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

[AZ91]

Originally Posted by _Charles_

I moved to the Valley in 1986 and caught the tail end of the old Valley and Phoenix the way it used to be. The Valley still had an air of small town charm and joi d'vire - now long gone. Thinking of that always make me wish I had moved here sooner.

Ditto!

[joninaz]

Here's a view of a certain landmark mountain back in the 20s. Too bad a distant relative hadn't bought up the vacant land - Scottsdale and East Phoenix looked pretty vacant at the time.


View from Hole in the Rock looking towards the future Sky Harbor area:



It's from this site (which has a lot of other great historic info.)

[_Charles_]

I remember the old Colonnade Mall and the old Christown - that had a Broadway store not a Wal-Mart. I remember when the Biltmore faced an empty field across Camelback. I remember when I17 was the only freeway that went through town and Bell road had 2 lanes with citrus groves on each side. Jeeeze I must be old!

[LadmoFan]

It was Korricks, Broadway and I guess now Wal Mart. Do you remember the monkey and I think birds in their cages at Chris Town?

LF

[Greatday]

The ORIGINAL Goldwater's downtown

Then, the other Goldwater's at Park Central Mall - The Goldwater's were not open on Sunday - nor was Lou Grubb Chevrolet

I remember when only 1 drug store was ALLOWED to open on Sunday - and it was done in rotation

[aj661]

Originally Posted by LadmoFan

It was Korricks, Broadway and I guess now Wal Mart. Do you remember the monkey and I think birds in their cages at Chris Town?

LF

It was the wrong side of town but I remember a couple of trips to Chris Town. We spent a lot of time at Thomas Mall (wasn't it large fish tanks there?), Tower Plaza and the especially the Sears at 24th St and Camelback-southwest corner. Until the the Woolco store went in at Curry and Scottsdale Road in Tempe, then we shopped there. Those pre-K Mart and Wal Mart days seem so long ago.

[Greatday]

Before "Christown" - there was just "Chris" - an older gentlemen who owned the land where the mall was eventually built. Part of the "deal" was that it (the mall - the first enclosed A/C mall in AZ) was to be named after him - hence "Chris" town

And pre Park Central mall was the Central Dairy - Carnation Dairy was up the street a little - at Indian School - they had a great ice cream palor there too - YUMMY

[aj661]

Originally Posted by Greatday

Before "Christown" - there was just "Chris" - an older gentlemen who owned the land where the mall was eventually built. Part of the "deal" was that it (the mall - the first enclosed A/C mall in AZ) was to be named after him - hence "Chris" town

And pre Park Central mall was the Central Dairy - Carnation Dairy was up the street a little - at Indian School - they had a great ice cream palor there too - YUMMY

Forgot about Carnation's Ice Cream Parlor! Only went there once as a child. Thanks for finding a great memory buried under all the garbage in my head!

[Artliquide]

Originally Posted by LadmoFan

I remember when Chris Town was one of the nicest malls in town. We used to shop at Korricks (usually at Christmas and my grandmother would bring home mysterious boxes wrapped at Korricks and we would wonder...) I remember the monkey and his owner entertaining kids at Chris Town.
LadmoFan

Didn't Chris Town have sand castles or something?

I haven't lived here my whole life, but I was here from shortly after birth till the age of 4, in 3rd grade and then again from 8th grade till now, so my memory of how it was in the late 70s and 80s is fuzzy.

But I vaguely remember the underground movie theater at Los Arcos, and my grandparents' monogram shop on 5th Ave in Scottsdale (it was open from the early 60s to early 80s). Downtown Scottsdale still had a lot of the old mom and pop stores when I was a kid. It wasn't corporate like it is now.

I do remember when I a little older, that Scottsdale was still not too developed past Chaparral Rd. I remember my parents driving us to Gilbert and thinking it was sooooo far, and now I live in Gilbert and it doesn't seem so far out anymore (because the construction is so far beyond Gilbert now).

Wish I had more memories to share, but the majority of my childhood was spent elsewhere, so my memories of Arizona are hazy.

[Artliquide]

Originally Posted by Magnum Mike

[b][color=darkgreen]
I remember Goldwater's department stores, which were owned by the Goldwater family, they had a store in Park Central mall, one in Scottsdale Fashion Square in the early 1960's, then another one opened in 1973, when Metro Center opened.

I had forgotten about Goldwater's. I'm not a big shopper, but the visual of the big sign on Fashion Square just popped into my head.

I also remember when Fashion Square was a typical mall, not fancy like it is now. And, I remember when Camelview was a separate shopping center, which you had to cross the street to get to, before it was assimilated by Fashion Square.

Ooooh, and I remember the real Cine Capri, not the wannabe Cine Capris popping up here and there.

And, I did also watch Wallace and Ladmo and even got to see them live one time. Never got a Ladmo bag though. My mom used to watch that show as well (she was here from the late 50s).