How do you remember Phoenix? Stories from long time residents... (Mesa: gypsies, fried)

[Arizona Mike]

This ad was in the Arizona Republic on December 20, 1975, as a bet between Arizona's A.J. Bayless grocery store chain and the Hinky Dinky grocery store chain in Nebraska. It's hard to imagine doing something like this today. People would be going berserk begging to spare the steer's life. We aren't comfortable with personifying the source of our steaks nowadays, I guess.

[SluggoF16]

What a game that one was. Yeah, there would probably be a protest for the steer. Sending a steer to Nebraska seems a bit like coal to Newcastle.

My father in-law says one of his greatest achievements (he's a retired wheat farmer) is having his five children understand fully where food comes from.

[SluggoF16]

Wife and I are going to be in the Phoenix area in a few days, does the homeowner at Camelback and 64th St still do the saguaro three wisemen? It was an annual tradition in the 70s.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/18074569-post3048.html

[stephenm85]

I remember as a kid being in a dust storm once to go over to a friends house. The streets were fine and didn't see a lot of closed business. The older I get it seems every couple blocks either a no business is opening, closing, or something I considered beautiful years ago as fallen into despair. Also things that are being redesigned are only on the surface still cruddy as it was years ago when I started driving.

[Arizona Mike]

Thought I'd post some vintage photos:

Midway Baptist Church, 1971.



Phoenix from the air, 1971. Who can identify where this is?



Mouer Park, as it used to look in the 1960s, just before you drove across the Mill Avenue Bridge into Tempe:



The old Post Office. Cris Kirkwood, the bass player for the Meat Puppets, was shot in the lobby around Christmas, 2003.



Camelback Towers, 1970s.



Downtown Phoenix, 1975. The motorcycle officers are wearing the old light blue uniform shirt.



Phoenix Light Rail, in 1947



Arcadia High Yearbook, 1969. Linda Carter, lower right, would go on to fame in the 1970s as Wonder Woman on ABC-TV.

[Arizona Mike]

The Kachina Theater in Scottsdale. I miss it.



Looking east on Van Buren, past the marquee for the Kon-Tiki motel. 1970s?



The Sands Motor Lodge, 3400 E. Van Buren. early to late 1960s, based on the Bossa Nova themed night. Pancakes galore!



Demolition of the J.C. Penney's downtown, 1975

[Arizona Mike]

The Caravan Inn on Van Buren, 1963. There used to be a lot of middle-eastern and other "exotic" themed motels on that strip.



Rolling! The Amtrak 517 B321 Sunset rolls through Tempe with Camelback Mountain in the background, 1994



Another view of the Kon Tiki:



The old Goldwater's at Scottsdale Fashion Square - 1960s? 1970s?



The Amtrak 718 P301 Sunset Limited rolls through Tempe:



The Desert Sky Motel on Van Buren, 1963

[Arizona Mike]

More Van Buren Motel Exotica: The Tahiti Inn Motel, 1963. When did we stop wanting to go to motels that sounded like a south sea island, and instead decided to check into the Holiday Inn Express?



Central Avenue, 1971

[Zen88]

Love these street pictures, the buildings, signs and old cars.

I wonder how it was tolerable to live there before air conditioning became common.

[Arizona Mike]

Originally Posted by Zen88

Love these street pictures, the buildings, signs and old cars.

I wonder how it was tolerable to live there before air conditioning became common.

It was a lot cooler back then, less concrete and asphalt in town.

Glad you liked the pictures.