How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (castle, deal)

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by morikun

I remember eating Lazy Lou's fish and chips. I think it was somewhere near Papago Park, but I can't remember (this was like first grade or prior). I also remember Arthur Treacher's existed for a brief time. I went to a birthday party at Wagon Wheel Kiddie Land and had the good fortune to see Ladmo there (for some other kid's party). To increase our Ladmo exposure we begged dad to drive us down to the KPHO studios on Labor Day so we could say hi to Ladmo and drop $5 into the big fishbowl. Legend City at night was amazing, especially the Sky Ride and the boat ride that went thru the waterfall and into the pirate cave. Hobo Joe's had great prizes. Bob's Big Boy had educational comic books. I remember going to a brand new Fountain Hills when it was pretty much just the Fountain. Mom cashed in her S&H Green Stamps at the Redemption Center. We would drive to Dunkin Donuts on Indian School for our free Birthday Club donuts. The transmitter for KJ-910 was only a few miles from our house and you could hear country music faintly in the phone. Hangliders jumping off North Mountain. Swimming lessons at Sunnyslope pool and the smell of whatever suntan foam was popular at the time. Metrocenter's Alley was like a wonderful secret that nobody knew about (or so I thought). I ate an entire Pig Trough at Farrell's, expecting a great prize and got a piece of candy. Dad took me to Penney's at Metrocenter to buy my cub scout uniform and supplies. Picnics in Cortez Park in the summertime. Kino Pool and Rendevous Park in Mesa. Matta's. Hiking to Weaver's Needle in the Superstitions. The gleaming glittering wonderland of Golf N Games' arcade, where my paper route money ended up. Remember those little beige tickets you got when you paid up your Arizona Republic subscription? Man, I hated collecting. The drive-in theater at Northern and I-17. The theater on Main in Mesa. Pinocchio gave me nightmares. The cool wire sculpture at Tri-City Mall with the drops of oil flowing down the wires. I remember when the city switched from the small metal garbage cans to the giant black ones you share with your neighbors. A great place to hide when they are empty, if you can stand the heat and the smell. The summer parks and rec program they had at our elementary school. Great classes and lots of fun things to do. Riding our bikes everywhere, especially jumping the mounds of dirt in all the vacant lots in the neighborhood. Even the time I sailed through a palo verde tree (ouch). Good times, good times.

Welcome to our collective mental attic.

[Arizona Mike]

Whoo-hoo! I got the first post on the 100th page on this thread! Amazing how many memories we share!

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by morikun

I have been looking for a picture of the building(s) on Central from the 60s/70s that looked like computer punch cards. They were thin, curved and had windows 'punched' at random places. I think it was a savings and loan. What was that, and does anyone have any pictures of that unique structure?

Here's a link to an excellent, royalty-free, large format photo of the north side of the punch-card building (click on the photo to bring up the large-format picture - you may have to register on the site first, which is free.) You can also see one of the valley's upside-down pyramids (like the Tempe City Hall) - self-shading, but it sure looks like an unstable structure...

stock.xchng - Central Phoenix Corridor (stock photo by echjman)

I use that website all the time for powerpoint presentations, BTW - thousands upon thousands of free large-format stock pictures, searchable by subject.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

Welcome to our collective mental attic.

Couldn't rep you for it, but I had to give you an attaboy for the "collective mental attic" phrase.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

Here's a link to an excellent, royalty-free, large format photo of the north side of the punch-card building (click on the photo to bring up the large-format picture - you may have to register on the site first, which is free.) You can also see one of the valley's upside-down pyramids (like the Tempe City Hall) - self-shading, but it sure looks like an unstable structure...

stock.xchng - Central Phoenix Corridor (stock photo by echjman)

I use that website all the time for powerpoint presentations, BTW - thousands upon thousands of free large-format stock pictures, searchable by subject.

A small piece of trivia here: both 'pyramids' can be easily accessed via the Light Rail

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by Arizona Mike

Whoo-hoo! I got the first post on the 100th page on this thread! Amazing how many memories we share!

We are also coming up on our 100,000th viewer.

[Visgraf90]

My family's been here since the late 19th century, so I've heard quite a few stories from my relatives. One my grandmother told is that the old Rosenzweig Center, now Phoenix City Square (or something to that extent), was originally meant to be a country house for my great-grandmother; but they couldn't get natural gas to the property, so it lied dormant for several years. Also, when my father's family moved to Northview and Central, my grandfather had to resign from the city council as that area was outside the city limits.

[mortalmike]

Two words...Pool Hopping, sometimes we were hard up for some relief, if you were a kid back in the 60s and seventies in what was then North Phx. Sometime a fancy large fountain would do the trick. I was also one of those kids that would float down the canal if it were going my way -

I have not lived in Phoenix for thirty years, but I have never heard city neighborhood envirments that were as quiet as Phoenix's. Seems that neighborhoods here in Uban CA, are never still.

How is this for a memory?.....While on my bike delivering the AZ republic, I would peddle down an ally adjacnt to the Tropic Garden petting Zoo on 7th street. The little monkeys would swoop down and pull my hair!

Just two more words.....Aqua Netta Bye now

Mortalmike

[roosevelt]

Originally Posted by mortalmike

How is this for a memory?.....While on my bike delivering the AZ republic, I would peddle down an ally adjacnt to the Tropic Garden petting Zoo on 7th street. The little monkeys would swoop down and pull my hair!

Just two more words.....Aqua Netta Bye now

Mortalmike

I remember those spider monkeys at the 7th Street zoo. Also Aquanetta, I used to see her eating at a buffet in Scottsdale all the time, talked to her once. I remember seeing her in a movie when I was a kid called Tarzan and the Leopard Girl, she stole every scene she was in. I think her next picture had her turning into a gorilla, a horror flick.

Here is a picture of the original Park Central with Coffee Dan's in front:



I never could understand why they didn't close in the mall and air condition the spaces between stores. Diamond's and El Rancho grocery store was at the back.

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by roosevelt

We are also coming up on our 100,000th viewer.

Attachment 52565

And that be me

OK: 1,000th post but still