How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Glendale: companies, cheap)

[Willob9]

I'm not a native to Phoenix but I have such fond memories of vacationing there. It was such an interesting city in my younger days (70's and 80's) but I understand that it has sprawled out much like L.A. now. Such a shame to increase the smog level when, back then, the air was so clean and clear. I always wanted to live in Phoenix but just couldn't secure a good enough job to do that. I'm from the midwest and that city has always intrigued me even to this day. I do love the desert along with all the dryness it offers. I'm in my mid 60's now but I still have a love for Phoenix. I now live in Miami and it is pretty nice but soooooo humid and crowded and rude. I remember the people of Phoenix seemed so friendly. It's a shame we can't live where we want but job constraints control us for the most part. Maybe I can retire there someday.

I did enjoy the Spaghetti Factory, The Organ Grinder, I stayed at the then beautiful, Kon Tiki Motel on Van Buren and shopped at the Metro Center (that was so different to anything I had ever seen). I remember going to a 'Halloween in August?' at the Black Angus I believe. It was a trip. I really enjoyed the fun and excitement in that place. Many other things gave me such fond memories but there's not enough time and space to list them here.

Phoenix is one great city and I am so sorry I could never make it my home.

[observer53]

[quote=Donalumni;15844226]

Originally Posted by Donalumni

I remember a scene being shot for a movie at the Dairy Queen on 66th St. and McDowell south side. The movie name was sumthin like "Blankety Bland and the Gold Dust Twins"? The old building for Dairy Queen is still there but is a used cars place now surrounded by new car dealers. There was a pizza place just past it named Pizza Pub. Any kid growing up in this area knew these two landmarks. Down past 68th Street was a Burger Chef drive in and next to it was Western Honda motorcycle dealer and next to that was the original Max of Switzerland who was the original Rolls Royce/Jaguar and Porsche dealer for the Valley.

I hadn't thought about the Pizza Pub in AGES--it was right at 68th, I think. I think of that DQ every time I drive by the building, which has been a lot of different things since it was a DQ. You're right, any kid from a wide radius around there knew those two places.

[Donalumni]

Originally Posted by Willob9

I'm not a native to Phoenix but I have such fond memories of vacationing there. It was such an interesting city in my younger days (70's and 80's) but I understand that it has sprawled out much like L.A. now. Such a shame to increase the smog level when, back then, the air was so clean and clear. I always wanted to live in Phoenix but just couldn't secure a good enough job to do that. I'm from the midwest and that city has always intrigued me even to this day. I do love the desert along with all the dryness it offers. I'm in my mid 60's now but I still have a love for Phoenix. I now live in Miami and it is pretty nice but soooooo humid and crowded and rude. I remember the people of Phoenix seemed so friendly. It's a shame we can't live where we want but job constraints control us for the most part. Maybe I can retire there someday.

I did enjoy the Spaghetti Factory, The Organ Grinder, I stayed at the then beautiful, Kon Tiki Motel on Van Buren and shopped at the Metro Center (that was so different to anything I had ever seen). I remember going to a 'Halloween in August?' at the Black Angus I believe. It was a trip. I really enjoyed the fun and excitement in that place. Many other things gave me such fond memories but there's not enough time and space to list them here.

Phoenix is one great city and I am so sorry I could never make it my home.

I believe the Kon Tiki Motel was the scene location for the first movie "Family Vacation" with Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo when Chase went Skinny dipping with that model Christie Brinkley(?) after they left the dead aunt at her sons house in Phoenix. The movie had quite a bit of it shot in Az.

[Donalumni]

[quote=observer53;15849815]

Originally Posted by Donalumni

I hadn't thought about the Pizza Pub in AGES--it was right at 68th, I think. I think of that DQ every time I drive by the building, which has been a lot of different things since it was a DQ. You're right, any kid from a wide radius around there knew those two places.

Yes observer, it was there almost on the corner but a gas station was there and Pizza Pub was next to it and a small strip center behind them. I got my haircuts at a barber shop there in the strip center and I remember a LADY barber. I had never seen a lady barber before. Here I was in 1966 getting a butch cut with my dad directing the barber and all my friends were doin the "Beatle Look". Luckily, my mom convinced him that was out of style when I was a freshman at Coronado High.

[baby sinister]

Originally Posted by Donalumni

I believe the Kon Tiki Motel was the scene location for the first movie "Family Vacation" with Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo when Chase went Skinny dipping with that model Christie Brinkley(?) after they left the dead aunt at her sons house in Phoenix. The movie had quite a bit of it shot in Az.

If this is true, I never knew that, and this is one of my favorite movies.

[Donalumni]

Originally Posted by baby sinister

If this is true, I never knew that, and this is one of my favorite movies.

To be honest I think the hotel was closed down by then and they fixed it up for the shoot. Movie production is crazy with the money they spend. A friend of mine that that lives down in old Phoenix around 4th ave and Palm let a movie studio use his house for a scene in Asteroid or sumthin and they came in and did all this painting and drywall work to shoot a 20 second scene then he got his whole house painted inside and out to his suitings plus they put him up in the Biltmore for 3 weeks while they used his house.Amazing huh.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Donalumni

To be honest I think the hotel was closed down by then and they fixed it up for the shoot. Movie production is crazy with the money they spend. A friend of mine that that lives down in old Phoenix around 4th ave and Palm let a movie studio use his house for a scene in Asteroid or sumthin and they came in and did all this painting and drywall work to shoot a 20 second scene then he got his whole house painted inside and out to his suitings plus they put him up in the Biltmore for 3 weeks while they used his house.Amazing huh.

I seem to remember that they did use the motel, which was still there but closed, and fixed it up. It is amazing what production companies will do. When I was working in Florence in the early 80's, they filmed some shoot-em-up TV movie there. They blew up an abandoned gas station, turned the American Legion hall into a church by building a steeple on the corner of it (some local wag put a paper sign on the door that said "The Church of What's Happening Now ) (thank you, Flip Wilson). They turned some other building into City Hall. Years later, when they filmed Murphy's Romance there, I could tell when I saw the movie how much money they'd spent, even though I was no longer living or working there, I recognized the places they used.

[slowesthand]

another movie shot in and around various locations in Az. was "electra glide in blue" Avery good, maybe low budget film, starring Robert Blake. A very unforgettable ending, stick with it through the credits, I love the way the scene changes shades, Thats all Ill say, as to not spoil it! A good article on it here,Out of the Blue: Re-evaluating Electra-Glide in Blue (http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/05/37/electra_glide.html - broken link)

[KIG877]

Originally Posted by Westside Willie

Ask and ye shall receive.

so the legend is true where did you get the article

[DanicaAtPinkHouseBoutique]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

Like Scottsdale many years ago; is it possible that Glendale used to have its own street numbering system before going on the Phx/Maricopa County grid?

Here's a pic of the El Rey Theatre from around 1946. We found this pic in an old box in the building 2 doors down from us...

We bought the old theater building in 2005. After it was a theater, it was a shoe store, then it became Glendale Square Antiques, and today it's my shop called Pink House Boutique.