How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (computers, important)

[Applegate8]

I remember riding and then later driving around town at night in the Summer heat (without air conditioning of course) and then going past an orange grove and all of a sudden the air would feel cool because of the irrigation. In particular, I remember that happening when passing the orange grove at the northeast corner of 7th Street and Missouri where the Cinema Park Drive-In was later built (and which by the way still had the big wind turbines from the old orange grove).

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by Applegate8

I remember riding and then later driving around town at night in the Summer heat (without air conditioning of course) and then going past an orange grove and all of a sudden the air would feel cool because of the irrigation. In particular, I remember that happening when passing the orange grove at the northeast corner of 7th Street and Missouri where the Cinema Park Drive-In was later built (and which by the way still had the big wind turbines from the old orange grove).

Do you remember if the earthworm farm that was on the southeast corner was there at that time?

[Applegate8]

I vaguely remember the southeast corner as being occupied by a ramshackle collection of low wooden structures and junk surrounded by dense vegetation. I also remember wondering what use was being or had been made of the land.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by Applegate8

I vaguely remember the southeast corner as being occupied by a ramshackle collection of low wooden structures and junk surrounded by dense vegetation. I also remember wondering what use was being or had been made of the land.

Yup - that was the earthworm farm. As kids, we always talked about it like there was something nefarious and spooky going on inside, like it was Area 51 or something.

[Applegate8]

It was one of the many incongruous land uses that were established in rural areas of the county that later were annexed into the city and that became urbanized. Another example is the Roer Bird Farm. Sunnyslope and South Phoenix in particular had (and still have) many such uses that seemed out of place in the middle of the city. But, in that regard, Phoenix can't hold a candle to Tucson, which is a jumble of incompatible land uses.

[azdr0710]

Originally Posted by Applegate8

It was one of the many incongruous land uses that were established in rural areas of the county that later were annexed into the city and that became urbanized.

for decades, the NE corner of 68th St and Camelback has always struck me as an example of this.....a couple acres or so that still has a small barn-like structure on it and a small pasture....haven't seen it in a few weeks and maybe something is happening on it now....

this amid some of the most valuable real estate in the southwest....

[jonnyrokket]

Thanks Sluggo for the great pics and cool site link.

[BEJ]

Originally Posted by scottsdalegal8080

How about the Phoenix and Rialto theaters, also in downtown PHX BACK WHEN....

Originally Posted by Native49
ok folks here's the things I remember about Phoenix in the past, do you remember ?
food: lucky boy hamburgers (20th st and McDowell and 5th Ave and McDowell).
Bob's Big Boy with car hops ( Central & Thomas)
First Phoenix McDonalds's ( Central & Indian School)
Carnation Ice Cream (Central & Indian School)
Lazy Lou's Fish & Chips (32nd st & Washington)
Green Gables Restaurant (24th st & Thomas ) (with the guy in the armor riding the white horse)
Safari Hotel and Restaurant ( Scottsdale rd & Camelback rd) great late night breakfast)
Brookshires (16th st & McDowell)

theaters: Fox, Strand, Paramount, Vista (downtown) Palms (Central & Virginia) (how many weeks did the movie Sound of Music play at the Vista?)
Drive-ins: Cinema Park (7th st & Missouri), Northern ( Northern and I-17), Dollar, Phoenix drive-in, Rodeo, Big Sky, Round-up.

Went to the Rialto a couple of times, but it seemed to be a Spanish language theater. We used to hide in the trunk of a car to sneak into the drive-in theaters. Back in the '50s there was a Dairy Queen around 20th & McDowell. Maybe Lucky Boy took it over.
I worked at Bob's Big Boy probably in the '60-'61 timeframe. Worked both sides. I was the "drink" dude on the drive-in side for about three months. Might have made your malt or drawn your Coke. Busy place. Got a "promotion" to the inside restaurant making salads. Another busy place. We would get a meal for working a certain number of hours. I LOVED IT. They had great peeled shrimp, and I would take a HUGE bowl of it, smoother it with their wonderful cocktail sauce. No problem getting another bowl either.
Macs at Central & Thomas seemed to be the northern end of the Central Ave run. I remember trying to stop my car as it rolled out of a parking space, on the side of Macs, and hit a police car. No one needs that kind of excitment, thank you !!!
As a young teen, I played in a small band. We used to play at Green Gables once in a while. The man who formed our group was a Mason, so I would think someone at Green Gables was also involved with that group. Our little band (five members) would sit in the back of a pickup truck and play Christmas Carols at various houses during the season.
Never ate at Brookshires, but katy korner to them (south side of McDowell) was a small group of shops with a Bayless store, a beauty/barber shop, a dry cleaners, and Olsen's Pharmacy. Used to get many cokes and donuts at the pharmacy's soda fountain. Also, across from that strip (north side of McDowell) was group of shops. Can't remember most of them, but there was a Fine's clothing store, a 5&10c store, and a bakery down toward the Valley Bank on 15th & McDowell. I delivered the Gazette in the afternoon, but on Sunday, if I remember correctly, we delivered the Sunday edition of the Republic. I had a barter deal with the bakery shop owner - one Sunday paper for two of his super great breakfast eclairs. Great deal on a Sunday morning.
Anyone eat at or remember Valley Del Sol Mexican Restaurant on 17th St & McDowell ?
Great memories from a bygone era.

[jmarion88]

All my relatives are from New Jersey. About every 3 - 4 years, my family would take a 2 week vacation and fly back to Jersey. Remember the 60s and 70s were the days before covered walkways at the airport, and they would wheel the stairs up to the airplane for people to get off the plane. I remember the looks on people from back East's faces when they would first get hit with that blast of hot air. On a related note, I remember visiting my cousins in Jersey and it started to rain one day. Well, my sister and I ran out into the street to play in the rain as all good kids from Arizona would do. I remember my Jersey cousins standing in the doorway looking at us like "These people from Arizona are crazy!"

[observer53]

Originally Posted by azdr0710

for decades, the NE corner of 68th St and Camelback has always struck me as an example of this.....a couple acres or so that still has a small barn-like structure on it and a small pasture....haven't seen it in a few weeks and maybe something is happening on it now....

this amid some of the most valuable real estate in the southwest....

I lived not far from there, in opposite directions, for almost thirty years. There was a small house on the property, too, that was occupied for a long time. There were a few, never more than two or three, really beautiful horses out in the front pasture... used to love going by there. Always wondered what the story was of that property.