

The place with the plane sticking out was called "Off the Wall" I believe. I never went there but enjoyed driving by when I was little on the way to downtown on the extremely bumpy OBT.

it was the golden rock before it was off the wall

[Doc2]

Originally Posted by DavieJ89

This isn't really long gone but we can add Gino's Pizza an Brew to that list I'm sad to say! my favorite downtown pizza place is gone

Was Definitely the best pizza in town...

[seabob4]

Anybody remember an Italian place called Mike's Lakeside Villa on S Orange south of Sand Lake? Killer baked Ziti on Wednesday nights for $4.95...of course, the beer took up most of the $20! Pan Am posters on the wall too...

[amason]

what was the name of roller skating rink on oak ridge rd ??

[LookingatFL]

Did anyone mention Ben White Raceway?

[MARY HARRIS 323]

Originally Posted by dalt10

there used to be a motel on obt that was indian tee pee's. That was way back.

i remember them.i remember begging daddy to live there. Gosh soooo very long ago.

[paulstarr]

Originally Posted by ron g. - Oakridge'72

Yes, on the corner of Ferguson Drive and Old Winter Garden Road. It was right down the road from my grandma's house. I went to elementary school with the owner's daughter - I forget which grade at the moment at Pine Castle Elementary School.

When I started reading these 28 pages today, I was trying to thknk of something new to add that no one mentioned and this came to mind till I saw yours!

And speaking for going to school with other kids of "famous" relatives - in the fourth grade there was a guy in my class who's uncle was Sheriff Dave Starr. There is a road in the Oakland area named after Dave Starr. I remember he was the head sheriff for many years.

Well that guy you went to school with was probably a family member of mine. Sheriff dave starr was my great-grandfather, it was nice to see a mention of his name.

[rtjparker]

I can't believe no one has brought up the monkey riding horseback on top of the wonderful little Donut Dinette on Mills! When my brother and I were little kids growing up in Orlando in the 50s, we were crazy for that little monkey. My dad would take a detour just to watch us go nuts. I think it was still there well into the 60s and possibly the 70s. We had the same reaction to the Wig Wam Village, and practically forced our parents to stay there when we first moved to Orlando.

And who remembers Chastains Restaurant and the glass booth in front of it that they used to broadcast a radio talk show from every night!

Oh, and parking on Genius Drive to "watch the peacocks." Come on, fess up, y'all!

LOL Well, thanks you guys for the little memory jolts. I could pretty much identify with with all of it. We lived near a dairy cow pasture that suddenly became the Colonial Plaza Mall. I went to Fern Creek, then Glenridge AND Howard, then EHS. Used the AFB (later Naval Air Station) as a personal recreation area, roller skated at the Coliseum, jogged around Lake Eola (before anyone had heard of such a thing), cruised back and forth between the "Orlando Steak" and the "Winter Park Steak", went to the Vogue and Beacham, and ALL the drive-ins mentioned, including the secret hidden spot behind some store where someone had rigged up an illegal speaker and you would watch the Winter Park Drive In movie for free! And don't forget driving to Daytona or New Smyrna in the wee hours of the morning after the prom!

Also: As not much more than toddlers, we'd go swimming at the Fern Creek pool, which was only a mile or so from our house. My mother would give my brother and I a dime and send us on our way. We'd walk to the pool and spend all day, completely on our own. We were maybe 8 and 10 years old at the time. There was a little store on Fern Creek that we would stop at on the way back to load up on penny candy. Later, we rode our bikes all over the town, swimming and fishing in different lakes, playing pickup football, basketball and baseball.

And yes, please don't forget the A&W, where they would keep the mugs frozen, so that when they gave you your root beer, it was actually smoking! Then after a few minutes this perfectly round ice medallion would detach itself from the bottom and float lazily to the surface, ready to be crunched by baby teeth.

Oh, I could go on, believe me! Thanks, you guys, for some great memories.

[Jo Lynne]

What about Farrell's Ice Cream place in Altamonte Mall in the '70's??